Death, continuity, and moral order: A perspective on Yoruba cosmology

Abstract

This perspective article examines the moral and cosmological dimensions of death in Yoruba belief systems. Rather than treating mortuary rituals as symbolic reflections of cosmology, this paper argues that these practices actively shape ethical life. They function as processes that construct moral personhood, reinforce communal identity, and sustain social order. Building upon existing ethnographic and interpretive studies, it reinterprets concepts such as àtúnwáyé (reincarnation) and the Egúngún masquerade as dynamic tenets that translate metaphysical beliefs into lived moral practice. The article also considers how these traditions respond to contemporary forces, including urbanization, religious pluralism, and digital culture, demonstrating that their resilience lies in their adaptability. By framing death as a continuous process rather than a final endpoint, this study highlights Yoruba funerary traditions as a coherent worldview of ethical and cosmological reasoning and contributes to broader understandings of African moral  philosophy and cultural continuity.