We stand in firm opposition to a 72-hour burial for our elder. As a respected Luo elder, Baba must be laid to rest in full accordance with our people’s sacred customs, beliefs, and practices concerning death and burial. To ensure this, the following fifteen essential rituals must be strictly and respectfully observed. It is a profound breach of faith to believe that these deeply significant rites could be completed within a mere seventy-two hours.
1. The Announcement of Death
The community learns of a passing through the long, quivering wail of women, a sound soon accompanied by the solemn beat of drums. The announcement is governed by tradition, its timing dictated by the deceased’s age, sex, and station in life. While the death of a baby may be announced in the morning, followed by burial the next day, the passing of an elder or a diviner demands reverence; their death must be announced only after the sun has set, with women waiting for that appointed hour to begin their lamentations.
2. The Vigil (Budho)
Close relatives—spouses, parents, siblings, and patrilineal cousins—are obliged to remain within the deceased’s compound for several nights until the burial. This period of two to four days allows relatives from distant cities to return to their rural homeland. Throughout these sombre nights, men maintain a fire, known as magenga, near the house for warmth and solace.
3. Digging the Grave (Kunyo Bur)
In former times, graves were dug during the day. Now, it is common to prepare the grave in the midnight hours before the burial, a practice adopted to avoid the exhaustion of labouring under a harsh sun. The digging begins around 9 p.m. and is typically completed by 3 or 4 a.m. on the day of the burial, though the task may take longer if the soil is rocky. This duty is shared by young and middle-aged male relatives and neighbours.
4. The Burial Ceremony (Iko/Ik)
For deceased adults, the burial rite commences at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. The proceedings are presided over by the deceased’s father or a brother. The ceremony includes eulogies from parents, siblings, children, and friends; a harambee collection to offset expenses for lamp oil, food, and other necessities for the occasion; and often, speeches from visiting politicians. Only after these observances is the body committed to the earth.
5. Accompanying the Spirit (Tero Buru Matin)
This ritual marks the beginning of the formal mourning period, or cholla, and may be conducted one or two weeks after the burial. At dawn, around seven o’clock, relatives gather cattle at the deceased’s compound. This rite is performed solely for men, and the participants are almost exclusively male. The men and boys, including neighbours and relatives, then lead the cattle and goats to a former battleground along the clan’s boundary. There, a cock is killed without a knife, and its meat is divided and consumed. Upon completion, the group returns to the deceased’s home in a procession that, while cheerful with the sound of buffalo horns (oporro) and drums (bul), serves the solemn purpose of guiding the spirit away. The buru must be performed by a river, as it is through the water that the spirit, or shadow, is compelled to depart, lest it linger near the home.
6. The Ritual of Shaving (Liedo)
Four days after the burial, the mourners shave their heads. The first shaving, performed soon after the death, marks the commencement of the mourning period. At the end of this period, a second shaving signifies the beginning of a new life for the bereaved.
7. The Mourners’ Departure (Kee)
The kee is the formal departure of the surviving family and relatives to their respective homes, conducted in strict order of seniority. The first-born departs first, followed by the second, the third, and so on. On the first night of their arrival home, each is expected to break kola nuts with their spouse, adhering to this same order of departure.
8. Serving a Meal to the Deceased (Yao Dhoot)
Soon after returning home, the relatives journey back once more to the deceased’s home. Married women (wagoguni) bring food and prepare a meal to comfort those who remained behind, such as the children and spouse of the departed. Neighbours are invited to share this meal. Literally meaning ‘opening the door,’ yao dhoot symbolises the survivors’ first steps toward a new life.
9. Serving a Meal to the Deceased (Tedo)
The tedo, which means ‘cooking,’ follows the yao dhoot. On this day, the sons and daughters return to their natal home to cook for their deceased parent. Each child contributes food according to their means. The first-born, whether son or daughter, has the honour of opening the fireplace, and the food they contributed is cooked first. The meal, which may include meat, fish, and sugar, is prepared according to the family’s preferences, and relatives are informed of the tedo date in advance.
10. The Great Accompanying of the Spirit (Tero Buru Maduong’)
Reserved for the death of an elderly man, this ‘big buru‘ is conducted on a much larger scale than the initial ‘small buru.’ The family and relatives proceed with their cattle to the former battleground as before, but on this occasion, no cock is killed in the field. Upon their return to the compound, they find a great gathering and a far more abundant feast. The relatives slaughter many cattle (dher buru) and goats, serving local beverages such as changa, busa, and mbare, and inviting traditional musicians and dancers.
11. Visiting the Widow’s Natal Home (Tero Cholla)
This ritual brings the mourning period to a close. Upon its completion, the surviving family members begin their new lives, and the widow or widower may start a new partnership. A widow, in particular, is expected to have a prospective inheritor in mind before the day of the tero cholla.
12. Dividing the Belongings (Keyo Nyinyo)
This is the occasion for the family and relatives to divide the personal effects of the deceased—clothes, furniture, dishes, and cooking pots. Land and livestock are allocated to the surviving sons on a separate day. The possessions left by a woman vary with her age, with older women leaving more cooking pots, water pots, and dishes. An elder man’s belongings might include clothes, his three-legged stool (komnya luo), spear, shield, mantle, and the skins and horns of animals he hunted.
13. The Remembrance (Rapar)
This is a gathering in the deceased’s home to remember, comfort, and honour the departed. Parents, children, siblings, and in-laws come together to share a large meal. The host invites neighbours and arranges a dance that continues through the night. If the original hut is gone, a small temporary hut (akumba) may be built. Married daughters (wagoguni) signal their return and greet the deceased by placing their luggage inside this hut upon arrival.
14. The Feast by the In-Laws (Budho)
This ritual feast is organised by the affines to reaffirm their bond with the family after the death of their mutual relation and to console those who remain. The in-laws set the date once they have gathered sufficient money and food, meaning the budho may occur before the rapar. They arrive after sunset (agi an’gich welo), bearing maize flour and animals for slaughter. Governed by a relationship of respect and fear (luor), they are expected to stay only one night, departing the following morning without having slept.
15. The Naming (Chak)
A profoundly important ritual that permeates the entire mourning period, the chak ensures the continuity of life. Throughout the year of mourning, close relatives are encouraged to procreate so that the resulting children may be named after the deceased. This practice, which ensures continuity in the face of loss, is often preceded by the deceased sending a message (leko) to an expectant mother in a dream, expressing the desire for the child to bear his name.