Dagomba (Ghana) Funerary Cloth Cotton

The Dagomba believe all vital powers derive from the earth. This is a belief that follows members of the Dagomba society throughout their lifetime. Following the traditional practices of the Dagomba society, every Dagomba woman is expected to spin cotton for a shroud. The shroud, woven in cotton by male weavers among the Dagomba, would be wrapped around the woman's body after her death. In Dagomba society, the body of the dead is returned to the earth. Based on this religious tenet, all ritual objects are made from natural products like cotton or clay.