Tero Buru: Inside Luo funeral ritual of driving away bad spirit of death

Tero Buru is one of the most revered rituals among the Luo community, who believe that the family of a deceased person must be cleansed by chasing away “evil spirits” that might torment relatives.

It is an elaborate custom, also performed to celebrate the lifetime contributions of the deceased.

This symbolic and significant ritual reflects the community’s strong belief that death does not occur in isolation. When someone dies, it is seen as a sign that a bad omen has befallen the community, and unless a cleansing ritual is performed, other members could also fall victim to a sudden spate of deaths.

Tero Buru, which loosely translates to ‘taking away the dust’ according to Mzee Odida Buoga, a Luo elder from Sakwa in Bondo Siaya County, was done at the tail end of the mourning period after the deceased senior male member of the community had been buried. 

“Buru,” meaning dust, is a significant phenomenon, characterised by people trooping into the homestead to mourn their deceased loved ones.

The mourners, says Mzee Odida, through their various acts of grieving, including dancing, wrestling, and bullfighting, generate dust considered unclean during this sorrowful period.

“There’s an unholy dust on the feet of every mourner who visits a home to mourn. This dust (Buru), associated with death, must be driven away so that normal life can resume,” he explains.

When an elder dies, people mourn by engaging in various cultural mourning activities, such as dancing, wrestling, and performing the dirge.

“This mourning lasts three days before the elder is laid to rest. Immediately after the burial, there is a need to drive away the spirit of death that has engulfed the home,” says Odida.

Preparations for the exercise, according to Mzee Odida, began days earlier, as was agreed by the elders from the clan in which the departed member belonged, but the climax was a day to the actual day of Tero Buru, when the participants, including elders, warriors, and youths, would gather for a night vigil at the home of the deceased in readiness for the exercise the following day.

“A day before Tero Buru, the crow gathers at the deceased’s place, where all instruments of celebration, such as drums, spear, bows and arrows, among others, are also assembled in readiness for the event,” notes the old man.  

On the day of the event, a funeral-like gathering takes place again. The group, led by an elder, begins the Tero Buru procession. “In the morning, the team, which is composed of community elders, warriors, and entertainers, gathers around selected cows before moving to an identified location where the Tero Buru, bad spirits of death, are dumped,” explains Odida.  

Cultural honour

The elder who comes from Sakwa, the same clan where the former prime minister, the late Raila Odinga, hails from, maintained that the cultural practice of Tero Buru was observed in honour of Raila by his small clan of “Jokawuor “ in line with the Luo culture a few days after his burial. 

“The Kawuor clan, where Raila comes from, had fulfilled the cultural ritual of Tero Buru in line with the tradition. What now remains is for the Luo Council of Elders to decide if they want to organise a bigger one befitting Raila’s stature in society,” he says. 

The practice is also a celebration of the life and times of the deceased senior member of the Luo community. During the ritual, the community showcases its culture in different ways, such as donning of cultural attire and staging of traditional songs and dance. 

According to Mzee Odida, there’s no Tero Buru practice for female members of the community or young children. 

“There’s no Tero Buru for a young child. Special rituals are conducted in the case of a child’s death to prevent such occurrences from repeating,” he says.  

“As Luos, we believe that death is caused by some evil spirit; now when it occurs, it means the evil spirit is among us and, therefore, through Tero Buru, we drive the bad spirits of death away,” says Odida.  

Mzee Valentine Ogongo Oyano, a Luo elder from Nyakach Sub-County in Kisumu, maintained that the cultural ritual is not for all male members of the Luo community. It was reserved for a few ranking male members upon their departure. 

According to Oyano, among ranking members of the Luo community were an elder, a community warrior like Gor Mahia, rich people known as “Okebe” whose wealth was of benefit to the larger community members, and other respected members, such as healers and rainmakers. 

The magnitude of the ritual, notes Mzee Oyano, depends largely on the level of influence and contribution of the departed community member. 

“Tero Buru was only done for a man, especially if he was an elder or someone who’s highly respected in the community. This is because Tero Buru was also the final act of honour from the community to their departed member. To be honoured, you must have made some serious contribution to society during your lifetime,” he explains.  

Though there was no specific time meant for Tero Buru, Mzee Oyano shares that it was not recommended during the mourning period because people might relapse into grieving again as they return back to the home of the deceased after damping the spirits of death.

“It used not to be done immediately after death, it was done several days later on a set date as agreed by the elders of the clan where the deceased was coming from,” he said. 

Gender roles

Women, he said, were not allowed to participate actively in Tero Buru due to their vulnerability. 

“Only men and young men were allowed to participate. Women were excluded because they were considered to be vulnerable; a battle might arise pitting you against your enemies, and it was in order that you’re not found in the battlefield with your women,” says Oyano. 

There was a special dress code by those leading the Tero Buru exercise, Mzee Oyano says. 

“Jo Buuu, Jo Kima (entertainers) were to play a key role of entertaining the people throughout the whole ritual by showcasing their talents and ability to keep people happy,” he notes.  

On their return from the Tero Buru, participants were welcomed home heroically by all present community members, including women and children.  

They were treated to song, dance and performance of the dirge while cows, especially the bulls, would be driven into the house of the deceased.  

The occasion was also characterised by feasting from the slaughtered animals in an act meant to honour the deceased while also ushering in a new era after a period of mourning. 

Although the guidelines for Tero Buru still exist, the ritual today is conducted while adhering to existing cultural protocols.

According to Mzee Oyano, religion has played a major role in the erosion of Luo cultural practices by introducing funeral procedures that do not provide room for elders to conduct the ritual.  

“Religion has adversely interfered with the Luo cultural practices. Nowadays it’s very difficult for us as elders to perform some of these rituals because of the many restrictions brought about by religion and civilization,” he says.  

Echoing Oyano is Mzee Jotham Ajiki, a member of the Luo Council of Elders who believes that civilisation is gradually posing a challenge to the ancient Luo culture.  “It is very difficult to perform some of these burial rites because of the dynamics of civilisation. Nowadays, when someone dies, the body is taken straight to the mortuary as burial arrangements are made; there is very little room for elders to guide on some of these rituals,” decries Ajiki. 

He urged the community to embrace traditional practices that are not retrogressive in order to maintain their cultural identity.