Which losing this new bridewealth diverges in the extremely commercialised money reported when you look at the cities into the Ghana and you will somewhere else (Shope, 2006; Posel & Rudwick, 2013)
This new percentage out of bridewealth uses up a significant position throughout the relationships techniques all over ethnicities in north Ghana, as well as Dagaaba, Frafra and you may Builsa places. Among the many Dagaaba, the fresh new bridewealth, kyeuri, primarily constitutes including situations given that libi-pe?le (cowrie shells, get a hold of Contour 1 ), fowls, cigarette and you will cola wild. Occasionally, the amount of cowrie shells need to be commensurate with that which is taken care of the fresh new bride’s mommy. In other era, ties out of solidarity between the families otherwise agreements of your bride-to-be and groom trigger a reduction in the fresh new commission, of course, if the bride’s agnatic kin influence you to before the fresh groom’s family relations recharged a leading brideprice for a married relationship, he could be gonna also insist upon an excessive fee. However, there are also standardised relationships repayments over the Dagaaba settings. At the moment, an average of 2000 cowries, otherwise bucks similar, are often acknowledged since the bridewealth into the Serekpere and its environs. That it number is short for an effective grave prevention regarding an amount of 20,000 and you can significantly more than cowries which was recognized in identical city from the 1990’s. In the perspective away from neoliberal monetary principles, and you will dwindling farming returns accounts within sensitive environmental zone, the communication having gatekeepers indicated that new cutback towards amount out-of cowries is meant to generate relationships affordable. Significantly, this new payment is not contingent on new activities of your own fiance, which is, perhaps the bride-to-be is extremely experienced, separated, has provided beginning or otherwise not as the reported someplace else (Borgerhoff Mulder, 1989, 1995; Anderson, 2007). The fresh new traditional norms governing the practice of bridewealth are prepared aside in the event that negotiable despite this new bride’s socio-monetary condition and/or number of liberties transferred.
Anderson (2007: 159) account one in options round the Africa, the marriage commission was normatively elevated of the groom’s ‘father, dad and you may dad’s brothers, and with mom’s brothers and also make quick contributions’
The newest bridewealth among the many Dagaaba, while the round the societies in the outlying north Ghana, try an elaborate process of dealings between your agnatic kin away from this new bride and groom and you may, generally speaking, a 3rd party, entitled an excellent dendeo, a wedding liaison. Generally speaking, a wedding liaison was men from the groom’s town just who has many connections on the bride’s settlement. Brand new dendeo prospects the newest groom’s family relations to your bride’s agnatic kin, earliest in order to officially inquire about their hand-in relationship in order to pay the brideprice. The brand new connections of one’s dendeo with the bride’s members of the family imply that the latter is actually considerate toward groom and his awesome kin. The previous including begs on behalf of this new groom’s kinsmen if brand new bride’s family unit members want so you can costs an exorbitant brideprice. Since the bridewealth might have been relocated to and you will recognized of the bride’s kin, the wedding commitment is formed and you can legitimated.
Normatively, the brand new yirdandoo, the head of your relatives, rather than the father of one’s fiance, is the custodian of the cowries put once the relationships costs. Within a team conversation from inside the Nator, close Serekpere, showing Mati women looking for us husband the brand new role of your lead of clan, Mwinyella, a report fellow member, informed me, pointing in order to his paternal buddy who’s your mind away from their clan, that: ‘that it man is actually my father and so when i wed they is his obligations to [pay the bridewealth] to possess me’. Yet ,, to have parents versus info designated as the bridewealth, the newest bridegroom along with his agnatic kin are responsible for elevating they. This varies, to some degree, regarding the Dagaaba membership demonstrated right here. But really they resonates with bridewealth practices among certain Frafra congeries, where normatively the fresh groom’s father and you will father’s brothers are responsible for paying the bridewealth and you can in which he’s not able to raise they this new bridegroom converts in order to his dad’s otherwise mom’s brothers to have assistance.
