Lesson 5: Funery Practices Across Cultures and Traditions

Attention

 

Click HERE to visit the Wikiepedia page on "Funeral"

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able

  • Participate in discussions and engage in learning activities regarding the reality of death, dying and bereavement, and post responses reflecting on the medicalization and professionalized aspects of death.
  • Engage in discussions regarding personal experiences of illness, loss, grief, dying, and death, using vocabulary related to science and social science.
  • Explore existential questions related to life, meaning, suffering, dying, death, and faith/religion/spirituality.
  • Describe various cultural rituals surrounding death and dying.
  • Identify, describe, and examine a social issue using a scholarly journal and present information from an academic perspective relevant to the issues or situations related to death and dying.

Teaching

Read Chapters 11 & 12 in course text

During live versions (not-online) of this class, we usually visit a local funeral home to discuss the processes and customs around funeral choices. Since this class is entriely online please view the following glimpses of funeral practices through video:

 

This link below is to the PBS Frontline site that has information and interviews with funeral home directors or "undertakers" as some refer to themselves:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/undertaking/undertakers/

This site allows students to explore funerary customs in the United States, and broadens our perspective on death, dying and bereavement multiculturally, as well: http://www.perfectmemorials.com/info/history-american-funeral-customs.php as we have discussed in prior lessons, the multicultural and once regional rituals and rites from various other countries have been more present given our global community.

As the site indicates:

A funeral is defined as a ceremony which marks a person’s death. According to research, funeral rites have been around for at least 300,000 years. A funeral can include prayers, memorials, and various rituals, and among different cultures, funeral customs vary greatly. A funeral also may or may not be religious depending on the family’s beliefs. Throughout the course of history funeral rites and customs have undergone many changes…

Researchers allege that every culture and civilization ever studied have three things in common relating to death and the disposition of the dead:

  • Some type of funeral rites, rituals, and ceremonies
  • A sacred place for the dead
  • Memorialization of the dead

Additionally, archaeologists have found burial grounds of Neanderthal man dating to 60,000 BC with animal antlers on the body and flower fragments next to the corpse indicating some type of ritual and gifts of remembrance. Many rituals and rites have their origins in human fear, human relationships, religion and/or spirituality, and may include myth, legend, superstition and other human coping skills that manage our natural anxiety, worry and existential questioning as we are born, age and die.

Rostad (2001) described the roots of modern day death rituals:

  • Modern mourning clothing came from the custom of wearing special clothing as a disguise to hide identity from returning spirits. Pagans believed that returning spirits would fail to recognize them in their new attire and would be confused and overlook them.
  • Covering the face of the deceased with a sheet stems from pagan tribes who believed that the spirit of the deceased escaped through the mouth. They would often hold the mouth and nose of a sick person shut, hoping to retain the spirits and delay death.
  • Feasting and gatherings associated with the funeral began as an essential part of the primitive funeral where food offerings were made.
  • Wakes held today come from ancient customs of keeping watch over the deceased hoping that life would return.
  • The lighting of candles comes from the use of fire mentioned earlier in attempts to protect the living from the spirits.
  • The practice of ringing bells comes from the common medieval belief that the spirits would be kept at bay by the ringing of a consecrated bell.
  • The firing of a rifle volley over the deceased mirrors the tribal practice of throwing spears into the air to ward off spirits hovering over the deceased.
  • Originally, holy water was sprinkled on the body to protect it from the demons.
  • Floral offerings were originally intended to gain favor with the spirit of the deceased.
  • Funeral music had its origins in the ancient chants designed to placate the spirits.

The National Museum of Funeral History is linked on the hyperlink above. The Exhibits are described as follows, with links to more information:

History/Government

  • Presidential Topics: The Presidential Funerals exhibit covers all presidents from George Washington through Gerald R. Ford. … [A] behind-the-scenes look into the planning of a Presidential state funeral. The Abraham Lincoln displays are of particular note, as 2015 mark[ed] the 150th Anniversary of Lincoln’s death.
  • History of Embalming: … explore the Ancient Egyptians early methods of preparing the dead for the afterlife and learn the origins of modern embalming as developed on the battlefields of the Civil War within the History of Embalming exhibit. 

Industry/Craftsmanship

  • Evolution of the Vehicle: The Historical Hearses exhibit spans from horse-drawn carriages to hand-cranked models to motorized vehicles. … marvel the unique funeral bus designed for the streets of San Francisco, the hearse used in Princess Grace of Monaco’s funeral and more.
  • Craftsmanship: The Coffins and Caskets of the Past exhibit features historic methods of working with wood and metals, including a recreation of a casket-building shop. … marvel [at] the artistry of the Fantasy Coffins from Ghana exhibit, which features coffins crafted into elaborate shapes and figures, … admire the delicate details of the hand carved wooden panels of several historic hearses throughout the Museum.

Science through the Centuries

  • Chemistry/Biology/Anatomy: The History of Embalming exhibit explains early embalming techniques as well as modern methods and introduces visitors to Dr. Thomas Holmes, the “father of American embalming,” and how he introduced embalming to our culture. The exhibit also covers Egyptian customs and the biological and chemical processes the body goes through immediately following the cessation of life.

Cultures, Social Customs & Language

  • Memorabilia from Past Leaders, Heroes and Celebrities: The Thanks for the Memories exhibit features iconic personalities and figures, highlighting the unifying bonds of popular culture. … take in tributes to celebrities, sports figures, world leaders, astronauts and historical events that still impact our lives today such as the Space Shuttle Challenger, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Steve Jobs and many more.
  • Customs and Traditions from Around the World: Throughout the Museum, … learn about the cultures of the world, including the importance of Rome and The Vatican throughout history within the extensive Celebrating the Lives and Deaths of the Popes exhibit, the meaning behind Dia de los Muertos traditions from Latin America, a rare horse-drawn carriage hearse from Germany, the spiritual beliefs of West Africa through the Fantasy Coffins of Ghana exhibit, embalming practices of Ancient Egypt in the History of Embalming exhibit, an elaborate funeral car from Japan and more.
  • Social Customs: Students can learn about the extensive rules of mourning etiquette practiced during the 1800s in the 19th Century Mourning Customs exhibit, as well as why this is known as the Victorian age, even in American history.

As part of this lesson, please take the time to peruse the galleries available at the museum’s web page: http://nmfh.org/exhibits/

Read the following article: The Medicalization of Death and this brief Blog. What do you think??

Assessment

Lesson 5 Discussion

Post your discussion entry regarding the reality of death, dying and bereavement, and reflect on the medicalization and professionalized aspects of death. Give examples in order to demonstrate your understanding of these concepts.

Lesson 5 Quiz

  1. Identify the individual that you will be interviewing for the interview assignment.
  2. Using this and previous lessons create ten questions that you will ask during the interview.