Perception of Burial Rituals as Psychological Healing among the Indigenous Vhavenda in South Africa

Abstract

This study was a survey of the different burial rituals performed by the Vhavenda indigenous community of Limpopo, South Africa. The aim was to establish their meaning in relation to psychological healing. It focused on the rituals performed from the day of death, day of burial and after the burial of a deceased. To accomplish this, the study used the qualitative methodology and participatory observation to gather the data as well as analysed these rituals because this method is suitable for the study as the researcher had the opportunity of interacting with the respondents to gather data for analysis. The findings revealed that When a Venda person dies, the community would performed certain rituals from the day after the death to the day the remains of the deceased is laid to rest. These rituals are performed to pacify the bereaved family. From the day after the death, a few rituals are performed for psychological healing in the community. These rituals are not performed at any other time, but if such rituals are not performed, the perception of the relative of the deceased is that their spirits are not psychologically healed.