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The Religious Significance of Veneration during Funeral Rituals among the Nsenga People of Petauke District
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to investigate the religious significance of funeral rituals of veneration performed by the Nsenga people of Petauke District in Zambia. The target population was all the Nsenga people of Petauke District. An interpretive phenomenology research design supported by qualitative approach was used in this study. The sample comprised eleven participants, consisting of one senior chief, two headmen four elders from the Nsenga Royal Establishment (NRE) four elders (two men and two women) from the two participating villages in Petauke District. Purposive sampling procedure was used to select the senior chief, headmen the members of the NRE elderly men and women. Data were collected through interview guides and analysed thematically using emerging themes. Veneration was significant at a funeral program because it helps the spirit of the deceased to rest in peace and strengthens the bereaved family. The study revealed that a funeral ritual which is the last rite of passage in a person's life is so significant that it should proceed with respect and attention. Further, the slaughtering of a goat or cattle and the preparation of a good meal at a funeral is a sign of respect to the deceased. The study concludes that veneration was significant during funerals; While the slaughtering of a goat or a cattle and the preparation of a good meal as sign of respect given to the deceased during the funeral. The study recommends a continued practice of veneration during funerals because of its significance to the Nsenga people of Petauke District. Key words: Religious significance, funeral rituals of veneration
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