The Construction of the Abanyole Perceptions on Death Through Oral Funeral Poetry Ezekiel Alembi
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Ezekiel Alembi The Construction of the Abanyole Perceptions on Death Through Oral Funeral Poetry Ezekiel Alembi The Construction of the Abanyole Perceptions on Death Through Oral Funeral Poetry Cover picture: Road from Eluanda to Ekwanda. (Photo by Lauri Harvilahti). 2 The Construction of the Abanyole Perceptions on Death Through Oral Funeral Poetry ISBN 952-10-0739-7 (PDF) © Ezekiel Alembi DataCom Helsinki 2002 3 DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to the memory of my late parents: Papa Musa Alembi Otwelo and Mama Selifa Moche Alembi and to my late brothers and sisters: Otwelo, Nabutsili, Ongachi, Ayuma and George. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 PROLOGUE 9 PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 12 CHAPTER 1: RESEARCH THEME, SIGNIFICANCE AND THEORETICAL APPROACH 14 1.1 Theme and Significance of The Study 14 1.1.1 Focus and Scope 14 1.1.2 ResearchQuestions 15 1.1.3 Motivation for Studying Oral Funeral Poetry 15 1.2 Conceptual Model 18 1.2.1 Choosing from the Contested Theoretical Terrain 18 1.2.2 Ethnopoetics 19 1.2.2.1 Strands of Ethnopoetics 20 1.2.3 Infracultural Model in Folklore Analysis 22 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 25 2.1 Introduction 25 2.2 Trends and Issues in African Oral Literature 25 2.2.1 Conceptualization 25 2.2.2 The Pioneer Phase 26 2.2.3 The Era of African Elaboration and Formulation 28 2.2.4 Consolidation and Charting the Future 31 2.3 Trends and Issues in African Oral Poetry 33 2.3.1 The Controversy on African Poetry: Does Africahave Poetry Worth Studying? 33 2.3.2 The Thrust and Dynamics of Research on African Oral Poetry 34 2.3.2.1 Natureof Oral Poetry 35 2.3.2.2 The Epic in Africa 37 2.3.2.3 Composition and Performance 40 2.3.2.4 Social Significance of African Oral Poetry 48 2.4 Funeral Poetry and Related Issues 51 2.4.1 Trendsand Issues in Funeral Poetry 51 PART TWO: THE ABANYOLE COMMUNITY, RESEARCH STRATEGY AND STUDY PROCESS 55 CHAPTER 3: THE ABANYOLE COMMUNITY 56 3.1 Introduction 56 5 3.2 Who are the Abanyole? 56 3.3TheFamily 57 3.4TheClan 57 3.5 The Belief Systems of the Abanyole 59 3.6 Where do the Abanyole Live? 63 CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH STRATEGY AND STUDY PROCESS 66 4.1 Introduction 66 4.2 Research Design 66 4.3SamplingFrame 66 4.4 Collecting and Analyzing the Research Material 67 4.4.1 Participation and Observation 67 4.4.2 Discussion Interviews 68 4.4.3 Review of Documents 69 4.5 Methods of Analyzing the Research Material 70 4.5.1 Processing the Material 70 4.5.2 Methods of Analysis and Interpretation 70 4.6 Focusing the Study 72 4.7 Fieldwork Constraints 72 4.8 Financial and Resource Constraints 74 PART THREE: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 76 CHAPTER 5: PERCEPTION OF SOCIO-CULTURAL CAUSES OF DEATH PRESENTED THROUGH ORAL FUNERAL POETRY 77 5.1 Introduction 77 5.2 Death Through Mystical Powers Among the Abanyole 78 5.3 Death Through Murder 87 5.4 Other Causes of Death 88 5.5 Summary 90 CHAPTER 6: EFFECTS OF DEATH 91 6.1 Introduction 91 6.2 Death Robs the Community its Central Resource, Children 91 6.3 A Mother: Simpleton When Alive, Heroine in Death 95 6.4 Simpleton in Life, Heroine in Death: Effects of Death of Wives on Husbands 99 6.5 Death of a Father and its Effects on Children 100 6.6 Summary 101 CHAPTER 7: PERFORMANCE OF ORAL FUNERAL POETRY 103 7.1 Introduction 103 7.2 How is Oral Funeral Poetry Learnt? 103 7.3 The Contexts of Oral Funeral Poetry Performances 104 7.4 Performance of the Abanyole Oral Funeral Poetry 105 7.4.1 Performance on the Day a Death Occurs and on Subsequent Days Before Burial 105 7.4.2 Night Performances 107 7.4.2.1 Night Performances by Christians 110 7.4.2.1.1 Structure and Meaning of Night Performances by Christians 111 6 7.4.2.2 “Secular” Night Performances 116 7.4.2.2.1 Structure and Significance of the “Secular” Night Performances 118 7.5 Okhukoma Performance 123 7.5.1 The Scenes of Okhukoma Performance: Okhuchesia, Esilemba, Okhuhuliana and Likipo 124 7.5.2 Musical Accompaniments 127 7.5.3 Costumes, Make up and Props 127 7.5.4 The Social Significance of Okhukoma 128 7.6 Performance at the Funeral Service 129 7.7 Performances During and After Burial 131 7.8 Summary and Conclusion 136 CHAPTER 8: POETICS OF ORAL FUNERAL POETRY 138 8.1 Introduction 138 8.2 Poetic Elements of Oral Funeral Poetry and Their Significance 139 8.2.1 Euphemism 139 8.2.1.1 Euphemisms that Bring out Death as Cutting and Squeezing Activity 139 8.2.1.2 Euphemisims of Death as Movement and Freeing 145 8.2.1.3 Euphemism of Death as Resting 153 8.2.2 Repetition 158 8.2.2.1 Repetition in Poems by Individual Mourners 159 8.2.2.2 Repetition in Poems Performed by Groups of Mourners 169 8.2.3 Poetic Register 171 8.2.3.1 Words That Aid in Putting Together the Structure of the Poems as Well as Differentiate Gender in Oral Funeral Poetry 173 8.3 Conclusion 174 PART FOUR: EPILOGUE 176 CHAPTER 9: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 177 9.1 Introduction 177 9.2 Research Process and Orientation 178 9.3 Study Approach 180 9.4 Official Response and Perceptions of Oral Funeral Poetry 181 9.5 Perceptions on Gender Emanating from Oral Funeral Poetry 182 REFERENCES 183 APPENDICES 1: All Oral Funeral poems Analyzed 193 2: Other Oral Funeral Poems Collected 206 3: Funerals Attended 218 4: Information on the Abanyole With Whom I Discussed the Research Theme 219 5: Reading of Dissertation to the Villagers 227 FIGURES 1.1: Location of Kenya in Africa 11 1.2: Vihiga District Administrative Bounderies 12 1.3: The Study Area (Luanda and Emuhaya Divisions) 13 7 TABLES 2.1: Basic Features of Oral Poetry 35 2.2: Funeral Poetry in African Oral Poetry Studies 52 3.1: Basic Information on Luanda and Emuhaya Divisions 63 4.1: Framework for Identification and Interpretation of Images and Pictures of Death 71 4.2: Framework for Identification and Interpretation of Aspects of Socio- Cultural Causes of Death Presented Through Oral Funeral Poetry 71 4.3: Framework for Identification and Interpretation of Effects of Death Presented Through Oral Funeral Poetry 71 8 PROLOGUE I was introduced to the Folklore Department of Helsinki University through the Nordic Institute of Folklore (NIF) publications in which I read and appreciated the work of scholars like Anna-Leena Siikala. I longed to meet and interact with the scholars and, if possible, study under them. In 1997, I attended the Folklore Fellows Summer School in Lammi. I saw this as an opportunity for me to enquire on whether I could be registered as a Dr. Phil. student in the Department of Folklore. At the end of the school, I approached Siikala and mentioned to her that I was keen to pursue doctoral studies at Helsinki University. My academic journey in folklore studies had began. Prior to joining Helsinki University, I had studied and worked in the Literature Department at Kenyatta University in Nairobi. My master’s thesis was on children’s poetry and I had done research on different topics in oral literature. I had not, however, studied folklore as a subject. I saw the Helsinki opportunity as a chance to study folklore as a discipline while at the same time utilizing my previous knowledge in oral literature. A study of this magnitude is not possible without a lot of people making sacrifices. It is difficult to express full appreciation of the sacrifices these people have made and their support during my fieldwork and in the writing of this dissertation. My supervisor, Lauri Harvilahti, deserves distinguished mention and gratitude for his guidance, encouragement, patience and criticism of this work from its inception. This has greatly contributed to the improvement of the quality of the dissertation. Special word of gratitude goes to Meleckidzedeck Khayesi, Regina Bendix, Eric Aseka and Bo Nilsson for offering good suggestions on the drafts of the dissertation. This led to substantial corrections of the work. Raimo Harjula and Kaija Heikkinen (inspectors of the dissertation), thanks for reading and giving critical comments to the manuscript. If, finally, we have in here a focused study, you have greatly contributed to it. My appreciation goes to Leila Virtanen for her support. I valued your effort at copying and sending useful literature from Helsinki. Dennis Tedlock, Roger Abrahams, Greg Urban and 9 Regina Bendix, thanks for the books. A word of thanks is also due to the staff of Helsinki University Library, Kenyatta University main Library and Kenyatta University Literature Department Resource Centre. You were so supportive! Thanks. Studying without a scholarship can be a difficult undertaking. I therefore acknowledge with gratitude the financial support I received from Dilys James and my wife, Patricia Alembi. For my travel and stay in Finland between July and October 2002, I received funding from the project: Ethnopoetics, Processes of Textualization and Cultural Dynamics headed by Lauri Harvilahti. I convey my sincere gratitude to the Faculty of Arts of Helsinki University for giving me an opportunity to register and study for a doctorad degree in folkloristics. Sincere gratitude, too, to Kenyatta University for giving me permission twice – in 1998 and 2002 – to travel to Finland to meet and work with my thesis supervisor.