The Ayindas or Ahantas are a Guan people who live to the north of the Nzema . Ayinda literally means the land of Twins .The Ahanta land spans from Beposo to Ankobra in what is now the Western Region of the Republic of Ghana. come in early contact
In Agona Nkwanta, my hometown, in the some part of Western Region such Ahanta west district, funerals [ Ayile in Ahanta], often referred to as a homegoing, are held quite frequently.
The funerals are extremely intricate and elaborate and if you blink you just might miss something meaningful.
The four-day cultural celebration and traditional funeral rites are normally held from Friday to Monday.
The four-day cultural celebration and traditional funeral rites are normally held from Friday to Monday.
Before the actual funeral on Ahanta land, there are certain rituals that the family of the deceased must follow. For instance, the buying of the cloth known as Edaame, for the funeral. Most prevalent is the black and white, which is used on the Sunday for Thanksgiving after the hectic Friday and Saturday events.
On day one, the Friday preceding the main function on Saturday, the entire family meet in the evening at the family house to finalize the arrangements for the main activity on Saturday, which includes the acceptance of the Ayuwaledee, which comprises a sponge, toothpaste, water, toilet paper, towel, soap, lotion, body wash, and so on. If the deceased person has sons, the wives of the sons are responsible for bringing the items.
Day two is usually on a Saturday. The body is prepared and laid in state to be received by the family in the early hours of the morning, usually before sunrise. As is to be expected, the family wails after a Pastor or Reverend Minister has blessed the body before it is opened for general public viewing. After the prayer and viewing, another presentation of items takes place. Loved ones bring clothe, drinks and more to bid farewell to the deceased.
Between 7 am and 8 am, well-wishers and sympathizers arrive to join the immediate family members to share in their grief. At this point, some family members and friends also donate bouquets, flowers, rings, handkerchiefs and other items including money to be taken away by the deceased. These items are normally placed in the coffin.
On Sunday, day three, the family and friends gather at church for thanksgiving service in the morning with everyone in black and white traditional attire. In the afternoon after service, the family meets at the same place where the festivity was held on the previous day to received people who were unable to attend on Saturday. Also in attendance are a few of the traditional musical groups from the previous day.
Monday is considered a day of the funeral activities and is mainly confined to the immediate family to take stock and discuss any shortfalls or anything that happened in the preceding days. This is where the family gets to know whether they made a loss or made a gain after all of the activities.
Written by: Samuel Aidoo (DCS20664)
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