Considerable independency characterises brideprice and various modalities control various Dagaaba congeries
The fresh percentage of bridewealth occupies an important condition about matrimony procedure across ethnicities from inside the north Ghana, and Dagaaba, Frafra and Builsa nations. Among Dagaaba, the fresh bridewealth, kyeuri, primarily constitutes such as for instance factors given that libi-pe?le (cowrie shells, look for Shape step 1), fowls, tobacco and you will soda crazy. Sometimes, the degree of cowrie shells need to be commensurate with whatever was purchased the latest bride’s mom. In other period, securities regarding solidarity between the family members or settlements of the bride-to-be and you may bridegroom produce a decrease in this new commission, while the latest bride’s agnatic kin influence one to before this new groom’s family members recharged a high brideprice to have a married relationship, they are going to in addition to require an exorbitant Hamm in Germany wives fee. Still, there are also standardised relationships repayments along side Dagaaba options. At this time, on average 2000 cowries, or dollars comparable, are often approved while the bridewealth inside Serekpere and its own environments. It count stands for a beneficial grave protection off some 20,000 and you may significantly more than cowries that has been approved in the same city on the 1990’s. Within the framework regarding neoliberal monetary principles, and you will diminishing agricultural returns account inside sensitive environmental area, the communications which have gatekeepers showed that the latest cutback with the amount away from cowries is intended to create relationships sensible. That it reduction in new bridewealth diverges on the most commercialised costs said into the cities when you look at the Ghana and you will in other places (Shope, Site Shope 2006; Posel & Rudwick, Site Posel and you may Rudwick 2013). Notably, the brand new payment isn’t contingent upon the newest situations of the bride, that’s, perhaps the fiance is extremely educated, separated, has offered delivery or perhaps not since the reported somewhere else (Borgerhoff Mulder, Site Borgerhoff Mulder 1989, Reference Borgerhoff Mulder 1995; Anderson, Site Anderson 2007). The fresh new customary norms ruling the technique of bridewealth are set away if flexible aside from brand new bride’s socio-financial position or perhaps the amount of rights moved.
The former in addition to begs on the behalf of the fresh groom’s kinsmen if the newest bride’s friends are seeking in order to costs an inflated brideprice
Usually, a wedding liaison is actually a person regarding groom’s town just who has many relations on the bride’s settlement. The new dendeo prospects this new groom’s family unit members towards bride’s agnatic kin, earliest so you can formally inquire about her hand-in wedding and to spend the money for brideprice. The fresh relations of your own dendeo to your bride’s nearest and dearest mean that the latter are careful into groom with his kin. As bridewealth has been gone to live in and you may recognized by the bride’s kin, the wedding relationship is formed and you will legitimated.
This new bridewealth one of the Dagaaba, as all over societies when you look at the rural northern Ghana, is actually a complicated process of deals between your agnatic kin from new wedding couple and you will, generally speaking, a third party, called a dendeo, a wedding liaison
Normatively, the fresh new yirdandoo, the head of your relatives, instead of the dad of the bride-to-be, ‘s the caretaker of your own cowries put due to the fact relationship repayments. On a group discussion inside the Nator, near Serekpere, showing brand new character of head of one’s clan, Mwinyella, a research fellow member, said, directing so you’re able to their paternal bro that is your mind regarding their clan, that: ‘this people is my father and therefore once i marry it might possibly be their responsibility so you’re able to [pay the bridewealth] for me’. Yet ,, to have families in place of information designated as the bridewealth, brand new groom and his awesome agnatic kin have the effect of raising it. Anderson ( Resource Anderson 2007: 159) accounts that from inside the setup all over Africa, the wedding payment try normatively elevated because of the groom’s ‘dad, father and you will father’s brothers, and with mom’s brothers and come up with small contributions’. That it varies, to an extent, regarding Dagaaba membership shown here. But really they resonates having bridewealth practices certainly some Frafra congeries, where normatively the groom’s father and you can dad’s brothers have the effect of paying the bridewealth and you can where he’s unable to boost it the fresh new groom turns so you can their dad’s or mom’s brothers to have service.
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