Guilt and Pollution in Sebei “Mortuary Rituals

Abstract

Customary procedures in Sebei (Uganda) funerals are described as based on informants' statements & the observation of 5 funerals. Major events subsequent to a man's death are: "(1) the burial itself, which takes place on the day of death or the morning following; (2) the ceremony of chasing away death...or purification rite...& (3) a final release of the widows from mourning, involving ritual sexual intercourse between the... widows & the man who is to inherit them." Legal matters are integrated into these ceremonies & involve a public hearing of all indebtedness claimed against the estate, determination of who is to inherit the widows, & allocation of deceased's possessions among the heirs. Each step in the funeral rites is described in detail, & the funeral of one man is described at length. Major features which characterize the funeral practices are: "(1) the rearrangement of social & economic matters that take place in association with funerals, (2) the almost total absence of ritual involvement with the soul of the decesed [although many other ceremonies refer to spirits of the dead], & (3) the ritual focus on the survivors, with particular reference to their purification." It is believed that "because the Sebei utilize the emotional ambiance of death to resolve the complicated matters of personal rights that derive from their legal codes, the ritual leads to a heightened concern with the survivors, who must necessarily each direct his attention to his personal interests in the estate of the deceased (involving often aggressive & self-seeking actions), & this in turn quickens a sense of guilt which is expressed as pollution requiring acts of ritual purification." Modified HA.