August 29, 2026

"An 1888 ordinance from the British colonial government precipitated the need for coffins. The traditional Ga practice..."

"... had been to bury relatives beneath the floor of the family home, to keep the dead close by. But British officials, concerned about hygiene, mandated the use of wooden coffins for burial in designated cemeteries. Some have suggested that fantasy coffins allowed Ghanaians to celebrate their lives and achievements while complying with the law...."

From "6 Feet Under in Art Coffins That Are Over the Top/Elaborate coffins, produced by Ghanaian artisans, are the centerpieces of funerals that celebrate the life of the deceased and get them to the afterlife in style" (NYT gift link)(lots of photos of fantasy coffins).

"For Ga families, finding a fitting design, whether a book for a teacher or a truck with a squeeze-bulb horn for a mechanic, can be a complex and emotional process.... In 2020, a coffin in the shape of a circumcised penis, which was publicized on social media, was rumored to have been made for a sex worker and was widely seen as disrespectful. In fact, it was made to honor a traditional wanzam, similar to a Jewish mohel — someone who performs male circumcisions...."

5 comments:

Dave Begley said...

Just another backwards, tribal, shit-hole country that the Brits tried to civilize. I imagine many of these Third Worlders have now moved to the UK and brought their shity culture with them.

Iman said...

Whoops…

https://youtube.com/shorts/pmdunj7fs8A?si=gGOztNnnbnv168xI

Dave Begley said...

80,000 Ghanaians have moved to the UK since 2000. That’s roughly the population of Wisconsin’s Memorial Stadium.

Josephbleau said...

I knew Georgia was a strange state, but under the floor?

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Making a coffin for someone who performed male circumcisions must be a piece of cake compared to making a coffin for someone who performed female circumcisions.

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