This new payment from bridewealth takes up an important position regarding relationships procedure round the ethnicities when you look at the northern Ghana, and additionally Dagaaba, Frafra and you may Builsa places. Among the Dagaaba, the latest bridewealth, kyeuri, mainly constitutes for example activities just like the libi-pe?le (cowrie shells, select Shape 1), fowls, tobacco and you may cola crazy. In some instances, the level of cowrie shells must be in keeping with whatever are covered the latest bride’s mother. Various other instances, securities out-of solidarity between the group or agreements of fiance and you can bridegroom lead to a reduction in new commission, of course new bride’s agnatic kin dictate you to definitely previously the latest groom’s friends charged a premier brideprice to own a married relationship, he or she is going to and additionally insist on an exorbitant percentage. Still, there are even standardized wedding costs along side Dagaaba settings. Today, an average of 2000 cowries, otherwise bucks similar, are approved as the bridewealth for the Serekpere and its own environs. This matter is short for a good grave prevention regarding some 20,000 and you will over cowries that was recognized in identical city regarding 90s. In the context regarding neoliberal monetary policies, and diminishing farming efficiency membership contained in this fragile ecological zone, our communications that have gatekeepers showed that new cutback to your matter away from cowries is meant to create matrimony affordable. Which losing new bridewealth diverges regarding most commercialised repayments stated during the cities during the Ghana and you can somewhere else (Shope, Resource Shope 2006; Posel & Rudwick, Reference Posel and Rudwick 2013). Notably, the new fee isn’t contingent abreast of brand new things of one’s bride to be, that’s, perhaps the bride is highly educated, separated, has already offered beginning or perhaps not because the stated elsewhere (Borgerhoff Mulder, Site Borgerhoff Mulder 1989, Source Borgerhoff Mulder 1995; Anderson, Reference Anderson 2007). Brand new standard norms governing the technique of bridewealth are ready out in the event that negotiable no american vs german matter the bride’s socio-financial reputation or perhaps the quantity of liberties transmitted.
The former including begs on behalf of the brand new groom’s kinsmen in the event the the new bride’s nearest and dearest are searching for to help you fees an excessive brideprice
Usually, a married relationship liaison are a guy regarding groom’s community whom has many relations regarding bride’s payment. The dendeo guides the new groom’s nearest and dearest into bride’s agnatic kin, very first to help you formally require their unique submit marriage and also to pay the brideprice. This new relations of your own dendeo on the bride’s nearest and dearest imply that the second is considerate to the bridegroom and his kin. Once the bridewealth could have been moved to and you may recognized because of the bride’s kin, the marriage commitment is created and you can legitimated.
The new bridewealth one of several Dagaaba, because round the communities from inside the outlying northern Ghana, are an elaborate procedure for negotiations within agnatic kin off the latest wedding couple and you will, generally, a third party, entitled a dendeo, a wedding liaison
Normatively, the new yirdandoo, your face of the relatives, rather than the father of your own bride to be, ‘s the caretaker of your cowries delivered because the matrimony costs. From the a group dialogue during the Nator, near Serekpere, appearing the fresh new part of your lead of the clan, Mwinyella, a study fellow member, informed me, leading to help you their paternal uncle who is your face out-of his clan, that: ‘so it man was dad and so when i wed they could be his responsibility to help you [afford the bridewealth] to own me’. Yet, for families versus tips designated since the bridewealth, the fresh groom with his agnatic kin have the effect of increasing they. Anderson ( Source Anderson 2007: 159) reports one in the settings all over Africa, the wedding commission is actually normatively raised by the groom’s ‘father, daddy and you can dad’s brothers, sufficient reason for mother’s brothers and also make brief contributions’. Which varies, to some degree, regarding the Dagaaba membership exhibited right here. Yet they resonates that have bridewealth techniques one of certain Frafra congeries, where normatively the fresh new groom’s father and you can father’s brothers are responsible for paying the bridewealth and you may in which he could be unable to improve it the new groom transforms so you’re able to their father’s otherwise mom’s brothers to own assistance.
