In the absence of any other adult woman, this loss caused disastrous disorganisation to his household during the harvest. In this crisis, the group which I found harvesting his fields consisted mainly of agnates. Among agnates also, a reciprocal-duty was of course acknowledged, but within a much more constant and flexible flow of mutual services. They all stated firmly that they had formed the group to help Musa. But in fact the group went in turn round the fields of each member, spending one day on each, so that Musa's advantage was, it seemed to me, eventually eroded.
Agnates have special responsibilities to assist at marriages.
If a boy's father is no longer alive, his close agnates are likely to bear the main burden of seeing him married. He was an older man, by village standards prsperous and honourable.