Cameron Mckegney

Global Connections 201710 LBST-2102

Tina Katsanas

29th April 2017

Of Water and the Spirit Essay Questions

1. I believe the ritual that took place is Transitional because grandfather Bakhye is
transitioning from his life on earth to the other realm. Malidomas grandfather was
someone he was very close to. Bakhye and Malidoma have a close relationship since in
the Dagara culture the elderly and the young become very close because they have
recently come from a place where the elderly will soon end up. Bakhye was the medicine
man and Malidoma learned so much from him up until his death. In the Dagara culture if
an important person like Bakhye dies in a foreign land then they are supposed to walk
back home even though they are dead. The hyena tail was symbolic because it was
supposed to help him walk back from mission hill to his home. The tail helped him to
overcome his death and make it back to his homeland. In the book, it is said once the tail
touched his hand his eyes opened and he was able to sit up. This shows that the tail was
so powerful is allowed the dead to awaken, although they may have not been fully there
and to follow through with their rituals during death. This means Bakhye was not in the
living world nor the spirit world. He was simply just a soul awaiting to pass through. He
was still able to interact with his family and the people in the village. In the Dagara
culture he was not able to pass until his last meal was consumed. He also had to be in the
upside-down kitchen in his home. This was very important. After the funeral ritual
Bakhyes body is taken to the burial ground. They shaved Bakhyes hair and stripped him
of his clothes. This was symbolic for disguising or mutilation of ones self. Food was
prepared in the upside-down kitchen so he would not go to the ancestor world on an
empty stomach. During the liminal phase the upside-down kitchen was very symbolic. It
was turned upside down only due to the fact someone of importance has died. They
recited the prayer of the dead along with the women and grandchildren singing.
Throughout the ritual Grandfather was not fully there, he was coming in and out
between the living world and ancestor world. He was able to return for specific parts in
the ritual. The funeral went on for three days. By leaving his body, Grandfather had
escaped the laws of physicality; therefore, only food cooked according to the laws of the
new realm he now inhabited could be eaten and digested effectively (pg. 52). This is
symbolic because of his importance to the community and his position as a medicine
man.
I have only been to three funerals in my life. The first one was my Grandpa Jack
when I was about five years old. I dont remember much but do remember everyone was
 very sad and I did not feel much emotion because I was so young. The next funeral I
attended was my best friends Grandma. She died of health issues and the funeral was nice
and more upbeat than most. She lived a great life and everyone knew it. The last funeral
was the hardest. My grandma died from Alzheimers and Emphysema. She went to the
hospital in July and was gone by September, spending most of her time in the hospital.
Her funeral was very sad and depressing but also made me feel at ease with her death
because of the certain things we did at her funeral. My mother and aunt made a slideshow
of pictures from her entire life. She use to sing so her songs were played as well. One of
the hospice nurses even came and sang a beautiful song for all of us. As the book took
death for Bakhye very seriously and religiously, the funerals I have attended were mainly
sad and depressing. We said our goodbyes and that was basically it. Black was worn to all
the funerals but my grandmas. Completely different from Bakhyes funeral.
2. Malidoma describing his education experience was definitely different than what I am
use to. His traditional education from the Dagara culture and the seminary education are
far some similar. The violence that took place in the seminaries would be an example. On
Malidomas first day of French class his teacher; Mantie was teaching the English
alphabet. He asked Malidoma a question and when he did not know the answer he was
smacked on the head with a stick and called fat by the teacher. The seminary education
taught writing, geography, mathematics, sciences and languages like Latin. The seminary
forced him to learn about Christianity and about God. The students were always on a
schedule that eventually became a routine. Malidoma learned a good amount from
Geography class which he seemed far more interested in. The seminary education taught
through fear and mutilation which in my opinion is not the correct way.
The Dagara teaching system was the opposite. They were encouraged to find the
answer to the problem within themselves. This allowed trial and error and the students to
figure it out for themselves. For example, Malidoma was told by his teachers to stare at a
tree until he saw something. He sat there for a full day until he was able to see and speak
with the green lady that represented the tree. Instructors, at first, were disappointed and
started to lose faith in him but did not give up on him and he succeeded in the end. They
practiced self-teaching which I can agree with. In the seminary education if any type of
other culture was mentioned or discussed, then there would be consequences. Free
thought in the Dagara education system was very much encouraged. They believed in
everyone expressing their opinions and feelings.
The education system I have been introduced to would relate more to the seminaries.
One example that I can compare my education with the seminary education was the
routine and schedule. Every day for eighteen years I was on a schedule. I would wake up
every morning at the same time, go to school, come home, do homework, go to
sports/activities and go to bed. Now being in college I have learned without being on
such a strict schedule how to balance my time. Back in the day my parents would tell me
stories how teachers and principals could use physical punishments in schools. I was
shocked by this and was very glad they do not do this anymore. Both these education
 systems have their pros and cons. The Dagara seems more laid back and crucial to their
culture. Free thought and opinions are more accepted in college than grade school. We
live in a free country with the first amendment being freedom of speech we have the
right to state our opinions, which I believe is very important. The Dagara education
consisted with the similarities of my teachers nowadays, especially in college. They push
me to go out of my comfort zone and enter more abstract and hypothetical concepts. This
gives me the confidence to try new things and realize my potential.
3. Malidoma undergoes initiation when he returns due to the fact he had been gone for
fifteen years, being brainwashed and retaught a new way of thinking and the beliefs of
the white men. His elders were very concerned with this. He was the first to bring into a
new knowledge that they were not exposed to. They did not feel he would fit in with the
others. The elders believed that with initiation he would adapt to their beliefs again and
was the right thing to do. I believe the type of ritual taking place would be Rites of
Passage, consisting of three stages; 1. Separation, 2. Transition and 3. Reincorporation.
During the separation stage, Malidoma and the other boys from the village were
separated from the rest of the community. The second phase is most crucial for
Malidoma, which is the transition stage. Malidoma was exposed to multiple spiritual
events to remake him. As I mentioned previously Malidoma was tested by his
initiators. He was forced to stare at the tree until he saw something, it took him a while
but he was finally able to see the lady. Another event was diving into a pool of water.
This was to explain that after the dive he was resurrected into a new man. After the
experience, he felt the concept of being reborn. Another small example of the spiritual
events that took place was being buried alive. This was to relate the idea the womb= the
tomb. Reincorporation was the final stage. Malidoma was brought back into the
community and out of isolation. This concluded the Rites of Passage ritual that has taken
place in the book.
4. The concept of naming in some cultures is very important. Mothers will sometimes go
see a Diviner when pregnant to find the destiny of their child and that is how the baby is
named. Malidoma meaning be friends with the stranger/enemy (pg. 1) can explain how
he was kidnapped by the initial enemy; the white men and he was brought back and
remade. Names in the Dagara culture are established as a reminder of the responsibilities
that the children have. I believe Malidoma did meet his destiny. He was taken by the
enemy and forced to live their life. He may have struggled or hated it but he got through
it and in the end returned home where he was meant to be. That was Malidomas destiny.
An example was Malidomas experience in the white mans world which allowed him to
reach his destiny. He believed this when he received three bachelor degrees, a
scholarship, going to France etc. He believed the knowledge he learned in the Jesuit was
his destiny to bring back to his village and his family. Ancestors and reincarnation are a
huge part in this aspect of the Dagara culture. The birth of a child is said to be an ancestor
that is already known by someone and has an important task to do on earth. In the book, it
is said the living must know who is being reborn Bakhye believed Malidoma was his
brother being reincarnated. Ancestors give the child the opportunity to reach their destiny
and guide them throughout their life time.