It is believed that if the funeral rites are not observed correctly, the deceased may come back to trouble living relatives. Some kill an ox at the burial of the deceased, which will later accompany the surviving relatives home; this enables the deceased to act as protecting ancestor. Only after all relatives have gone (and there’s no one left to remember the individual who has passed) is the family member said to have really “died.” The slaughtering of a beast and the taking of earth to cover the grave in a bottle to bring home are disappearing rituals, though still practiced in some communities. African funerals are communal affairs in which the whole community shares in the grief of the bereaved. Related articles: