AMERICAN LANGUAGE CENTER
CLASS 5AE
TOPIC: WIDOWHOOD RITES IN
MY TRIBE
Presented by:
MBIANDA KEMAYOU Blandine Thérèse
TEACHER :
Mr .René
28 June 2013
INTRODUCTION
Widowhood practices in the grass field region of Cameroon are said to have come from
forefathers and it is believed that the practice must continue, if not, the widow would become
mad. Women in most of tribes in the Westerns region of Cameroon are more concerned by the
widowhood practices than man. So in the following lines I will talk to you about these practices.
I’ll define widowhood, present and describe these practices in some part of the western
regions and finally talk about the consequences of those practices.
DEFINITION OF WIDOWHOOD RITES
According to the dictionary, Widowhood is the state or period of being a widow or a
widower. A widow (respectively Widower) is a woman (respectively a man) whose husband
(respectively wife) has died and who has not married again. Widowhood rites are traditional
or cultural practices upon the husband’s death; which sometimes increase the widow’s grief and
sorrow.
DESCRIPTION OF WIDOWHOOD RITES IN SOME PART OF THE WESTERN HIGHLAND
OF CAMEROON
Widowhood rites in Bangoua
In Bangoua, the widowhood begins when the husband’s family has decided so, it can
directly start after the dead of the husband and up to five years later depending on the
family. The widow can propose a date but the final decision belong to the husband’s family
and it duration is about seven days. Before the opening of the widowhood, if it is too long the
widow wears mourning dress which colour is black or white. In fact she has to wear it for one
year.
The first day, the widowhood is open by the eating of burned plantain by the widow and
his first child in a room near of the kitchen. The widow wear one cloth during this seven days
which colour depend on her and very often, all her body even her head is rubbed with
‘kalaba’(special kind of stone made up of clay that women used to eat) and her hair is cleanshaven. She has to sit down on bananas or plantain’s leaves nude. Outgoing and taking a bath
are avoided and she has to ask permission to their assistant which are even her family
members or her family in law members when she wants to ease herself. She eats and drinks in
special dish called in French ‘calebasse’. There is also a special dish for visitor at the room
entrance where they have to put present like money, ‘Jujube’ (it is a traditional peaceful fruit)
or whatever they want. The widow is not allowed to shake hands with people, so to great her
visitors have to heave her feet and hands and tap one part of her body.
The last day of the widowhood, early in the morning (around 4 am), the widow provided
by the visitor’s special dish, her family and her family in law, go to a river where people used
to go and where there is a stream of water. In the river, the widow have to put down the
visitor’s special dish and confessed that she is not responsible of the dead of her husband then
leaved the dish. If she is guilty the dish will turns around her feet without going anywhere and
if not, the dish will be taken by stream of water. For the guilty widow, it is a shame and the
family members throw stone on her, blame her, beat her and leave her there. For the widow
who is not guilty, she is acclaimed and she is washed in the river and everybody take care of
her. She wears a kind dress with a traditional bag and have to go to the market when it is the
day, to take for a walk in crowded places and when people see her with her bag, they put
present like Kola nut, money inside this bag.
To end with the widowhood, the widow have to have a sexual intercourse with one of her
brother in law and he can decide whatever he keep her as his wife or not. If this sexual
intercourse doesn’t take place, there is a superstitious belief which says that the widow will
catch some diseases and even die.
CONCLUSION
From all above some question can be infer: Why women who give the life in the world are so
disadvantage in terms of right and duties? All government has to bring change through
education and legislation so that equality of right and duties be effective either for man or for
woman.
ANNEXE
On the celebration day of the deceased husband, the widows move on their buttocks round the
celebration ground, under the watchful eyes of older widows and sympathizers