Abidjan

Papa Bouagnon is dead. He passed away three weeks ago and today he will be buried. What a spectacle! For two nights the relatives, friends and colleagues of the former teacher danced until dawn. Here in Divo in the centre of the country, they say those who do not dance are not moved by death. Now they are proceeding to the church, headed by a band of ten musicians playing fast, joyful songs on trombones and trumpets.

The difference to Germany couldn’t be greater. There, a funeral is one thing in particular: quiet. The people wear black, not colourful clothes, speak and move in a hushed manner, as if they were packed in cotton. Those who make noise and dance, they say there, are not moved by death.

Hundreds have come to the church service in Saint Pierre et Saint Paul of Divo. For almost two hours the choir sings to keyboard and drums and the purple-robed priest speaks. Very solemn. He speaks only of the saviour, almost never of Papa Bouagnon. In Germany, the services are not only shorter, but the pastor retells the entire life of the deceased, its happy and sad moments. There is no band, only an organ that plays sombre chorales.

Papa Bouagnon is lying in a magnificent coffin; painted gold with a silver cross. At the municipal cemetery all join forces to push it into the stone grave. The women sing “Adieu Papa Bouagnon,” they sob, supporting one another. Sometimes they throw themselves to the ground, writhe in grief, sometimes the men hit their heads against the wall. The Bété people are known for their great displays of emotion. In Germany, by contrast, you can hear the birds chirp while the coffin is lowered into the grave; it’s that still.

The golden sarcophagus was a costly work of art. A funeral can mean financial ruin for a family. They have to rent the chapel, chairs, tents and a place in the morgue. Hundreds of guests need to be catered to for days. Matching uniforms need to be sewn. The families form an organizing committee for the work, with a president. In Germany, undertakers usually do this work; professional and routine, rather than personal.

The funeral is followed by the inheritance. This reveals a huge difference, which gives away a bit about the hierarchies in families. Once the spectacle is over, among the Bété it’s not uncommon for the home of the deceased to stand empty. After the ceremony, their siblings pack up what they can. Whoever claims the television first can keep it. Often the children go empty-handed – the youngest are at the bottom of the family hierarchy and cannot expect sympathy. Each person first takes care of himself. Wives, as well, traditionally have to wait their turn. If they weren’t legally married to the deceased, the family can even cast them out.

In Germany, in comparison, everything is precisely regulated: by law there is a “legal portion” of the inheritance for wives and children. They are considered the closest family members and commonly receive the most. They can only be disinherited for serious offences. Almost every German leaves behind a will in which the details are regulated. In western Africa, only the wealthy do so – the notary fees are too expensive.

After three days of the spectacle, Papa Bouagnon is buried. He was 69 years old. A large photograph of him remains in the house of the family. He is laughing. “Your joviality will always be a example to us,” stands on his gravestone. “Rest in peace, Papa!”


"Le Patriot", on 4.12.2008 (PDF, 500 KB)