Old Age: A Painful Transition in Ghana

Abstract

It is argued that old age is a sign of wisdom, and that the older one becomes the more knowledge one acquires. This makes old people, and older women in particular a “learning institution” for the younger generation. No wonder that in some societies, it is a privilege to get older. Ideally, old age is expected to be revered and celebrated. Unfortunately, this is not always the case for many old people, and especially old women. On the contrary, many older people are exposed to different kinds of indignity including witchcraft accusations. Much of the extant literature on aging focus one form of transition; the transition from a “youthful” to an “elderly” age in ordinary social life. This article takes a different analytical approach to aging transition. Based on fieldwork conducted in northern Ghana, we use the eclectic approach to discuss three forms of transition of elderly people: (a) transition from home to the “witch camp” (b) ritual incorporation and living through life as a morally compromised strangers (c) becoming ill, dying and assuming the status of the “forgotten dead.” This paper goes beyond exposing the “mystery of old age” to document the painful experiences of elderly women who have been accused of witchcraft and have passed through these transitional stages. Drawing on ethnographic observations, life-history interviews with accused witches and (in)formal conversations with other locals, this work raises perplexing questions regarding why old age is a painful and regretful transition, especially for old women in relation to witchcraft accusations.