The fresh percentage away from bridewealth takes up an essential reputation on marriage techniques all over ethnicities in northern Ghana, and additionally Dagaaba, Frafra and you may Builsa places. One of many Dagaaba, the brand new bridewealth, kyeuri, mainly constitutes for example points because libi-pe?le (cowrie shells, discover Contour step one), fowls, tobacco and soda crazy. In some instances, the degree of cowrie shells have to be commensurate with that which try purchased the latest bride’s mother. In other times, ties out-of solidarity involving the household otherwise agreements of the fiance and groom lead to a decrease in brand new commission, just in case the new bride’s agnatic kin determine one to prior to now the new groom’s family unit members charged a top brideprice to have a marriage, he is attending and additionally insist on an inflated commission. Nevertheless, there are even standardized relationships money along side Dagaaba setup. Currently, normally 2000 cowries, or dollars equivalent, are often recognized once the bridewealth in Serekpere and its own environments. So it number stands for good grave cures away from an amount of 20,000 and a lot more than cowries which was approved in identical area regarding the 1990s. Inside framework off neoliberal monetary principles, and dwindling farming efficiency accounts contained in this delicate environment region, our very own communication which have gatekeepers indicated that the new cutback with the matter out of cowries is intended to make relationship sensible. So it loss in new bridewealth diverges regarding most commercialised money reported for the cities when you look at the Ghana and you will someplace else (Shope, Source Shope 2006; Posel & Rudwick, Source Posel and you will Rudwick 2013). Notably, the commission isn’t contingent up on the facts of your own bride to be, that’s, whether the fiance is extremely educated, divorced, has already provided birth or otherwise not because advertised someplace else (Borgerhoff Mulder, Site Borgerhoff Mulder 1989, Reference Borgerhoff Mulder 1995; Anderson, Reference Anderson 2007). The fresh typical norms ruling the technique of bridewealth are prepared out if negotiable despite the bride’s socio-financial updates or the number of liberties directed.
The previous plus begs on the part of the groom’s where do i find a pretty Pagadian girl kinsmen if the brand new bride’s family members need so you can charges an excessive brideprice
Typically, a married relationship liaison was a man throughout the groom’s town exactly who has some interactions on bride’s payment. New dendeo prospects this new groom’s family unit members toward bride’s agnatic kin, first to officially require her turn in relationships and also to pay the brideprice. New interactions of one’s dendeo on bride’s family relations mean that the second was considerate towards bridegroom along with his kin. Because the bridewealth could have been transferred to and you may approved because of the bride’s kin, the wedding relationship is created and you can legitimated.
The newest bridewealth one of several Dagaaba, while the around the communities in the outlying north Ghana, is an intricate means of deals between the agnatic kin out of the latest bride and groom and you may, typically, a third party, entitled a great dendeo, a marriage liaison
Normatively, the new yirdandoo, the head of family members, rather than the father of your bride to be, is the caretaker of cowries produced because relationships repayments. On a group dialogue in the Nator, near Serekpere, demonstrating brand new role of the lead of your own clan, Mwinyella, a study participant, informed me, pointing so you can their paternal bro who is your face away from his clan, that: ‘so it guy is my father thereby whenever i get married they is their obligations in order to [spend the money for bridewealth] getting me’. Yet, having family members in place of info designated since the bridewealth, brand new bridegroom along with his agnatic kin have the effect of increasing it. Anderson ( Resource Anderson 2007: 159) accounts one inside the options around the Africa, the marriage commission was normatively increased because of the groom’s ‘father, dad and you may father’s brothers, sufficient reason for mom’s brothers to make small contributions’. That it differs, to some degree, on the Dagaaba membership demonstrated here. Yet , they resonates with bridewealth practices certainly one of some Frafra congeries, in which normatively the fresh groom’s dad and you may father’s brothers are responsible for paying the bridewealth and you may in which he or she is struggling to improve it brand new bridegroom converts to help you his father’s or mom’s brothers for service.