[GODREKR]

This funeral is from the ovimbundu ethnic group. They're beating the dead man because he committed suicide. In the ovimbundu culture, when someone commits suicide he is beaten before being buried to expel the spirit of suicide in the village.

[ptreegrdn]

It also looks cathartic for the mourners.

[kellyhound]

ovimbundu are from Angola but in Kenya a certain tribe has the same tradition.

There is a “punishment” for those who commit suicide in Luoland. In certain places in Nyanza, the body of a man that hangs himself on a tree is thoroughly flogged before it is brought down from the noose. The body is also buried outside the homestead in a place referred to as ‘gunda’ — set aside for such and other outcasts.

The act of canning the corpse is to stop the victim’s ghost or evil spirits from roaming back to the home and prompting other people to kill themselves.

Furthermore, a person who commits suicide is buried at night and is not mourned, lest evil spirits haunt the mourners.

[LuckiiDevil21]

[Trucked up]

The funeral director does his absolute best to make the deceased look as best as possible, then everybody comes & beats the guy with sticks.

[marcos_69]

Originally Posted by Trucked up ↗

The funeral director does his absolute best to make the deceased look as best as possible, then everybody comes & beats the guy with sticks.

I hope he had them sign a waiver.

[William May]

Originally Posted by Trucked up ↗

The funeral director does his absolute best to make the deceased look as best as possible, then everybody comes & beats the guy with sticks.

This is a very old ritual, known as "Beating Off The Corpse".

It is traditional, in these here parts!

[JoseQuinones]

In this particular bit of bumfuck Africa they're too poor for running water but two people have the cash to splash out on imported face diapers?

[HIGHTECHDUDE]

Originally Posted by William May ↗

This is a very old ritual, known as "Beating Off The Corpse"...

If he only had some friends willing to "beat him off" before the funeral then maybe he wouldn't have killed himself...