Funerals in Ghana are more than farewells; they are social gatherings, cultural expressions, and in many communities, the ultimate show of respect for the dead. But in parts of the Upper East Region, a troubling twist has emerged: young men brawling while carrying a corpse to its final resting place.
I first saw it in Sumbrungo. A coffin lifted high, the crowd wailing, drummers pounding. Suddenly, the mournful procession shifted into chaos. Young men began shoving and grappling under the coffin’s weight, fists flying as onlookers gasped. By the time calm returned, two of them were bleeding yet the burial had to continue.
It wasn’t an isolated sight. In Doba, Zorko, Balungo, Namoo, Soe, Sirigu, and other places I visited, similar scenes unfolded. What shocked me most was that this happened across religious divides except among Muslims, where such chaos was noticeably absent.
From Ritual to Recklessness
Traditionally, this practice belonged to Bayaasi — undertakers known for dramatic displays during the burials of elderly people. Their vigorous coffin-lifting and symbolic tussles were seen as helping the departed transition peacefully into the ancestral world.
But today, many elders say the ritual meaning has been lost. Alcohol and peer pressure now fuel the fights, with youth eager to prove their strength rather than honor the dead.
“Funerals used to be sacred,” lamented Atiah, an elder in Sirigu. “The Bayaasi knew what they were doing, it was cultural. Now our boys are just fighting. They injure themselves and disgrace the families.”
The Youth’s Perspective
For some of the young men, however, the act is less about disgrace and more about identity. “It is a way of showing you are strong,” said Joseph, a 24-year-old from Soe. “When we carry the coffin, everyone is watching. You don’t want to look weak.”
Others admit alcohol plays a role. “Sometimes, we drink before the burial,” confessed another youth in Balungo. “That is when the fight starts. It is not planned but you can’t engage in it without alcohol.”
Yet even among the youth, there is unease. “I think it is dangerous,” said Lydia, a student of UDS who has witnessed several such fights. “The coffin can fall. People get hurt. It is not respect for the dead.”
What the Experts Say
Cultural experts warn that the trend risks eroding the dignity of funerals.
“The Bayaasi rituals were never about random fighting. They were symbolic performances tied to belief systems about death and ancestry. When young people imitate this without understanding, and under the influence of alcohol, the practice loses meaning and becomes harmful.”
“Communities need to reclaim funerals as sacred spaces. Elders, religious leaders, and youth groups must step in before this becomes normalized.”
A Growing Concern
For families planning burials, the fear is real. Will their loved one’s final journey be marked by dignity or by chaos? Many now quietly plead with youth to behave, but with little success.
As the coffin fights spread, so does the worry that funerals, once moments of unity are becoming battlegrounds.
For now, the dead remain silent witnesses, hoisted on shoulders that should carry them with honor, but too often stumble under the weight of alcohol, pride, and restless fists.
