An Ethiopian funeral

On Monday we went out to Debre Libanos Monastery. We had a tour of the monastery and as we were coming out of the building, a funeral procession was entering the grounds. There were many people gathered around the coffin as it came in through the gates. Our girls wanted to know what was happening, and we explained that it was a funeral and someone had died, and the people were all very sad.

I felt very intrusive being there, and said as much to our guide. He said that it was a young man that had died. That only made me feel worse. He took us around to the back of the monastery, so that we could see the grounds. As we came around the other side of the building, the mourners were all approaching the doors, genuflecting, kissing the steps, wailing etc.

The coffin was taken around the building once, while the mourners were paying their respects at the monastery doors. They then all headed away, probably to the home of the people who had lost the special young man. I think the custom is that mourning goes on for several days, with family and friends all visiting to pay their respects.

Some of the mourners were professional mourners, I think. Afterwards they went back to the cemetery nearby, seemingly to wait for the next funeral. The whole process was very quick, and they were all there for only about 15 minutes. From what I could see, no one actually entered the monastery building itself at all. Perhaps they were there for the coffin/body to be blessed, and for the mourners to pay their respects to God, the family and to the man who they have lost.

Traditionally, women here wear netelas (lightweight shawls/scarves) over their heads, which have a band of woven pattern on the ends. Usually, the scarf is worn with these bands at the side. The only time they are ever worn with this pretty band across the forehead is at funerals. It means that you can always tell if a woman has been to a funeral.

It would have been interesting (though voyeuristic) to have had someone explain the whole process to me. I felt very uncomfortable being there, and pray that the man’s family and friends will make it through their grief ok.