Funerals among the Akan people: some perspectives on Asante

This work discusses the processes of celebrating funerals among the Akan people, some Akan belief systems and modern trends that have evolved in funeral ceremonies. It also demonstrates the complexities involved in organizing the funeral from the day of death culminating into the celebration of the final funeral rite. The actual purpose of funeral is to honor the dead for their meritorious services on earth, ushering them into eternal glory and to integrate them into the next world. However, there are often some skirmishes that militate against these positive motives. As a result, some families that used to be closely knitted end up being divided. Other members of a family stop communicating with each other. In some cases, funerals result in legal wrangling lasting for a number of years and some have been slapped with injunctions, leaving a heavy debt on some families. Others are also disorganized as a result of misunderstanding. The objective of this study is to identify the factors and perspectives that characterize funeral celebration among the Akan people, and the Asante in particular. It studies the processes in Akan funerals and the changes they have undergone through time.