The aesthetics of the Dangme dirge

Abstract

The Dangme people are known to best express their cultural beliefs and thoughts through any genre of literature. The aesthetics of the Dangme language in the dirges is examined considering all the structures that bring out the language’s beauty. The study relies on the ethnographic design of the qualitative research approach which involves the study of texts within the context of a particular social group in a natural setting over some time. Data were gathered at funeral grounds in Yilɔ Klo and Manya Klo in the Eastern Region of Ghana, and Adaa and Nugo in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The structure of the dirges, their components, and their significance were recorded for the next generation of speakers. Documenting and transmitting the knowledge will enhance the language’s vitality. It was found in the study that repetition is the major feature of the Dangme dirge in terms of its structure. This is done to indicate the passion of the dirgers in terms of the messages they want to put across. The dirges are rooted in metaphors and, as such rely heavily on symbolism as the primary literary device. Other devices like ideophone, apostrophe, and personification also featured in the dirges. The Dangme dirges are used to cast insinuation, reflect on the life of the deceased, show agony, and indicate the unpreparedness of the deceased to the ancestral world.