These are songs sung during funeral ceremonies. They are sung during the actual burial and during remembrances or other post-burial ceremonies. Dirges reveal the community’s attitude towards death. They also serve to console the bereaved, sing praises to the deceased and as a lamentation to wards death for taking away loved ones.
The following is an example of a Dirge
Prayer before the dead body
The gates of the underwo rld are closed.
Closed are the gates.
The spirits o f the dead are thronging to gether
Like swarming mosquito es in the evening,
Like swarming mosquito es.
Like swarms of mosquitoes dancing in the evening,
When the night has turned black, entirely black,
When the sun has sunk, has sunk below,
When the night has turned black
The mo squitoes are swarming
Like whirling leaves
Dead leaves in the wind.
Dead leaves in the wind,
They wait for him who will come
For him who will co me and will say:
“Come” to the one and “go” to the other
And God will be with his children.
And God will be with his children.
(Namibia)