This article delves into Nigerian funeral traditions, highlighting how different cultures care for their dead. In Nigeria, death is often viewed as a natural and inevitable part of life, a transition rather than a definitive end. This perspective is influenced by indigenous beliefs in an afterlife and the significant roles of ancestors. For example, the Yoruba believe in reincarnation and that ancestral spirits continue to interact with the living.
Nigerian cultures have elaborate and varied rituals surrounding death and bereavement, reflecting the belief that proper ceremonies ensure the deceased’s peaceful transition to the afterlife and prevent them from haunting the living.
Caption: Traditional Nigerian dancers at a funeral ceremony.
Religious Influences
Christianity and Islam are the most common religions of Nigeria. These religions have their own customs and beliefs that are reflected in a family’s funeral traditions. However, they do have some similarities; many Christian and Muslim Nigerians believe God judges the deceased’s soul to determine their afterlife fate.
The funeral readings depend on the deceased’s religious beliefs, but there’s usually prayers, poetry, and a eulogy.
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General Funeral Customs
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A Nigerian funeral service may feel more like a party, as you’ll find a lot of music, singing, and dancing. They believe that the more music and dancing, the better chance the deceased’s soul has at a successful afterlife.
The funeral attire depends on the deceased’s age and the family’s preferences. Some families choose a color combination - usually two colors - for funeral guests to wear. However, when attending the burial ceremony, everyone should wear dark-colored clothing - especially if it’s a burial for someone young.
The burial preparations can last anywhere from several days to several weeks. Muslim Nigerians bury the deceased as soon as possible, but Christian Nigerians may wait longer. Muslim Nigerians usually bury the body facing Mecca.
While some Nigerians bury people depending on their gender. They bury men facing east so he sees the sunrise; while they bury women facing west so she sees the sunset and can prepare dinner for her husband in her next life. They also cover the body with black earth, because they believe red earth causes skin blemishes in their next life.
Relatives of the deceased organize a second burial filled with celebrations in honor of the deceased.
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Yoruba Funeral Traditions (Ìsínku)
The Yoruba are a tribe predominantly found in Southwest Nigeria who believe death is a transitional process from existence in the human world to that of the spirit world. In view of this, elaborate funeral rituals are done to ensure the spiritual world accepts the soul of the dead.
A 20th century Yoruba mask representing the spirit of an ancestor. Worn during during ceremonies honoring the memory of the deceased.
Funeral rites vary based on the deceased’s status, age, and the circumstances surrounding their death. The funeral process is referred to as Isinku, which translates to burial. Isinku is the honoured way to transition the dead into the spiritual realm.
Broadly, there are two types of Isinku:
- Isinku àgbà or Ayeye (Non-sorrowful burial)
- Òkú Ọfò (sorrowful death)
Isinku àgbà or Ayeye (Non-sorrowful burial)
The first step after death is to turn the corpse face downwards and cover it up, and this is followed by the Itufo (public announcement). In some cases, the announcement is made by shouts and lamentations, and oftentimes by walking the streets while crying and wailing.
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While this is happening, the purification rites begin. The corpse is washed thoroughly as admission into the spirit world may be denied if they are unclean. Like many religions and cultures, Yoruba purification rites are gendered. Women wash female corpses and braid their hair and men wash male corpses.
After the washing is complete, the body is smeared with white camwood, which later turns red. The lower jaw is tied to the head with a bandage, the hands are clasped and the toes are tied together.
After the purification of the corpse is complete, it is carried around the village, while those carrying the corpse sing a funeral dirge. Mourners give messages to the deceased, which will be delivered to the ancestors.
Ahead of the body, the black feathers of the sacrificial fowl - Adiye irana - are pulled out by a mourner and thrown along the road. The fowl is slaughtered at the graveside after the body has been buried and the blood poured into the grave.
The sacrificial fowl wards off evil spirits that could hinder the herculean transition to the spirit world and symbolizes the inevitability of death, reflected in the Yoruba saying, ‘Adiye irana ki s’oun ajegbe’, which loosely translates to ‘one must repay eating the sacrificial funeral fowl’.
A smooth journey lets the deceased know that the sacrifice was made in their honor, and this allows them to maintain communication with their descendants, or to reincarnate within the family.
Traditionally, the dead are buried in the home, usually in the room previously occupied by the deceased. In burying the dead, adequate provisions must be included to sustain them on the journey to the other realm. Clothes, footwear, beads, snuffbox, lanterns, food, and drinks are put in the grave for use by the deceased. In the past, when kings and high chiefs died, slaves were often slain or buried alive with them.
Lavish ceremonial feasting follows the burial typically scheduled for the day after the funeral, or later. If the deceased was a king or a wealthy person, the ceremonial feasting can sometimes last for days and can include many different performances.
Òkú Ọfò (sorrowful death)
Òkú Ọfò is a form of isinku that is held when a young person dies. Such deaths are considered untimely as the individual is said to have not fulfilled his or her destiny before dying.
In such deaths, the first rite performed before the announcement of death is Iwadi fini fini. This is a form of spiritual autopsy where priests and diviners determine the cause of death. The corpse is taken into a secret enchanted room and its spirit invoked, which is then told to narrate the cause of death.
If the death was their fault or accidental, sacrifices are made to ensure the dead can transition to the spirit world peacefully. In cases of murder or foul play, further rites must be undertaken.
For example, the first rite is the fortification of the corpse - riro oku, which is a highly secretive rite, which is only known by the local priests. In such deaths, there are no ceremonial activities and the whole village is thrown into mourning. Such burials are brief without the traditional wailing and music.
After sacrifices are made to ease the dead’s path, he/she is buried away from the house.
The use of many of these rites have declined since the introduction of Christianity and Islam, as well as the effects of living in a globalized world. But many Yoruba families still include some of these rites as part of the death and bereavement practices.
Igbo Funeral Traditions
Nigeria is a West African country with over 250 ethnic groups, all having with their own culture and language. The three largest of these groups are the Hausa-Fulani in the north, Yoruba in the west, and Igbo in the east. It is mostly Igbo customs that we are exploring in this post.
The Igbo people are 98% Christian, with the rest practicing traditional religious beliefs. However, Igbo funeral rites often transcend religion since they are very much a social event too. Interestingly, there are two funerals for every deceased, making it ‘too expensive to die’ according to locals.
An Igbo funeral is characterized often by huge amounts of money expended on livestock and alcohol. This depends on the age grades, or in other words, the position of the deceased within their community. Additionally, Igbo spend large amounts of money entertaining the guests and for the transportation of the corpse.
Furthermore, the appropriate final resting place for an Igbo man is his ancestral village, whereas for a woman her husband’s village. The body of the deceased is often scrubbed with camwood dye and placed on plantain leaves.
After that, the oldest daughter of the deceased, called ada, takes part in the ino uno akwa rite. During that, she has to consume the favorite meals of the departed for a whole day. Additionally, this needs to take place in silence. By consuming the meals in silence, she ensures that her father has constant access to nutrition in the afterlife.
Furthermore, the wife - or wives in case of polygamy - are wailing for their dead husband.
Ikwa ozu means ‘celebrating the dead’ and is also referred to as the second burial. This ceremony may take place anytime from weeks to a year after the first burial. According to Igbo traditions, funerals are also a rite of initiation of the dead to the group of their ancestors.
Additionally, Igbo customs include dances, eating and drinking, as well as the use of cows and horses. The dead person’s age grade is thus visible in all these examples. In some cases there is even a mock trial to determine who had killed the departed, even if it is no-one’s fault.
Furthermore, Mmanwu is a traditional masquerade of the Igbo. Only males perform them, and they are dressed in elaborate, colorful costumes that are meant to invoke ancestral spirits.
The duration of the second burial depends on the role of the deceased in the community or their profession. For example, an ogbuagu, a tiger-killer, will get a Nwaubani (funeral) that lasts for seven days. However if a child dies, the funeral is much simpler, since it has not yet become a full member of the society. That same standard applies for almost anyone not yet married.
Moreover, the Igbo believe that life does not end after death, since death is simply seen as a transition to a new world. Therefore, the ceremonies Igbo perform ensure a safe passage to the spirit world.
Respectability is also important: even if the deceased accumulated respect during their time alive, this does not apply to their afterlife status. An example of that is the funeral of Chinua Achebe, a famous Nigerian author. Despite his accomplishments when he was alive, he would not receive respect in the afterlife if the rites of ikwa ozu had not been performed.
Finally, it is a common belief that if a family does not organize an ikwa ozu they will be tormented by spirits.
Modern Influences
As mentioned above most of modern-day Igbo are mostly Christians. Christian Churches are influencing how both first and second modern burials take place.
Firstly, they have placed a limit on how long relatives can keep their loved ones in the mortuary. This usually lasts up to two to three weeks. If the limit is not respected, they may refuse to officiate a burial ceremony.
Secondly, the ikwa ozu is frowned upon since it is seen as pagan. However, due to the social nature of the ceremony, often even the most pious Christians are hesitantly taking part in the celebrations.
Church-goers, though, find ways of intermixing Christian and Indigenous Igbo death customs, in an attempt to bridge religious and social discrepancies. For instance, during the shaving of widows’ heads, the rest of the women may start chanting Christian rites and songs.
Additionally, instead of being completely silent during the meals of the ino uno akwa, the ada prays by reading the Bible. Finally, another effort to bridge the two belief systems is that the second burial is then called a memorial service.
These death practices are examples of reconciliation between two belief systems.
Hausa-Fulani Funeral Rites
Most of the Hausa-Fulani tribes are Muslim and reside in the Northern part of Nigeria. They came in touch with Islam through the Saharan trading routes and consist over one third of Nigeria’s population.
The Hausa usually follow Muslim funeral rites. For example, cremation is forbidden both according to Islamic teaching and tribal traditions. Therefore, the vast majority of Hausa practice burials. Embalming the corpse is similarly not common among Muslim Nigerians. Instead they wash it and wrap it in a burial veil.
After death, the corpse is placed in position facing Mecca, a common practice among Muslims. Autopsies are also frowned upon since the dead should not be disturbed.
