Bereavement Salutations among the Yorubas of Western Nigeria

Abstract

The Yoruba people of South Western Nigeria have traditionally supported the bereaved with verbal phrases that are helpful in addressing the unique mourning situation. The death of a spouse, a child, a parent, or a sister call for different salutations. The age of the deceased, the cause of death, and the circumstances surrounding the death are taken into consideration in these salutations. The appropriate expression of these phrases form part of the mourning rituals which help the bereaved feel cared for and supported. The belief in afterlife, the religious orientation of the Yorubas, the value placed on individual life, and the role society assigned to the bereaved form the focus of these phrases. The purpose of this article is to highlight some of those phrases and their therapeutic implications.

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