Samsonic suicide or suicide of revenge among Africans

SYNOPSIS Durkheim's analysis of the suicides in European cultures showed that there were three types — the Egoistic the Altruistic and the Anomic. These types are conditioned by the general pattern of European society. African societies are patterned differently and a different type of suicide becomes manifest, namely suicides of revenge or as I have called them, Samsonic suicides, because Samson's suicide was one of revenge where by killing himself, he killed his enemies also. However, African suicides of revenge do not necessarily involve the destruction of one's enemies with the destruction of oneself. Many African suicides occur because (a) the suicide believes his ghost will torment his enemies; or (b) because he knows that his society will inflict penalties upon his enemies. Examples from Africa are then given to illustrate this type of suicide.