Ontological Relevance of the Rituals of Burial and Exhumation of Human Relics (ORRBEHR) Among the Wakyiwoso of Kilimanjaro Tanzania.

Mwacha, Eurementyney Aloyce (2024) Ontological Relevance of the Rituals of Burial and Exhumation of Human Relics (ORRBEHR) Among the Wakyiwoso of Kilimanjaro Tanzania. Doctoral thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

This study investigates the Ontological Relevance of the Rituals of Burial and Exhumation of Human Relics (ORRBEHR) among the Wakyiwoso (Wakibosho) people of Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, highlighting the need for scholarly attention in this underexplored area. By employing a post-positivist paradigm alongside pragmatism, the research contextualizes these complex rituals within the lived experiences of the community. The investigation utilized mixed sampling strategies, incorporating both probability and criteria sampling to ensure comprehensive data collection. Researchers gathered information through a triangulation method that included interviews, Focus Group Discussions, and direct observation. Given the qualitative nature of data, the study effectively employed sagas, testimonies, and myths presenting them thematically.This study emphasizes qualitative methodologies in psychological research, which supports the methodological approaches used in exploring complex cultural phenomena such as burial rituals. The study found that the Wakyiwoso of Kilimanjaro have various origins, but they all share a set of mortuary and post-mortem burial and exhumation rituals that evolved over time in response to the ecological system. Findings also showed that modern religions impacted burial and exhumation rites to some extent. Furthermore, the Wakyiwoso of Kilimanjaro maintained a jurisprudential, ecological, and economic interest in human relic burial and exhumation rites, making them relevant.The study developed a "Theory of Ecological Necessity" (TEN). The term "Ecological Necessity" refers to the ecological system's role in people's rituals. According to the study, the BEHR should be supported because it is environmentally friendly, economically promising, and jurisprudentially relevant. New religious rituals should flow in the same rhythm of ecological necessity. Key Words:Burial, Exhumation, Human Relics, Ontological, Rituals, Wakyiwoso

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