Post by Debbie Lasiter-Morris on Apr 4, 2007 10:29:49 GMT -5
Many people find it difficult to accept the reality of a death, especially when the deceased is much beloved and significant in the mourner’s life. However, death rituals, such as wakes, funerals, and sitting Shiva (a Jewish tradition), help to make the death more real and to enable the mourner to adjust to a world in which the deceased is physically not present.
Some believe that by having a funeral keeps the departed from returning to haunt.
BELIEF IN AFTERLIFE
Cultures vary in their beliefs about the permanence of death and the existence of an afterlife. These differences are reflected in the ways they respond to death, and, perhaps, develop cultural/religious traditions.
For example, the ancient Egyptians believed that those who had lived worthy lives spent eternity in "the fields of Yam," a land of peace and plenty. This belief underwent revision in later years, when worthy individuals were thought to join Osiris in the Underworld. To ease their journey, pharaohs, their families, and other nobles were buried with the Book of the Dead (to help them answer questions they would be asked before being admitted to the afterlife) and all the objects they would need to carry on their lives. Ordinary Egyptians were not permitted entrance to the afterlife, and were buried in simple, shallow graves.
The Aztecs of Mexico believed there were three separate afterworlds and that the nature of the death determined the soul's destination. While most people were condemned to Mictlan, a fairly dreary underworld home, those who drowned, died of illness, or were killed by lightning went to the much more pleasant Tlalocan. Women who died in childbirth or were sacrificed, and warriors killed in battle lived in an even more wonderful home after death.
Many of the Hindus who believe in reincarnation do not grieve at the time of death, but rather see death as a transition to another form of life. Because Hindus believe that Benares is a holy city, a "doorway to Eternity," many believers try to bathe in the Ganges River running through the city before dying to seek liberation from the death-rebirth cycle. Buddhists share the believe that death is a passage of the soul to another--and one would hope, better--life.
Muslims believe in the Last Judgment, when visiting angels will question the deceased about their beliefs. The souls of the damned are separated from God and condemned to eternal torture and torment. The souls of the righteous, however, exist at the right hand of Adam for eternity.
The Baganda of Uganda believe that the soul becomes an invisible ghost who retains many of the characteristics of the deceased, and remains with the family. If these ghosts are not pleased, they can make life unpleasant for the living by bringing illness or death. The Baganda believe that two years after a death, the ghost will enter the body of a newborn within the same family.
The Hopi Indians believe in a different kind of ghost, a friendly Kachina who visits the village and brings good luck or rain.
In contrast, a few cultures, such as the Kanuri of Nigeria and the Navaho do not conceive of an afterlife, but believe that all life ends with death. (Many Jews and UUs share this belief as well.) However, the Navajo hold~that all but the very young and the old generate evil spirits, a belief reflected in their burial rituals. For example, people avoid contact with the dead body, which often is buried in a distant, unmarked location.
RITUALS OF MOURNING
Rituals of mourning reflect a culture's belief (or lack thereof) in an afterlife and its understandings of the causes of death. In other words, cultures that hold differing beliefs about the cause of death and/or the existence of an afterlife will develop different rituals of mourning.
Nevertheless, most mourning rituals share common elements, and generally prescribe how people should:
• mark the occasion of death
• handle the body prior to burial
• "feel the feelings" of loss or guide the expression of grief
• answer the question of "why" or otherwise fit the loss into a wider context
• maintain a connection to the dead and strengthen relationships with the living
• mark changes over time
While rituals of mourning may look completely different from culture to culture, they usually help individuals determine how to address one or more of these needs.
Some believe that by having a funeral keeps the departed from returning to haunt.
BELIEF IN AFTERLIFE
Cultures vary in their beliefs about the permanence of death and the existence of an afterlife. These differences are reflected in the ways they respond to death, and, perhaps, develop cultural/religious traditions.
For example, the ancient Egyptians believed that those who had lived worthy lives spent eternity in "the fields of Yam," a land of peace and plenty. This belief underwent revision in later years, when worthy individuals were thought to join Osiris in the Underworld. To ease their journey, pharaohs, their families, and other nobles were buried with the Book of the Dead (to help them answer questions they would be asked before being admitted to the afterlife) and all the objects they would need to carry on their lives. Ordinary Egyptians were not permitted entrance to the afterlife, and were buried in simple, shallow graves.
The Aztecs of Mexico believed there were three separate afterworlds and that the nature of the death determined the soul's destination. While most people were condemned to Mictlan, a fairly dreary underworld home, those who drowned, died of illness, or were killed by lightning went to the much more pleasant Tlalocan. Women who died in childbirth or were sacrificed, and warriors killed in battle lived in an even more wonderful home after death.
Many of the Hindus who believe in reincarnation do not grieve at the time of death, but rather see death as a transition to another form of life. Because Hindus believe that Benares is a holy city, a "doorway to Eternity," many believers try to bathe in the Ganges River running through the city before dying to seek liberation from the death-rebirth cycle. Buddhists share the believe that death is a passage of the soul to another--and one would hope, better--life.
Muslims believe in the Last Judgment, when visiting angels will question the deceased about their beliefs. The souls of the damned are separated from God and condemned to eternal torture and torment. The souls of the righteous, however, exist at the right hand of Adam for eternity.
The Baganda of Uganda believe that the soul becomes an invisible ghost who retains many of the characteristics of the deceased, and remains with the family. If these ghosts are not pleased, they can make life unpleasant for the living by bringing illness or death. The Baganda believe that two years after a death, the ghost will enter the body of a newborn within the same family.
The Hopi Indians believe in a different kind of ghost, a friendly Kachina who visits the village and brings good luck or rain.
In contrast, a few cultures, such as the Kanuri of Nigeria and the Navaho do not conceive of an afterlife, but believe that all life ends with death. (Many Jews and UUs share this belief as well.) However, the Navajo hold~that all but the very young and the old generate evil spirits, a belief reflected in their burial rituals. For example, people avoid contact with the dead body, which often is buried in a distant, unmarked location.
RITUALS OF MOURNING
Rituals of mourning reflect a culture's belief (or lack thereof) in an afterlife and its understandings of the causes of death. In other words, cultures that hold differing beliefs about the cause of death and/or the existence of an afterlife will develop different rituals of mourning.
Nevertheless, most mourning rituals share common elements, and generally prescribe how people should:
• mark the occasion of death
• handle the body prior to burial
• "feel the feelings" of loss or guide the expression of grief
• answer the question of "why" or otherwise fit the loss into a wider context
• maintain a connection to the dead and strengthen relationships with the living
• mark changes over time
While rituals of mourning may look completely different from culture to culture, they usually help individuals determine how to address one or more of these needs.
