A MORTE, OS DEFUNTOS E OS RITUAIS DE 'LIMPEZA' NO PÓS-GUERRA ANGOLANO: QUAIS OS CAMINHOS PARA PÔR TERMO AO LUTO?

Death is a subject that is emphasized frequently and in different ways in various social contexts throughout the world. In Angola, during the prolonged civil war, death was frequently discussed by the media, by politicians and by researchers. However, very little is known about the manner in which those who endured the war, in diverse local cultures and with varying individual experiences, perceived death and its rituals. This paper focuses on attitudes about death among women who faced the loss of male family members in the war. Analyzing the situation of Handa women in southern Angola, the paper focuses on the sentiments and emotions that emerged during wartime, linking these to mortuary rituals, especially those that seek to cleanse and restore.