Father and Senior Son in Edo Mortuary Ritual

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Abstract
Edo mortuary ritual varies according to the social statuses and circumstances of the deceased. The change in the relationship between father and senior son is a dominant theme running through the mortuary ritual. The Edo makes a clear distinction between two spheres of existence: agbn, the visible, tangible world of the living; and rinbhin, the normally invisible sphere occupied by a supreme God, other deities, spirits, and supernatural powers. As in many societies Edo mortuary rites fall into two parts which I shall call the 'interment' and the 'funeral'. The senior son bears the burden of entertaining the various groups of drummers and the kin, affines, and friends who have assembled to pay their final respects to the dead. The chapter provides a complete analysis of Edo mortuary rites but have tried only to isolate one broad band of meaning running through a ritual and symbolic pattern of infinite complexity.

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