This archive report was first published on 1 August 2019.
Luo Community Rituals During Death ¶
Located in the western part of Kenya, the Luo community is known for its preservation of tradition, which is deeply ingrained in the majority of its people. One of the key areas where this tradition is evident is in the treatment of the dead.
According to a research paper titled 'Death and Rituals Among the Luo in South Nyanza,' researcher Wakana Shiino from Tokyo Metropolitan University notes that the Luo community has developed a series of rituals for the deceased, which are designed to ensure a peaceful and decent send-off. Shiino attributes this to the community's strong fear and respect for the dead.
As part of these rituals, the Luo people perform more than ten kinds of rituals for the deceased, largely held in their rural homes. These rituals differ depending on the deceased's sex and the sex of participants in the rituals. Shiino notes that a ritual is performed in certain, fixed ways to reflect how a particular death occurred, the good and bad deeds of the deceased, and the way the deceased and the ancestors performed the same rituals.
Some of the rituals include death announcement, vigil, grave digging, burial, accompanying the spirit of the deceased to a former battleground, shaving, mourners' departure for their homes, serving meals to the deceased and its family by married women, and going to the former battleground with the spirit of the deceased.
Shiino's research also highlights the importance of the church and the deceased family members in deciding the right place for a grave. In the old times, people used to dig graves in the daytime, but these days, people prepare the grave at midnight before the burial day, as it is too exhausting to dig graves under the strong sun.
As part of the ritual, four days after the burial, people shave their heads. A razor blade is usually used, and the first shave marks the beginning of the mourning period. At the end of mourning, those who were shaved are shaved again, which marks the beginning of their new life.
The Luo community also serves meals to the deceased in what is referred to as 'tedo.' On the day of tedo, the sons and daughters return to their natal home to cook for the dead mother or father. Children contribute a certain amount of various kinds of food according to their income.
Dividing the items left by the deceased (keyo nyinyo) is another ritual where the family and relatives divide between themselves items left by the deceased, such as clothes, furniture, dishes, calabashes, and cooking pots. Remembrance (rapar) is a ritual where the relatives assemble at the dead person's home for remembrance, comfort, and to appease the dead person.
