Traveling Companions: The Burial of the Placenta in Niger

Abstract

Abstract:This article, part of a historical study of childbirth in the Sahel, draws upon oral interviews, ethnographic materials, and studies of midwifery to explore placenta burial in Niger. In the region the placenta is often referred to as the “traveling companion” that ushers the new human from one world to the next. Only through proper respect toward the placenta by means of careful burial can a woman’s future fertility be protected. The importance of protecting a woman’s future reproductive capacity accounts for both the centrality of this ritual to childbirth and for the appeal of the ritual expertise of elderly “traditional birth attendants” despite access to bio-medically trained midwives. Protecting a vulnerable parturient mother from the envy of those (such as co-wives) who might “tie up” her womb is an integral part of the process of childbirth. Appropriate placenta burial orchestrated by a woman’s therapy management group makes good on the cyclical intergenerational entrustment through which ancestors and descendants endure in a cycle linking birth and death, planting, and burial. “Traditional” rituals bear marks of major shifts in the agricultural economy, rapid urbanization, and ongoing adoption and reinterpretation of Islam. Multi-generational interviews reveal that across a broad range of ethnicities, status groups, and educational profiles, women in Niger share a concern for proper placenta burial. This approach to preserving women’s reproductive health and fertility is shared by adjacent neighbors, generations, and ethnicities.

Rituals and Embodied Cultural Practices at the Beginning of Life: African Perspectives

“…However, in many African societies, the umbilical cord and placenta are viewed as holders of extraordinary power (Adamson 1985), and therefore they are handled carefully. The placenta is referred to as a "traveling companion" which assists the ushering of the new baby from one world to the next as shown in a historical ethnographic study of the Sahel-Niger community (Cooper 2019). For the Ugandans, the placenta is regarded as another baby and therefore given formal burial (Beinempaka et al 2015).…”