Tag Archives: Death and Dying in Africa

African Baby Names that Ward Off Death

How some Nigerian parents prevent infant mortality through ritualized naming ceremonies
Posted on March 12, 2015 by Marissa Abruzzini (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Chances are good you’ve known someone who was named after a relative. You might even know someone who shares a name with his father, grandfather and great-grandfather — a John Doe IV. Have you ever known someone who was named … Continue reading →

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Afterlife Beliefs in Africa

Traditional African perspectives on afterlife and burial
Posted on August 8, 2013 by Oz Litvac (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

In some traditional African perspectives on afterlife and burial, it is believed that the dead are nearer to a “singular supreme being” than the living. Certain afterlife beliefs in Africa hold that reward and punishment are experienced in this life … Continue reading →

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Famadihana: The Malagasy Perspective on Death and Burial

Death is faced head-on in Madagascar through an extended and celebratory burial tradition
Posted on June 20, 2013 by MaryFrances Knapp (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Not long ago, SevenPonds explored a fascinating part of Madagascar’s Malagasy culture: the tradition of second burial or “Famadihana.” The tradition is rooted in the belief that the body of the deceased needs time to decompose to properly pass into … Continue reading →

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