Hausa Death and Inheritance
From Hausa Superstitions and Customs: An Introduction to the Folk-Lore and the Folk by Arthur Tremearne, 1913.
From: 1908 C.E. To: 1913 C.E.
Location: West Africa
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs
From Hausa Superstitions and Customs: An Introduction to the Folk-Lore and the Folk by Arthur Tremearne, 1913.
Death and Burial
In Gobir, Katsina, and Daura, when a chief began to fail in health or strength, he was throttled, and, after his entrails had been removed, his body was smoked over a fire for seven days. By that time the new chief had been elected, and he was then conducted to the centre of the town, and there made to lie down on a bed. A black ox was brought, and slaughtered over him so that the blood ran all over his body, and then the ox was flayed, and the dead chief was put inside it, and dragged to the grave (a circular pit), where he was buried in a sitting posture. The new chief had to reside for seven days in his mother's house, being washed daily, and on the eighth he was conducted in state to the palace. In Daura the new chief had to cross over the body of his predecessor.
I think that it is quite likely that the story of The Youth and the Magic Ointment (post, page 132)has some reference to king-killing, for the ruler agrees to give up his life to his younger rival. Another circumstance should be noted, and that is that in this tale (as in Story 45)the new chief takes the wives of the one whom he has supplanted; in fact, the hero having slept with the wife (45)while the real husband was alive appears to give him the right to the throne.
Amongst certain people subject to Argungu (to the north-west of Zungeru)the new chief was chosen as follows: The bull was killed as soon as the old chief was dead, and the corpse was wrapped in it, and then placed on a bed, and carried out into the open. The dead chief's relatives were then made to stand in a circle around the body, and the elders of the town spoke thus: "O Corpse, show us who is to be chief, that we may live in peace, and that our crops may do well." The bearers then took the body round the ring, and it would cause them to bump against the man it wished to succeed. It was then buried seven days afterwards, and the new king was installed amidst rejoicings. It is probable that the man who had brought about the death of the old king was always chosen originally, as having proved himself the stronger.
At any rate, this happened in the case of one of the “Hausa Banza" (False Hausa States), for we are told that with the Kororofawa, the king was allowed to reign only two years, and he was then killed by a member of the royal family. The internal organs of the corpse were then removed, and it was placed on a bed, and smeared with butter, a slow fire being lighted underneath. After two or three months, the chief men were assembled under the king-slayer, and they were officially informed of the king's death. The king-slayer was then given a whip and a cap (the emblems of chieftainship), and if he could turn his head smartly without making the cap fall he became chief. The dead king was then buried in a funnel-shaped grave.
At the present time, on a death taking place, the women of the family and friends assemble, and cry for one day, the mourners sometimes throwing ashes and dust on themselves, and drums beat the news. Narrow strips of fa(r)ri (white cloth)are sewn together to form a shroud, and the body is washed, and wrapped in it, and then in a mat (83), while outside this there may be a stiffening of sticks (82)but there is no proper coffin. The grave may be made so that the corpse can be placed in a sitting posture, and may even be lined with sticks, but unless the deceased has been an important person, it will be simply a shallow trench two to three feet in depth. It may be in the compound of the deceased's house, or even outside the town; there are no regular cemeteries.
The corpse is then carried on the heads of one or more bearers, and placed in the grave, together with a small branch, and perhaps some pots and treasures.
Loose earth may be thrown in then, and all will be over, but in the case of more important persons, grass might be placed next to the corpse, and perhaps sticks as well, and over this there would be built a cover of clay, the loose earth being heaped above. After the return of the mourners, the division of the inheritance is made.
It is related of one chief that he used to kill not only everyone who displeased him, but that he would even cut open living women with child so that he could see the stages of development. On his death a grave was dug, and he was put in it, but the earth threw him out again. A second time he was put in, but once more he was ejected, and a hut had to be built for the corpse. This is curiously similar to our own tales about tombstones which refused to remain standing.
Inheritance
Two stories (80 and T.H.H. 6)relate that, on the death of the father, his property was arranged into lots equal to the number of sons, and that each elder son took his share, but that the youngest, who had promised to do this, took only a certain animal which, of course, turned out later to be possessed of magical powers. But this was not known at the time, for on the youngest son's refusing his proper share, his mother abused him, and tried to persuade him to change his mind, so she evidently lost also.
Now under the Mohammedan system she would have had her share independently of his acceptance, in fact it would have been increased by his refusal to partake, so the system was probably more like that of the Hindu, where a mother takes part of what her son inherits. But it could not have been this altogether, for in Story 81 we see that all children inherit their father's property equally, and they are always anxious to know what he intends leaving them (85), though, as there is no mention of the wives receiving anything separately, each probably took part of her own child's share. The property of each mother is inherited solely by her own children, apparently (63). Although under the Mohammedan law wills are allowed, it is evident from the above that they did not exist before the introduction of Islam.
Tremearne, Arthur J. N. Hausa Superstitions and Customs: An Introduction to the Folk-Lore and the Folk. John Bale, Sons & Danielsson, 1913.
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