Samuel Annor English Composition 1011 Susan Knutson September 11, 2003

ARE OUR RITES GOOD?

One morning, my thirteen-year old cousin, Afia was caught

by our grandmother and kept in a room while we were ~laying

together. I did not really know what had happened.

Initially, I thought she had done something wrong and she

was going to be punished for it. Not knowing, it was her

time for Bra oro, the name we call rite. I did not ~t~, 1---------L::::=:::=;~~~~~~~~~"'-~Jt/tJ1r/; ~e'4)" c/ g,o/,fJ~ f- tlrQ". ~J,.v'e

really get it why they rough the trouble of ~Y ~H t~qij~'

performing the rite so I decided to ~rlticalI\ observe ;"i 1:' J fl' (llfee /ltfE- l )IV;I?

Afia was bathed and dressed in

special traditional wear. She was made to swallow a boiled

egg without biting it and after she was paraded through the

village and there was drumming and dancing. In my~-/)~ 'If'" ~ ITt 0' J r.1 ---- ----. ~

I J 'etlfft rf'{ L~I f~ r"J)',critigg.e., I asked myself; "Was this rite ~mportant after z~ tl, j nf1tJI(''j? \< "I ot.(' Irtf,----.--­all?H My curiosity was not really satisfied so it led me

to analyze other rites, I saw and heard of. "i'''.'t rtt(t,,(t-----------rt- l.lnt)H< I "J

Oklu, the aunty of my friend Kwasiga became a Trokosi

when she was eight. She, like many other Trokosi, was

:0 given to atone for the sin of a male relative. She was f j'4.td. C, ~Ii

¥, c: ~(, (lJltf.,1 T

i cf 7

. give~ up by her parents to countervail the theft of her

_ grandfather which she didn't even know well. She was

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mostly subjected to inhumane conditions such rape,

underfeeding, etc by the chief priest at the shrine which

she was kept. When Kwasiga told me this, I thought he was

kidding me. At this time, I have become a true abhorrer of 'I "

all the traditional rites. Do you t bin k~"--~.~",--~h,-,,e,--,c=-a~u~s::..:::e

to be a hater?

Not to forget about the nasty rite that has been going

in the north. Issah, my friend from the north told me how

most of the women in the north had to go through female f 1"1I>( 1: u,' /, Jt'"tft i

circumcision at one point in their life. They all had to

go through ~he agony associated with the mutilation. All

these unfortunate women go through a deprivation of natural

pleasure during conjugation. Anybody of the 21st Century

(,

(eliOt t. tT:: "-1· I' 1::11'" rr.(/tt

will condemn this, but why is it still existent:

Indeed, I I certainly do not admit that there is H .. m.nk L ItI It'. If ~t Ihel'tl II In r' ..I1tr,ft'

~ true justification in saying that our marriages are based

l on child-bearing and not on sexual pleasuret What about ~ ~

these women who were not given the o~ to choose on what "f d tf .dJ:a cJ.( '" ( , <I; ,

they preferred when they were young. What about the pain

and the complication they have to go trough they are giving

birth. I think all this rites are kept one way or the

other because of the selfishness of one person or another.

tlldzc/ ~ P'«'/«r(

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ancestors did them and for that reason we have also have to

perpetuate them.

Nevertheless, I happen to witness Aboakyer festival

celebrated by the people of Winneba in the central part of

Ghana. The name Aboakyer, means 'the hunt for an animal'

literally. Like you \!ould expect, the people of Winneba

during the festival hunt down for a live mature deer to

sacrifice to their god, Penkyi Otu for his protection and

blessing during the past year. After the live deer is

cau ht and p]Auabtered, a durbar is called, where the

paramount chief addresses his people of the development of

their community and what they can all do to further improve

upon them. Then a grand feast is prepared at the palace

and also in the houses of almost all the individuals.

During this period anybody can eat in every house. Thus

give the opportunity for the needy and poor people to get

the chance to enjoy good food from anywhere. -.')

Hmm, this particular one challenged the way I thought

about our rites. I came to realize the not all of our

rites were barbaric and selfish. People from all parts of

the world, up to day go to see this festival every May. At

least some of our culture and rites are pleasing and

accepted by most people in the world.

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~ (<Jr,G{/iflllf! wordl d .

Ever:l people have some rite that are not be fitting in I ... .L I"~/' ~ ~ '--------" ' = c.. u q.-p (1 J""C/

today's society but always we must consider first some of

the good rites that are existent and hope that one day all

the bad knots would be scooped out of the soup.