The Hypocrisy and Superstition of not Speaking Ill of the Dead

by

Obododimma Oha

This article is dedicated to an African professor, Moses Ebe Ochonu,whose Facebook update on his wall on Saturday 18 April, 2020 and the comments on it, gave the spark. At a time that one was afraid that the topics were COVIDly drying up, Prof. Ochonu's update was such a great inspiration. And what was it? It was about not saying things negative about a person who had died. Since Prof. Ochonu was critical and even revolutionary in his writings about contemporary Nigerian affairs, it was predictable that  he would come firing from the hips and remain irreverent. So, he is inviting readers to a deal: "I won't fire from the hips and hit the target, provided I am not annoyed by shameless hypocritical praise in any writing."

The cultural background is this, as a comment rightly observed: many African societies prefer to not to say "ill" about the dead and individuals are instead admonished to just keep quiet. So, in that case, undeserved praises could fill the air. Was it not that kind of hypocrisy condemned in Igbo folklore that the red-headed lizard heard from keleke the wingless ant which forced it to make itself deaf for life? Keleke came to where the lizard was enjoying its afternoon rest and boasted that it was going to uproot the iroko tree. Such boasting and lying were annoying, so the lizard ran off, got a stick and perforated its ears, saying that it had heard  enough of the shameless lies. But Prof. Ochonu would not go into deafness yet. No; let him hope for a truth-telling ant to come along.

First, there is this ancient assumption that not saying bad things done by the dead is way of doing that fellow an honour. It is assumed that the  dead is being accorded some respect through burial, funeral, and all that. So, the chief celebrant (the dead) should not be disgraced before other spirits and before humans who have gathered to display their vanities and insincerity. It is difficult to understand how honorable the dead can be if the person's evils still live on the mind. What honour can one get beyond one's deeds and conspiracies? So, this question of doing the dead some honour through falsification is the corruption of death itself and the projection of human feelings to death.

There is a very strong emotional response if the deceased is deified. How can you insult a god or goddess? Anything out of line becomes a blasphemy.

Not speaking "ill" of the dead could be seen also as a demonstration of fairness. The dead cannot defend self. The dead has turned the back. In that case, criticising him or her would look unfair and cowardly. It would have been better when the fellow is conscious and able to defend self. Yes. One can understand that logic about fairness in a fight.

That nevertheless signifies not saying the "ill". It does not authorise us to say what is untrue, even exaggerating it, which also amounts to saying the "ill"and misleading many.

It is terribly hypocritical and immoral to praise bad deeds just because we want to be seen as good people or because of favours we hope to get. It is  also hypocritical and even criminal to keep quiet instead of sticking to the truth. Those who keep quiet in the face of evil criminally want to curry favour when their thoughts are not known or they appear undecided. Such people who prefer silence are the terrible opposition to be watched out for, but they are also tricksters of the first order.

Not speaking ill of the dead is a misrepresentation of the culture of clear conscience. Those who prefer not to speak "ill" about a dead person are not just hypocritical but also deceptive. They mislead both the person from whom they hope to gain and those who truly need some education about the dead.

If it was the case (it was, indeed) that the practice has been not to talk "ill" about the dead in Africa, it means that the discourse of that past was greatly virused and should be urgently treated and cured. It should be fearlessly interrogated and discarded in some cases. If the past that one is made to inherit has a banner full of terrible stains, it needs to be washed thoroughly or even discarded.

If it is the practice that we are not to talk "ill" about the dead, then, we are in great trouble. All the  injustice done by that past and in that past would come marching on us. They would come looking for vengeance. And it it fearful experience.

Not talking "ill" of the dead is really founded on the common fear and superstition about death on the ancient mind. That mind did not know what it was like across the bridge of death. So, it felt that the best thing would be to avoid trouble and fear death. In some cases, death was even personified as a terrorist and invincible loner. Check many folk narratives on death and see what I am talking about. If death was so invincible and could come suddenly, the best would be to avoid it. Some would even not like to talk about death so as not to attract it! That, too, was clearly founded on fear and superstition!

Let us face it: the requirement that we should not speak "ill" about the dead means that we are all dead and we should enthrone lying. That suits conservative societies. In conservative societies, some people may be held down with discourse, instructed not to say this and that, and they would sheepishly accept it. Such a conservative society is in an urgent need of a positive change. Such a conservative society is also a great danger to humanity and civilization.

So, when next you wear your mask tight because you must also fear and respect death, know what you are doing to humanity, what you are masking. Your mask is prevents your mouth from opening properly, too, not just because you fear to be infected. Also, the greatest virus to be dreaded is lying, about the living and about the dead.