Abstract:

Death, which is accepted as the last of the transition periods, is an inevitable end for all humanity. The fear of death has led to the emergence of various beliefs and rituals about death in societies. According to African local beliefs, life expectancy does not end with death. On the contrary, life continues in another realm. On the other hand, although death is a feared event, it is accepted as the beginning of communication between visible and invisible beings. The concepts of life and death are interrelated and even complementary. Although the majority of African local beliefs accept death as part of the life cycle, they agree that death has a connection with supernatural forces. In African local beliefs, care is taken to carry out funeral ceremonies in accordance with the rules. Although there are different practices in funeral ceremonies in African communities, it has been determined that similar customs are also observed. In this study, the beliefs and rituals of many communities in Africa about death will be examined. The article data obtained by the literature review were written using the descriptive method of the History of Religions.

Keywords: