Décès d'Une Femme Guerzé (Cercle de Nzérékoré, Guinée Française)

Death of a Guerzé Woman. The author describes the mortuary and funerary rites carried out by the Guerzé (French Guinea) on the occasion of the death of a woman who had been seriously ill for a long time following an abortion. Just before her death the woman had confessed her adultery and her attempt to kill her husband by magical means. Among the Guerzé, the confession by a sick person of any wrong-doing, of which disease might be regarded as the consequence, or of the name of a person who might have caused it by magical means, is supposed to assist recovery. In this case, the woman had named her seducer, since to practise a deception on such a point would nullify the hoped-for benefit of the confession; she would not, however, be expected to reveal any other particulars about him. Abortion, whether accidental or induced, is always regarded as a death and, as it is liable to entail supernatural penalties, so it is thought to be effected by magical means. The funerary rites include a ceremonial washing of the corpse, followed after three days by a second ablution; in the interval the soul ("nyama") of the deceased is believed to have separated itself from the body and to be ready to depart to the home of spirits. Sacrifices of a white fowl, rice, cola-nuts, &c. are offered on the grave; a ritual meal is eaten by the mourners, a shrine is dedicated to the deceased in her husband's home and she is exhorted to continue to care for him and serve him; he, on his part, undertaking to keep the shrine furnished with offerings. An important part of the ceremonies is the interrogation of the spirit of the dead woman (carried out by throwing red and white cola-nuts) as to the identity of the one responsible for her death, and the time when her vengeance will operate against him.