A Drummer's Testament

drummers <Home page>

Chapter I-21:  Muslims' Funerals and Chiefs' Funerals

<PDF file>

How Muslims are buried; stages of a Muslim funeral; sharing property; how chiefs die; how chiefs are buried; the installation of the Regent; chiefs funerals and the work of drummers; example:  Savelugu; the Gbɔŋlana and the Pakpɔŋ; seating the Gbɔŋlana; the Kambonsi; Mba Naa and showing the riches; selection of a new chief



Supplementary material

Images



<top of page>

Contents outline and links by paragraph

Introduction

Muslim funerals

The forty days

Sharing the property among Muslims

Sharing the property in Dagbamba villages for non-Muslims

Sharing property in the towns

Transition

Chief's burial and small funeral

Example:  Savelugu chief's small funeral and seating of Gbɔŋlana

Example:  Savelugu's chief's final funeral, waking up the funeral

Example:  Savelugu chief's funeral, showing the riches

Choosing a new Savelugu-Naa



<top of page>

Proverbs and Sayings

Everyone learns to the point he can learn.

We are all one, but knowledge and traveling has made us to be more than one another.

A chief does not die.

As our elder is not there, he is not dead.  He has traveled.

He has removed the skin and left the molting.

An orphan who becomes annoyed is someone without a father.

Yaa-Naa has given so-and-so this town to go and hold the children.  And when he gets home, he should pretend he doesn't hear, and he should be blind, and he should be a fool.  He shouldn't say his eyes are open, and he shouldn't say he has heard, and he shouldn't say he is wise.

Chieftaincy doesn't know anything.

“I put something on the skin and went home.”


<top of page>

Dagbani words and other search terms