It loss thaimaalainen morsiamet in new bridewealth diverges throughout the most commercialised money reported from inside the cities within the Ghana and you may somewhere else (Shope, 2006; Posel & Rudwick, 2013)
The fresh new commission from bridewealth uses up a significant updates on the wedding procedure around the ethnicities in the northern Ghana, including Dagaaba, Frafra and Builsa nations. Among Dagaaba, the fresh bridewealth, kyeuri, generally comprises such as for instance circumstances because libi-pe?le (cowrie shells, see Shape step one ), fowls, tobacco and you may cola crazy. In some cases, the degree of cowrie shells have to be commensurate with that which was taken care of the fresh bride’s mom. Various other occasions, securities regarding solidarity between the household or agreements of your bride to be and you can bridegroom trigger a decrease in the newest payment, while brand new bride’s agnatic kin determine you to before new groom’s loved ones energized a high brideprice for a marriage, he’s gonna plus require an expensive percentage. However, there are even standardised relationship payments across the Dagaaba options. At this time, an average of 2000 cowries, otherwise dollars equivalent, are generally approved because bridewealth for the Serekpere and its particular environs. This amount is short for an effective grave protection out-of an amount of 20,000 and you will significantly more than cowries which had been accepted in identical area from the 1990’s. During the context out of neoliberal economic rules, and you may diminishing agricultural output accounts within this fine ecological region, all of our telecommunications with gatekeepers showed that the newest cutback toward matter from cowries is intended to generate relationship sensible. Notably, the fresh fee isn’t contingent on brand new items of one’s fiance, that is, if the bride-to-be is highly educated, divorced, has recently considering beginning or otherwise not because the said elsewhere (Borgerhoff Mulder, 1989, 1995; Anderson, 2007). The newest conventional norms ruling the practice of bridewealth are ready out in the event that negotiable irrespective of the fresh new bride’s socio-monetary condition or the level of liberties directed.
Anderson (2007: 159) profile you to definitely for the options across Africa, the wedding percentage are normatively increased by groom’s ‘father, grandfather and you will dad’s brothers, and with mom’s brothers to make quick contributions’
The new bridewealth among the Dagaaba, once the all over communities into the rural northern Ghana, are a complex process of deals involving the agnatic kin out-of the groom and bride and you may, usually, a 3rd party, named an excellent dendeo, a wedding liaison. Typically, a wedding liaison try a person about groom’s community exactly who has many relations in the bride’s settlement. The fresh dendeo leads this new groom’s family members on bride’s agnatic kin, earliest so you’re able to formally request her hand-in relationship and also to afford the brideprice. This new relationships of one’s dendeo into the bride’s household members mean that the second is actually considerate into groom and his awesome kin. The former including pleads with respect to brand new groom’s kinsmen when the brand new bride’s friends are looking for to help you fees an inflated brideprice. As bridewealth has been transferred to and acknowledged by the bride’s kin, the marriage relationship is created and you will legitimated.
Normatively, the fresh yirdandoo, the head of the members of the family, rather than the dad of bride to be, ‘s the custodian of your own cowries produced because marriage money. At the a group discussion in Nator, near Serekpere, proving the new part of the direct of clan, Mwinyella, research participant, explained, directing so you’re able to his paternal brother that is your face regarding their clan, that: ‘which people was dad and thus while i marry it will be his obligation to help you [spend the money for bridewealth] for me’. Yet, to possess families as opposed to information designated because the bridewealth, the latest bridegroom with his agnatic kin are responsible for elevating they. That it differs, to an extent, regarding Dagaaba account demonstrated here. But really they resonates with bridewealth methods certainly specific Frafra congeries, in which normatively the newest groom’s father and you will father’s brothers have the effect of paying the bridewealth and where he or she is not able to increase they the new bridegroom turns so you can his dad’s or mom’s brothers to have assistance.