Interrogatory Ceremony, Northern Togo

Interrogatory Ceremony (Interrogatoire) among the Lamba people, Agninkata, Kanté, Togo, March 2010. This is a ceremony to determine who is responsible for a person's death. The responsible person is usually a member of the deceased's family. Members of the community call the spirit of the deceased, who pushes an effigy of his or her corpse made of baobab branches in different directions, answering yes or no questions and ultimately pointing at the guilty person. After the blame is established, the family sacrifices a goat and everyone drinks the local fermented drink called tchoukoutou and dances. See carlaseidl.com to learn more about Carla's experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo. Contribute to the development of youth in this community by making a tax-deductible donation toward the construction of the Espoir Cultural Center. Learn more at peacecorps.gov/contribute, project number 693-355, volunteer last name Seidl.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Togo
• Lamba
• interrogation ceremony
• interrogatoire
• ethnography
• anthropology
• Peace Corps