The African perception of death, with special reference to the Zulu : a critical analysis
Van Niekerk, A. A.
Jali, Nozizwe Martha
University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy.
Thesis (MPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2000.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Death is a universal phenomenon and each culture develops its own ways
of coping with it. The reaction of people to death also involves a complex network of relationships. To appreciate their responses to this phenomenon requires an understanding of the socio-cultural context in which these responses occur because they influence the individual's
responses to issues of life and death.
In the African context and indeed in the Zulu culture, death is a continuation of life in the world hereafter. The deceased renews his
relationship with his ancestral relatives. Various rites and ceremonies are performed to mark his reunion with his ancestral relatives. For the living, the rites and ceremonies mark a passage from one phase of life to another
requiring some readjustment. The belief in the existence of life after death also affects the nature of these rites and ceremonies, the social
definition of bereavement and the condition of human hope. The belief in the existence of the ancestors forms an integral part African
religion and its importance cannot be over-estimated. This belief flows
from the strong belief in the continuation of life after death, and the
influence the deceased have on the lives of their living relatives.
The contact between the living and the living dead is established and maintained by making offerings and sacrifices to the ancestors. The
ancestors, therefore, become intermediaries with God at the apex and man at the bottom of the hierarchical structure. However, for the non-African, the relationship seems to indicate the non-existence of God and the worshipping of the ancestors. Women play a pivotal role in issues of life and death, because African people recognize their dependence and the procreative abilities of women to reconstitute and to extend the family affected by the death of one of its
members.Social change and Westernisation have affected the way the African people view death. Social changes have been tacked onto tradition. A
contemporary trend is to observe the traditional and Christian rites when death has occurred. The deceased is then buried in accordance with
Christian, as well as traditional rites.
The belief in the survival of some element of human personality is a matter of belief and faith. It lessens the pain and sorrow that is felt upon the death of a loved one by giving the believer hope that one day he will be reunited with his loved one and thereby easing the fear and anxiety of death. Thus, the purpose of this investigation is to critically analyse the African
perception of death and its implications with special reference to the Zulu people. The objective is to expose the complexities, diversities and the symbolism of death. The essence is to demystify the African perception
of death and to indicate that the perception of death is not necessarily unique to African people in general and to the Zulu people in particular.
Other groups like Christians have perceptions of death particularly with regard to the world hereafter. The aim of the investigation of the topic is to reveal some of the
underlying cultural beliefs in death, enhance those beliefs that are
beneficial to society and discard those that are anachronistic. Since
culture is dynamic, not everything about African tradition will be
transmitted to the future generation; there is bound to be cultural
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die dood is 'n universele fenomeen en elke kultuur ontwikkel sy eie
manier om daarmee om te gaan. Mense se reaksie op die dood geskied
binne 'n komplekse netwerk van verhoudinge. Om mense se reaksie op
hierdie fenomeen te begryp, is 'n verstaan van die sosio-kulturele
konteks nodig waarin hierdie reaksies plaasvind, aangesien dit die
individu se reaksie op lewe en dood beinvloed.
In die Afrika-konteks en ook in die Zulu-kultuur word die dood beskou as
die kontinuasie van lewe in die hiermamaals. Die oorledene hernu sy
verhouding met sy voorouers. Verskeie rituele en seremonies vind plaas
om hierdie gebeurtenis te identifiseer. Vir die oorlewendes is die rituele
en seremonies die oorgang van een lewensfase na 'n ander en vereis dus
'n mate van aanpassing. Die geloof in die lewe na die dood beinvloed die
aard van hierdie rituele en seremonies, die sosiale defenisie van rou en die
toestand van menslike hoop.
Die geloof in die bestaan van die voorvaders vorm 'n integrale deel van
Afrika-religie en die belangrikheid daarvan kan nie oorskat word nie. Die
geloof vloei voort uit die sterk geloof in die hiermamaals en die geloof aan
die invloed wat oorledenes op hulle lewende nasate het.
Die kontak tussen die lewendes en die lewende oorledenes word
daargestel en onderhou deur offerandes aan die voorvaders. Die
voorvaders word dus gesien as intermediere skakel in 'n hierargie met
God aan die bokant en die mens aan die onderkant. Maar, vir nie-Afrikane,
dui hierdie struktuur op die nie-bestaan van God en die
aanbidding van die voorvaders.
Vroue speel 'n deurslaggewende rol in kwessies van lewe en dood
aangeslen Afrikane hul afhanklikheid besef van vroue se
voortplantingsbekwaamhede om die famile wat deur die dood geaffekteer
is te herkonstitueer en te vergroot.
Sosiale veranderinge en verwestering affekteer Afrikane se houding
teenoor die dood. Sosiale veranderinge is bo-oor tradisie geplaas. 'n
Hedendaagse neiging is om Christelike sowel as tradisionele rituele na te
volg na 'n sterfte. Die oorledene word begrawe in ooreenstemming met
sowel tradisionele as Christelike praktyke.
Die geloof in die oorlewing van elemente van die menslike persoon is 'n
kwessie van geloof. Dit verminder die pyn en lyding na die afsterwe van
'n geliefde deur aan die gelowige oorlewende die hoop van 'n
herontmoeting te bied - en verminder dus die vrees en angs wat met die
dood gepaard gaan.
Dus is die doel van hierdie ondersoek om 'n kritiese analise te maak van
die Afrika-siening van die dood en die implikasies daarvan, met spesiale
verwysing na die Zulu-nasie. Daar word probeer om die kompleksiteite,
verskeidenhede en simbolisme van die dood aan te toon. Die essensie
hiervan is om die Afrika-houding teenoor die dood te de-mistifiseer en te
wys dat die siening van die dood nie noodwendig uniek van Afrikane in
die algemeen en spesifiek van die Zoeloes is nie. Ander groepe soos
Christene het beskouinge oor die dood met spesifieke verwysing na die
Die doel van die ondersoek is om sekere onderliggende kulturele
oortuiginge aangaande die dood te onthul, om die beskouinge wat
voordelig is, te versterk en om die anachronistiese beskouinge aan die
kaak te stel en so te diskrediteer. Aangesien kultuur dinamies is, sal nie
alles wat betref die Afrika-tradisie oorgedra word aan toekomstige
generasies nie; daar sal noodwendig kulturele interaksie wees.
After life reunion
Zulu (African people) -- Rites and ceremonies
Ancestor worship -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal
Masters Degrees (Philosophy)