Rethinking Economics and Religion through Funerals of the Volta Basin

This paper explores the ritualized gift-giving that occurs at funerals in the Volta Basin. Other studies of hierarchical gift exchange in the region have failed to notice the salience of funeral gifting, which is actually the most prestigious form of reciprocity because it allies the living with the dead, who in turn aid the living and ensure the integrity of all other exchanges in the hierarchy. This paper examines this relationship by analyzing case studies of funerary practice from four different Voltaic societies, with a special focus on the Mossi empire of Burkina Faso. The thesis concludes by exploring how the findings reveal the relevance of religious studies to understanding the economic dimension of ritual behavior and the ritual ends of much economic exchange.