Belief in Life After Death

Published:  18 January, 2008

The belief in life after death is replete throughout human existence, yet there is no actual fact only firm perception in faith.

Most religions hold that the soul of man would transcend to another world after death.

Several traditional believers in Africa share the life-after-death notion and have a special way of sending the souls of the departed to their ancestral world.

In southeastern Liberia, the Greboes and the Krahns are two tribes with beliefs in life after death albeit with diffferent approaches.

When a Grebo dies, the dead is buried with all the grandiose and finesse that earthly relations would wish the departed would have in the other world. It is common to find clothes, wares and food, in most instances cooked, at the newly buried grave sites of the Greboes.

The Krahns' approach is normally to hold a festivity but usually in line with the status of the dead or the dead person's family. Wealthy and accomplished persons must have a feast where a cow is slaughtered and the village or townspeople help themselves to a sumptuous dinner. In their belief, this, to a larger extent, would lead the ancestors to bestow similar honor on the departed in line with their earthly achievements or status.

But in most instances, this ends up as a show of wealth or prestige by the deceased's family of the extent of power and influence they can wield in term of the guests that come to the feast or burial and the lavish feast they can put up.

Singers and performers are brought from afar and several moonlight night dances could be hosted. Food, drinks and dances meant to appease the dead only end up in the bowels of the living.

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