| Abstract | | | | Other communities would wail for long periods of |
| The essay examines the issue of death and burial | | | | time and eventually hold a death anniversary. (Wahl, |
| customs among four major traditions. Ancient | | | | 1969) |
| societies believed in life after death. For instance, | | | | The time spent in burial practices depended on the |
| Ancient Egyptians would mummify bodies in order to | | | | nature of the tribe. Some tribes believed that bodies |
| reserve the souls and prepare the deceased for | | | | were to be disposed off as soon as possible. For |
| another life. The second group constitutes of the | | | | instance, the Apache Indians burnt all the material |
| Native Americans; their practices vary from tribe to | | | | possessions of the dead and they moved away from |
| tribe. However, they also believed in life after death | | | | any place that the dead had lived. This was done in |
| and would bury their dead with material possessions. | | | | response to the fear of ghosts which they believed |
| Japanese death ceremonies reflect Buddhist | | | | would haunt them. Similarly, the Navajo tribes |
| traditions; most of them cremate the bodies of their | | | | cleansed all funeral attendants in a purification |
| relatives. Lastly, modern Americans present bodies in | | | | ceremony. (Wahl, 1969) |
| their natural form to symbolize death as a rite of | | | | Japanese customs and death ceremonies |
| passage. | | | | Japan has a rich and diverse cultural heritage. |
| Introduction | | | | Consequently, burial rites may not necessarily coincide |
| Cultures throughout the world bury their dead in | | | | in all parts of the country. Religion, economic status |
| accordance with their religious beliefs and social | | | | and social status largely determine the nature of the |
| traditions. However, these traditions are transient and | | | | funeral rites. However, the predominant practices |
| have changed greatly over the past centuries. The | | | | revolve around Buddhist customs. (Bodiford, 1992) |
| essay seeks to establish an understanding of the | | | | After an individual passes away, their bodies are |
| customs and death ceremonies in ancient traditions, | | | | washed and all openings covered with cotton wool. |
| the Japanese, Native Americans and modern | | | | The family used to perform this task in the past, |
| American cultures. (British Humanist Association | | | | however, these days, hospitals do it. Women are |
| website, 2003) | | | | covered in a kimono while men wear suits and |
| Origin of death ceremonies/ funeral Practices in | | | | cosmetics added appropriately. Mortuary |
| ancient cultures | | | | representatives usually collaborate with one member |
| Death ceremonies today mirror ancient practices. One | | | | of the family and expect them to make decisions |
| of the most civilized societies in history was the | | | | about the funeral. Most families give their eldest son |
| Egyptian community. Their death ceremonies | | | | this responsibility. This individual will then decide on the |
| reflected their social, economic and religious | | | | food people will eat, nature of the altar to be used, |
| backgrounds. Ancient Egypt was largely dependant | | | | type of casket among other things. The altars to be |
| on the River Nile. It would flood annually between the | | | | used in the funeral may be decorated depending on |
| months of July and October. During other times of | | | | the deceased family's preferences. The altars may be |
| the year, most subjects would be busy planting or | | | | decorated with fruits or flowers or may carved |
| performing other agricultural activities. Nevertheless, | | | | depending on their preferences. (Bodiford, 1992) |
| during the flood, most natives would be busy building | | | | From the mortuary, the body is placed into a casket. |
| canals or other establishments in the Kingdom. | | | | The corpse is usually accompanied by some |
| Against this background, most ancient Egyptian | | | | flammable possessions that they used in their lives. |
| funerary customs reflected these economic activities. | | | | For instance, candy, cigarettes among others. |
| They believed in continuity of life and hence | | | | Thereafter, the body is covered in dry ice and then |
| preserved bodies to facilitate this transition. An | | | | transferred to the later which may be available at the |
| Egyptian would be expected to carry all his | | | | deceased home or in the mortuary. It is particularly |
| possessions in order to prepare for his life in the | | | | interesting that the Japanese strictly observe |
| Next world. This was the reason why most of their | | | | condolence procedures. Normally, a well laid out |
| tombs had pictures of the architecture, crafts, | | | | envelope is placed near the body of the dead and |
| agricultural activities and dresses symbolizing | | | | individuals are supposed to contribute money |
| prosperity in life after death. | | | | depending on their realionship with the deceased. The |
| Egyptians believed that everything envisaged in | | | | contributors usually write their names alongside the |
| present life would be necessary in the afterlife. | | | | amounts contributed. This is then handed to the |
| Consequently, most of their dead would be buried | | | | respective family after completing the ceremony. |
| along with their tools. It was common to find things | | | | (Faure, 1991) |
| like wigs, clothing, hairdressing supplies and other | | | | Relatives of the deceased and other funeral |
| assortments along bodies. They believed that some | | | | attendants burn incense just beside the altar. They |
| of the items needed in the after life would | | | | also offer their prayers while performing the latter |
| transformed magically into items they required. This | | | | task. The latter are followed by the arrival of the |
| was the reason why many tombs had food paintings | | | | Buddhist priest who is first given some tea, speaks |
| on the wall. In the event that the food was in scarce | | | | to relatives and then proceeds to a funeral room. |
| supply, then there would be a need to make it | | | | Thereafter, the Priest reads from the sutra, burns |
| available. (Spencer, 1988) | | | | incense and then invites family members to the altar, |
| Ancient Egyptians also believed that the body kept | | | | they offer incense and bow to the altar. All other |
| the soul intact and this would facilitate a transition | | | | attendants repeat this procedure and this is what is |
| into the next life. Consequently, the body had to be | | | | called the wake service. Afterwards, the family gives |
| preserved by mummification. They also asserted that | | | | visitors some money to thank them for attending. A |
| one's personality would remain in the burial site | | | | family member is expected to sleep in the same |
| (tomb). Therefore, it was necessary to make burial | | | | room as the body of the deceased and may take |
| ceremonies quite elaborate. Mummification was done | | | | turns with others. (Bodiford, 1992) |
| by removing a dead person's internal organs | | | | The funeral occurs just one day after the wake |
| (however, they threw away the brain because they | | | | service. All these services are conducted at the |
| thought that it was not important enough). The living | | | | temple and a wooden tablet that has a posthumous |
| would place these organs in closed jars made of | | | | name allocated by the priest. Most of the individuals |
| stone or clay. The jars resembled different animals | | | | attending the funeral will be required to offer incense |
| that represented protective spirits in the afterlife. | | | | at the altar. The priest will read from the sutra and |
| They then wrapped these bodies with special pieces | | | | people view the body. (Faure, 1991) |
| of clothing leaving no part exposed. Additionally, | | | | The final ceremony is cremation. After the funeral, |
| ancient Egyptians buried their dead with a piece of | | | | the body is transported to a crematorium through a |
| writing known as the book of the dead. The writing | | | | car that may also be carrying some family |
| was a collection of spells, passwords and magical | | | | members. The body is transferred from the casket |
| formulas thought to be essential in the afterlife. They | | | | to the crematorium and placed in an oven. The |
| believed that the dead would undergo a lot of trials | | | | attendant tells family members the duration of the |
| and it was therefore necessary to equip them with | | | | cremation so that family members can come back |
| such a tool. (Andrews, 1994) | | | | for the remains. Bones are taken and placed into urns |
| Ancient civilizations such as the latter mentioned | | | | where they are to be transported to the family's |
| Kingdom largely believed in the idea of a rebirth. To | | | | grave or a temple depending on family arrangements. |
| them, death was mere interruption of one life but it | | | | In rural areas, members may walk to the cemetery |
| facilitated another life. Customs and practices at that | | | | where the bones of the deceased are buried. The |
| time revolved around this concept. (Spencer, 1988) | | | | last issue among Buddhists is conduction of a |
| Native American customs and Death Ceremonies | | | | forty-ninth day service know as the Festival of the |
| Native Americans had embraced the fact that death | | | | dead. (Bodiford, 1992) |
| could occur at any time. However, this did not | | | | Modern American customs and death ceremonies |
| undermine the sanctity of the dead. Although there | | | | American practices in the present day represent the |
| are a number of tribes that make up the Native | | | | economical, psychological symbolic aspects of their |
| American group, all of them believed in the concept | | | | lives. In terms of economic explanations, some |
| of two souls. One soul would die concurrently with | | | | people assert that American funeral practices denote |
| the body while another would enter into the spiritual | | | | the nature of capitalism and materialism. (British |
| world and guide the lives of the living. Despite this | | | | Humanist Association website, 2003) |
| similarity, most native tribes have their own distinct | | | | Death customs in the US represent the core beliefs |
| death customs. Some of these customs may be | | | | of society; that life is sacred. Most American funerals |
| shared with other tribes through intermarriages or | | | | are characterized by a comfortable and natural public |
| through trade while others may remain exclusive to | | | | display of the corpse on his last day of viewing. The |
| that particular individual. (Wahl, 1969) | | | | reason for this is that society wants to portray an |
| Hopewell societies in the Midwestern region used to | | | | acceptance of the fact that bodies will decompose |
| furnish their tombs because they believed that the | | | | with time and that no one is trying to indicate that |
| dead ought to be given an exclusive send off. In | | | | they have been repulsed with this. On the other |
| sharp contrast, the Native Americans found in the | | | | hand, bodies are made simple enough in order to |
| Arctic region did not pay attention to their dead as | | | | display the fact that they have not been manipulated |
| they left them outside to be decomposed by the | | | | as capitalist systems normally do. (British Humanist |
| elements or eaten by wild animals. Tribes in the | | | | Association website, 2003) |
| South eastern region practiced secondary burying. | | | | Conclusion |
| Here, bodies were exhumed, cleansed and the bones | | | | All the latter systems have a wide range of |
| reburied. Tribes in the North eastern region were | | | | differences between each other. However, there are |
| fond of keeping skeletons of the dead until a time | | | | some similarities that cannot be ignored. For instance, |
| when all members of the community would engage in | | | | most societies use color symbolically to represent |
| mass burials. The skeletons would be buried together | | | | their grief. It is common among Buddhists in Japan, |
| with feathers and fur to protect them in the afterlife. | | | | Americans, Europeans and many other cultural groups |
| (Wahl, 1969) | | | | wearing black dresses or suits. Most of the |
| Native American tribes found in the Northwestern | | | | communities assessed above also depict their grief |
| coastal regions would place their dead in canoes tied | | | | through their hair. Most of them normally cut off their |
| to poles and would let the canoes wonder off. | | | | hair in order to their dishevelment. Many cultures |
| Conversely, tribes located in California would cremate | | | | adopt noisy cultures in funerals as some of them |
| their bodies. Those found in the western part of the | | | | drum and wail loudly. Lastly, most cultures engage in |
| country would place their dead in caves. Those tribes | | | | elaborate treatment of the deceased bodies. This |
| located in the plains would bury their dead. However, | | | | symbolizes the fact that death is a rite of passage |
| in cases where the ground was not soft enough, | | | | like birth or marriage. (British Humanist Association |
| they would place their dead on top of tree platforms. | | | | website, 2003) |
| Mummification was also done among tribes in the | | | | References |
| South Atlantic and Central tribes. However, when a | | | | Spencer, A. (1988): Death in Ancient Egypt; |
| large number of people in the tribe died concurrently | | | | Harmondsworth; Penguin Publishers |
| due to a disease outbreak, the bodies of the dead | | | | Andrews, C. (1994): Egyptian Mummies, London; |
| would be cast away in a river or would bury the | | | | British Museum Press |
| masses in a mass grave. | | | | British Humanist Association website (2003): Humanist |
| Funeral rites symbolized a continuity into the afterlife. | | | | Funerals and Memorials, retrieved from accessed on |
| Some tribes would mourn for the dead dramatically. | | | | 8t July 2008 |
| For instance, others would blacken their faces, cut | | | | Bodiford, W. (1992): Ritual Salvation in Japanese |
| off their hair or even cut off a part of their body | | | | Buddhism, History of Religions 32, (2), 152 |
| such as their arm to express their grief. Most tribes | | | | Faure, B. (1991): The Rhetoric of Immediacy: A |
| would bury their dead with their material possessions. | | | | Cultural Critique of Chan/Zen Buddhism, NJ: Princeton |
| Others even sacrificed slaves, horses and wives of | | | | University Press |
| the dead in order to assist the dead in the afterlife. | | | | Wahl, C. |