Wrugbe Analysis

The Beng people of West Africa view fetal development quite differently than many other cultures. They believe that babies are born into this world as a reincarnation of someone who has passed away. These infants do not come back from a land of diminishing lives, but from a place they call wrugbe, which is defined as the “spirit village”. Once a person passes away, their souls (nenen) become spirits (wru) in the wrugbe. In contrast to the normal depiction of the afterlife, the Beng believe that the wru will be reborn into a newborn instead of vanishing for eternity. These supernatural beliefs, according to the Beng people, reflect the different kind of ways they care for their infants. Whether it symbolizes the beginning of the life for the newborn, the sickness the infant may face, or the death of that infant, the supernatural is always presented in the Beng culture. The beginning of life for a Beng newborn involves many supernatural beliefs because they are coming right from wrugbe. Normally, a bath is given to the newborn so the mother can wash off as …show more content…
One reason that the baby can die is that the parents didn’t discover who the baby was in the wrugbe and they decide to return to that world because they miss the life they had. The baby will also face death when they aren’t treated properly and the baby’s wrugbe parents will call the young one back to their world so they don’t have to suffer anymore. “If your child dies, it may comfort you to remember that the younger the baby, the more the little one was still living in wrugbe” (pg.80). This proves that the baby never left the land of wrugbe, especially if the umbilical cord didn’t fall off. They are still a part of the wrugbe at that point. With the death of a child, the supernatural is apparent in the Beng culture because they are so young and attached to the world they were living in before that the supernatural takes control of these babies