Rituals and Taboos Related To Death As Repositories of Traditional African Philosophical Ideas: Evidence From The Karanga of Zimbabwe

This article examined the Karanga death rituals and taboos with a view to discovering their underlying philosophy. The qualitative research design was adopted in this study. Data collection techniques included the interview, observation and documentary analysis. Sampling methods used in this study include purposive sampling and snowball sampling. Data were presented in narrative form and analyzed thematically. The study established that Karanga death rituals and taboos are important repositories of philosophical concepts which can be tapped into for purposes of philosophical discourse .Rituals and taboos are a Karanga mode of philosophical expression. The study concluded that rituals and taboos related to death are instrumental in understanding the Karanga world view. The study recommended that similar studies be conducted with other traditional African ethnic groups. It also recommended that some metaphysical concepts associated with Karanga death rituals and taboos be investigated empirically. It also further recommended that curricula at various levels of our education system should include cultural taboos and rituals to enhance the learners’ understanding of traditional African philosophical concepts.