An Ethnological Study of Discourse of Theory and Practice of Death and Rebirth in Modern Africa

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In these research project, I was engaged in the ethnological study on the discourse of theory and practice of death and rebirth of religious practices of African societies, in particular celebration of death and succession and attention ceremony of Asante, Dagomba, Mamprusi and LoDagaa of Ghana, West Africa.In 2004 I collectled African religious materials : academic papers and books at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana and Centre of African Studies, University of Cambridge, and in 2005 at the Keio University Library, Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa(ILCAA), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and Institute of Asian and African Area Studies, University of Kyoto. I compiled bibliography on theory and practice of death and rebirth in modern Africa.I was engaged in the fieldwork at the region of Asante of Ghana from 29 August to 27 September 2004. The theme of research is as following : (1) discussion with Asante schlors who are staffs of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, (2) reseaech by the method of questionnaire and interviews, (3) re-research on the ritual framework from Opoku Ware II (former Asantehene) to Osei Tutu II (present Asantehene). I presented about the research results at the conference of Japan Association for African Studies on 29 May 2004 at the ILCAA, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and Comparative Family History Association on 12 November 2005. The former is on "King's funeral and widowhood rituals : a case-study of Opoku Ware II," and the latter is on "Kingship, gender and widowhood rituals in Africa : an introduction for the origins of human inequality". I published doctoral dissertation on "A study of kingship and ritual in Africa : perspective of political anthropology" that was conferred on 26 February 2005 at the Graduate School of Sociology, Keio University.