Death Rituals
by Caroline and Jacqueline
Egyptian Death Rituals
- Mummification (preservation of body and internal organs) of the body
- Mastaba (mud-brick tomb), sarcophagus (wood or terracotta coffins) or pyramid (later wealthier) is where the body is placed.
- Pictures and inscriptions are drawn on tombs.
- They recite from the Book of Death (contains spells and rituals that ensure a better afterlife). A major part of this was reanimation (mouth would be opened, and mummy would be touched with a copper blood to perform bodily functions in afterlife).
- The deceased were buried with artifacts from dead person’s lifetime and food to supply them for the afterlife.
- They believed in weighing of the heart: good deeds versus bad deeds (worthy or unworthy of eternal life)
Vietnamese Death Ritual
-They put chopsticks between the deceased’s teeth and put some rice and 3 coins in their mouth.
-They bury the dead where they used to live.
- After 2 years, they dig them out, clean the bones, and bury them in the garden.
- Fake money is put under a rock by the grave.
- Before the person dies, everyone gathers around them. There are moments of silence, and then the eldest son or daughter bends to the dying person to hear their last words.
-The eldest member will suggest a name for the dying person.
- The body is washed and dressed.
Zulu Funeral Rituals
- They wrap them in cowhide
- They take the coffin to the house of the deceased
- Everyone is buried (cremating is a curse)
- The deceased are buried near their homes, because it is more sacred than a communal graveyard where robbers and good people are consecutively buried.
- Women are not allowed at or near the gravesite.
- A year or two after the funeral takes place, the family members go to speak to the deceased and unveil the tombstone.
- They believe that the dead visit them in dreams, and if this occurs a ritual is required that is performed by a traditional healer.
Citations
http://www.egyptianmuseum.org/burialpracticesgallery
http://classroom.synonym.com/funeral-ceremonies-ancient-egypt-6447.html
http://www.carnegiemnh.org/online/egypt/funerarycustoms.html
http://traditionscustoms.com/death-rites/asian-death-rites
http://www.comparethecoffin.com/content/traditional-south-african-funerals-come-comparethecoffincom