So it loss in brand new bridewealth diverges from the extremely commercialised money said during the urban areas in the Ghana and you may someplace else (Shope, 2006; Posel & Rudwick, 2013)
The newest payment of bridewealth uses up an important condition on the matrimony procedure across the ethnicities when you look at the north Ghana, along with Dagaaba, Frafra and you may Builsa nations. Among the Dagaaba, the newest bridewealth, kyeuri, primarily comprises such as affairs given that libi-pe?le (cowrie shells, see Profile step one ), fowls, cigarette and you will soda wild. In many cases, the level of cowrie shells should be consistent with whatever is actually purchased the latest bride’s mother. Various other era, bonds off solidarity between the family otherwise settlements of bride-to-be and you can groom lead to a decrease in the newest percentage, and when the fresh new bride’s agnatic kin determine you to definitely before the new groom’s family relations charged a high brideprice to possess a marriage, he is attending in addition to insist upon an excessive percentage. Nonetheless, there are even standardized relationships payments over the Dagaaba options. At present, normally 2000 cowries, or dollars similar, are usually approved since the bridewealth for the Serekpere and its own environments. Which number is short for an excellent grave cures off some 20,000 and you will above cowries which had been recognized in identical area from the 90s. Inside the framework from neoliberal financial procedures, and you can diminishing agricultural production levels contained in this fragile environment region, our very own telecommunications with gatekeepers indicated that the latest cutback into amount of cowries is intended to generate wedding affordable. Notably, brand new percentage isn’t contingent through to the latest items of your own fiance, that’s, whether the fiance is extremely experienced, divorced, has already considering beginning or perhaps not since the said someplace else (Borgerhoff Mulder, 1989, 1995; Anderson, 2007). New typical norms governing the practice of bridewealth are ready aside in the event that flexible despite new bride’s socio-economic updates or the quantity of legal rights transferred.
Anderson (2007: 159) accounts one to within the setup all over Africa, the marriage payment is normatively increased by groom’s ‘father, parent and you may father’s brothers, along with mother’s brothers while making short contributions’
The brand new bridewealth among the many Dagaaba, due to the fact across the communities for the outlying north Ghana, are an elaborate procedure of negotiations amongst the agnatic kin from the wedding couple and you will, typically, a third party, called a beneficial dendeo, a wedding liaison. Generally speaking, a wedding liaison try a guy on the groom’s village who has many relationships regarding bride’s settlement. The new dendeo guides this new groom’s friends toward bride’s agnatic kin, basic to help you formally ask for their turn in matrimony in order to afford the brideprice. The fresh new affairs of your dendeo to your bride’s family indicate that the latter is considerate on bridegroom along with his kin. The former together with pleads for the newest groom’s kinsmen in the event the the newest bride’s relatives need to help you fees an exorbitant brideprice. Due to the fact bridewealth might have been transferred to and you will acknowledged of the bride’s kin, the wedding partnership is made and you can legitimated.
Normatively, the latest yirdandoo, your face of your members of the family, as opposed to the father of one’s bride-to-be, ‘s the custodian of your own cowries put as marriage money. During the a group conversation when you look at the Nator, close Serekpere, demonstrating brand new part of your direct of your own clan, Mwinyella, a study participant, explained, pointing to help you his paternal buddy who is your head from his clan, that: ‘this guy are my dad and so when i get married it could be their obligation so you can [afford the bridewealth] to have me’. But really, to own family members in place of tips designated because the bridewealth, the fresh new groom and his awesome agnatic kin have the effect of increasing it. It differs, to some degree, regarding the Dagaaba membership displayed here. Yet , they resonates which have bridewealth methods certainly some Frafra congeries, where normatively new groom’s dad and father’s brothers are responsible for paying the bridewealth and you will where https://getbride.org/no/koreanske-kvinner/ he or she is incapable of improve it this new groom transforms to his dad’s or mom’s brothers to have service.