Negro Custom For The Pygmies example essay topic

Pygmies, the people of the It uri Forest, have some very unique customs and beliefs. They have a culture that is all their own and may seem somewhat mysterious to those who are not accustomed to their unique way of living. Their natural environment, theforest, is something that they hold very dear to them. They have certain beliefs and customs that have changed very little for thousands of years, as a result of their secluded nature. Justine of their many customs is their view on death. The Pygmies outlook on death in some ways is very similar to Western customs in dealing with death, but at the same time is very different.

In the Pygmy culture, there are different degrees of illness. To them, when someone is ill, with fever or such, they say that the person is hot with fever or ill. If this illness persists a little, the person is dead. As the person's illness progresses and they become disoriented or become immobile, the person is said to be completely or absolutely dead. This can usually be said as being the last stage for hope of recovery. And finally, when the person has reached the end of their life and their heart has beyond a doubt stopped beating, the person is said to be dead forever.

In Western culture, we do not have such defined degrees of death or illness. We rely more on our knowledge of the ailment of the person before assessing the chance of recovery or probability of death. In Western culture, a common cold or the 1 flu could be associated with the Pygmies definition of hot. The AIDS virus can be associated with their definition of completely or absolutely dead.

The word dead in the context that we use it most would be equivalent to their dead forever. When a Pygmy dies, the body may be taken from the forest tothe village to be buried. One of the main reasons the burialtakes place in a Negro village was for the great feast that would be held afterward. The Negroes were the people who lived in the village. The Pygmies believed that something good should come from the death. The Pygmy burial rituals in the village take onthe villagers customs of how a body should be buried.

The people of the village lend the tools for the digging and instruct the Pygmies in the digging. During the preparation of the grave, the body is bathed, scented, wrapped in a white cloth, tied in a mat and placed on a wooden bier. Another reason that the burialtakes place in the Negro village was because the Pygmies would not have access to such materials as the soap, scent, white cloth and the digging instruments to dig a suitable hole for the body. The body is then lowered into the hole and placed on its side into a cut out on the bottom wall of the grave.

After the body was held in place by three stones, sticks were placed at an angle over it and covered with leaves so as not to let any soil fall onto the body. It is Negro custom to lead the spirit away by pouring water into the hole and then in the direction of theforest. This is strictly a Negro custom for the Pygmies have no 2 such beliefs of spirits. Western burial rituals are similar to the Pygmies in a couple of ways.

First, both our dead and the Pygmies dead a reburied. Although in a village there are no cemeteries, churches, or specific places of burial, the graves are usually a moderate distance away from any public dwelling as to not disrespect the dead by heavily trafficking over the grave sights. Secondly, although the Pygmies choose to follow the Negro customs of not encasing the body in a coffin as we do, careful preparation is taken to prevent the body from coming into direct contact with any soil. Another way Western burial rituals are similar is that our dead and their dead are washed and dressed appropriately. Although they may not share the Western custom of embalming our dead, the Pygmies try to make the dead look peaceful at their time of burial.

The Pygmies show no interest in the Negro's investigation into the cause of death. They believe what has happened is done with and there is no use in pursuing the matter. Our customs on the other hand involve investigation of the cause of death immediately after death itself. This especially is the case in our society when foul play or murder is suspected.

Butt here are little to no incidents of murder among the Pygmy community. After the burial of a Pygmy, the great feast commences. After the grieving period, the molimo is called out. The Pygmies believed that the reason the person became ill and died, is because the forest had fallen asleep and forgotten to take care 3 of them. By holding the molimo, the Pygmies believed that they were waking the forest up. The molimo, in time of death, celebrated life.

It was used to make the Pygmies happy again and reassured them that life would go on. In certain instances, usually in the death of a child, the molimo was not called upon. The Pygmies thought it not a wise thing to call out the molimo infront of the villagers. They believed that it was only made forthe forest.

They would feast for a day or two in the village andthe n go back to the forest where the real extravagant molimotakes place, and they could fully take part in all of the rituals such as singing and dancing. The molimo is a long wooden or metal pipe used to make certain sounds such as animals of theforest. But to the Pygmies, the molimo was not just a type of musical instrument, but was a complete festival of dancing and singing and feasting. After the burial ceremonies in Western culture, it is custom that friends and family of the recently deceased go back to that persons home for food and drink. The Pygmies molimo could be compared to this, for both customs are a way of celebrating life and bringing friends and family closer together in their time of need. Although the singing and dancing of the molimo may seem alittle overbearing, to us, at such a time of grieving, the same general principals of bringing people together and reflecting on that person's life is still there.

The grieving period for the Pygmies is something that is almost built into their way of life. In a Pygmy camp, anyone who 4 wishes to cry or wail for the deceased is permitted to, to certain point. This point heavily depends on the tolerance forthe grieving by the other Pygmies, because to them, the wailing can be very bothersome. The utmost respect is given to those whoa re expected to do the most grieving, family and close friends, but within reason. In the Negro village, a one week mourningperiod was given to the Pygmies. At the end of the mourningperiod, there was a feast.

The Pygmies believed that it was better to forget the dead quickly instead of constantly remembering the dead. Unlike the Pygmies, our grieving period may be indefinite. There is no set time amount that we are publicly aloud to grieve although most of our grieving is usually left to the confines ofa private place. But just because the Pygmies stop grieving publicly, it certainly does not mean they stop hurting inside.

In Western culture as well as theirs, we try to continue our lives even though we feel a great loss. Just before the burial ceremony, the Pygmies hold something that is equivalent to the viewing before the funeral in our culture. The Pygmies will gather in a line extending from the inside of the dead person shut, and will pay their respects much like we do in Western civilization. For the Pygmies, this is one of the most emotional events in their lives. An array of emotions, sadness to anger, may be expressed at this point.

The viewings held for our deceased are also often held in the persons home, but we also have the alternative of having it in our place of worship, of 5 which the Pygmies have no such building or structure. The Pygmies can definitely be considered one of the most intriguing groups of people to have ever walked the face of the earth. I find that their ways and customs of living are unique in that they would appear to have very little in the eyes of a Westerner, but in reality, the Pygmies have everything they want or need. These are very content people.

Their certain philosophies and outlooks on life certainly make them a very self sufficient society. They rely on each other and the forest. They do not need nor want anything else. It is amazing that they have for so long remained untouched by the modern mans ways.

Death to a Pygmy is surprisingly similar in many ways to ours, yet at the same time different. Although the societies of the West and Pygmies vary greatly in their sense of living, in death, the cultures are greatly similar.