The Ga people belief that death is the end of life for everybody and that death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body. It’s believed that there is life after death thus the soul continues its journey after departing from the body and it’s the family’s responsibility to make sure they give the soul a glorying send-off to the waiting realm of the passed ancestors. Due to this belief, Ga’s amongst other tribes in Ghana honor the dead and this is what we call burial rites.
Before the soul/spirit can enter the other world, it is believed it needs to cross a river separating the land of the living and the land of the dead so money is kept in the casket for passage into the other world.
TYPES OF DEATH
There are two types of death namely the Godly (Natural) and the Accidental death. Natural death is said to have occurred when a person dies at age 70 or above because it is believed that the individual as finished his/her work on earth and thus needs rest so white funeral clothe is used for the funeral which symbolizes victory or a good death.
ACCIDENTAL DEATH
This is the sudden mishap causing death. With accidental death, the soul vacates the body and therefore trapped at the place of death and special rituals are performed to free the soul to move on to the spirit world from where the death occurred. Since most of the accidental death like motor accidents involves the spread of blood, red clothe is used for the funerals and in this modern era black is being used as well. Accidental death includes:
*Drowning
*Electrocution
*Motor accidents
*Overdose on narcotic drugs
*Suicide
*Fire
*Fall from a storey building
RITUALS FOR ACCIDENTAL DEATH
When one’s death involves the spill of blood it is said the person died a “fall death” as direct translation has it but the traditional name for it is “otofo death(gbele)” therefore rituals are performed for the soul at the place of death so I can move on and this ritual is called “ghost removal”
GHOST REMOVAL RITUAL
If one dies by drowning it’s the responsibility of the chief of fishermen to perform this ritual for the sea or the river to bring out the body and also cleanse the sea or river but if a person dies through the other forms of accidental death, the chief priest, herbal doctor or a fetish priest is known to perform this rite. Before this ritual is performed, the spirit of the person is summoned and asked how he/she wants the rituals to be done. After which provisions needed for the rituals such as, A goat, Corn dough, Knife, Local grinder, Earthenware bowl, A pot, Plates, Red fabric, Small coffin is bought.
A day is then set for the rituals and when the day is due, the priest and the family goes to the place of death then libation is then poured for gods permission and then the goat is slaughtered and the blood is spilled at the exact place of death. The goat is then used for soup then the corn dough is added to make a special type of meal called “fotoli”. The food is spilled on the ground and the leftover is eaten by the family. After eating the priest uses a palm branch to sweep the food on the floor into the little coffin. As the priest drags the palm branch from the back dragging the leftover and the spirit with the family following in tears a hole is dug and a libation is poured then the casket is buried in the ground. The things used in the ritual is broken and buried because nothing from the ritual ground is to be returned home. The red fabric is then tied around a stick to signify the removal of the ghost from the place.
“FAR INTO THE FOREST” OR “FAR FROM US”
This is when a pregnant woman dies whiles in labor or delivering and in most cases the woman dies with the baby or dies alone. This type of death considered as a great misfortune in a household and for that reason Ga’s hate to hear about it and that’s why it is called “far into the forest or far from us” death.
If this happens tradition has it that the husband would be the first person to be informed and then tells the woman’s father