Cornishmaninafrica

We buried Martin today. He had been looking increasingly thin and frail for the past few weeks, and died peacefully last night. In Kabiyeland, when an old person dies, there is general rejoicing for a life well-lived. But this was different. Many were in tears, because Martin was middle-aged and leaves two small children.

It was beautiful to see how the church here has successfully integrated Christian and traditional practice. Paulin, the catechist, led prayers in Kabiye as the body was lowered into one of the traditional vaults. The vaults are communal and will be used again next time. The body is buried with no clothes, no coffin : naked we come into the world and naked we depart from it. The tomb and the womb are mirror images of each other. Following the burial, the Christians refused to invite the diviner to a public meeting to establish who was responsible for the death.