Most women have exceptional phobia when it comes to issues concerning dead bodies. Apart from a few daring ones who would like to go close to a corpse majority would only wail and follow the dead as it is sent to the cemetery for burial. This is because we are all used to seeing men act as pallbearers or casket bearers at funerals. However, women taking charge of caskets is something we hardly see.
In our traditional setting, it is usually the children of the deceased or family members who carry the coffin all the way to the cemetery or into the hearse to be conveyed for burial.
With funeral homes and commissioned pallbearers being used during funerals, it would appear that the exclusive role of the family carrying the dead is becoming a thing of the past. Now, it also appears that the role is no more a male preserve.
Last Saturday, at the funeral of 88-year-old Madam Esther Ayorkor Okine at the Mamprobi Sempe School Park, a grief-stricken atmosphere was defused when women were asked by the officiating pastor to get prepared to carry the old lady into the hearse.
With ease and confidence, the elderly women from the Divine Healers Church numbering about eight lifted the white casket containing the remains of Madam Okine, skilfully shouldered it for a while and later decided to move round with it while rhythmically swinging and dancing to bid farewell to the octogenarian who left behind nine children.
The casket bearers were led by their colleagues who were carrying the wreaths and playing the tambourine. They performed to the amazement of sympathisers who were witnessing women carrying the dead for the first time.
Basically, a pallbearer is one of several participants that help carry the casket at a funeral. Some traditions distinguish between the role of pallbearers and casket bearers.
The former is a ceremonial position, carrying a tip of the pall or a cord attached to it. The latter do the actual heavy lifting and carrying. There may otherwise be pallbearers only in the symbolic sense if the casket is on an animal or vehicle.
The reporter who witnessed this act of bravery for the first time decided to enquire from some leaders of the Divine Healers Church why the children of the deceased or men were not requested to carry the casket of the old woman.
Rev. Joseph Daniels, a member of the church and the Organising Secretary of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches for Mamprobi, Chorkor and Korle Gonno, explained that their church believed in the can-do spirit of the women, and that was why they allowed them to carry the casket or coffin.
No doubt inspired by the biblical anecdotes of women like Miriam, Esther, Deborah and Jael as well as the historical narrative of our own Yaa Asantewaa, he said that “Our church believers in empowerment therefore, we are about the first to ordain women to preach and do other great services for the house of God. This is because we believe in the power of the women.”
He added that: ” It is stated in Galatians 3:28 that there is neither male nor female; we are all one.”
Further investigations showed that the Women Fellowship of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana equally carry the casket when a member dies.
Research suggests that the predominance of males as pallbearers is not due to traditional prohibitions but rather mostly due to the physical exertion involved in the duties, coupled with the emotional pressures.
No doubt the trends being set by some churches and communities in Ghana today will change perceptions.
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