FIAT-IFTA IAFM Heritage Report 2016 by FIAT-IFTA

THE WORLD ORGANIZATION OF FUNERAL OPERATIVES

IAFM INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FUNERAL MUSEUMS

Funeral Heritage Report 2016

Fédération Internationale des Associations de Thanatoloques International Federation of Thanatologists Associations

Colofon

Biennial publication of FIAT-IFTA and IAFM EDITORIAL OFFICE FIAT-IFTA Secretariat Melkpad 23 1217 KA Hilversum NL info@thanos.org LAYOUT & DESIGN IDIOT Creative Concepts Mr. Albert van Vuure idiotcreativeconcepts.nl PRINTING Drukwerkconsultancy info@drukwerkconsultancy.nl

THE WORLD ORGANIZATION OF FUNERAL OPERATIVES

IAFM

THE WORLD ORGANIZATION OF FUNERAL OPERATIVES

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FUNERAL MUSEUMS

Table of Contents 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Introduction

Page 2

Page 4

Henry J. Keizer - Chair FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Steering Committee

Unesco Heritage Lists

Funeral Intangible Heritage Traditions and Funeral Sites

Hungarian Funeral Sermon Ceramic Funeral Flowers

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Page 16

Xavier Puppinck - CEO SOUVENEO

Walking At Funerals

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Brian Parsons - Funeral Lecturer

Funeral Procession Evita Perón

Page 24

From: The Enduring Legacy of Eva Perón - Alexandra Kathryn Mosca

Funeral Cortege And Sarcophagus Of Alexander The Great

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T. Peter Limber - Specialist in Greek History

Sculptures At Notre-dame-des-neiges Cemetery

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Daniel Drouin - Curator at Musée National des Beaux Arts du Québec

The Funeral Services Of The Baganda

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Aloysius Mutyaba-Mukiibi - Manager Uganda Funeral Services

Ngaben: Emotion And Restraint In A Balinese Heart

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Aloysius Mutyaba-Mukiibi - Manager Uganda Funeral Services

Ethiopia: Traditional Oromo Burial Practices

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Christopher Grant - SIT Study Abroad

Ebola: Psychology, History, Culture

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Thao Nguyen - Duke University

Spain: Cemeteries, Tourist Destinations On The Rise

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Gabino Abanedes Guerrero - Funespaña S.A.

The Banquet For The Ajayu – Mast’aku

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Teresa Saavedra - 1st Vice President FIAT-IFTA, President ALPAR

Poland: The Tradition Of Funeral Valediction

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Marek Cichewicz - 3rd Vice President FIAT-IFTA

Charter

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FIAT-IFTA Charter of Global Funeral Heritage

Survey

of Funeral Museums and Collections

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

Page 71

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

Dear reader, The FIAT IFTA Heritage Committee is proud to present its annual report to you. Our Committee draws attention to the many impressive traditions, historical buildings and artifacts that still exist today in relation to death, funerals and bereavement. They are worth preserving and our Committee is very pleased that we again have received so much support in the past year. Our accreditation as “International NGO with Consultative Status UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage” gives us many opportunities and also many tasks that still lay ahead of us. Due to this accreditation the international membership of FIAT-IFTA has, through our Committee, the possibility to draw the attention of the national UNESCO Committees and the national Ministries of Culture to their local specific cultural heritage. Our Committee is extremely pleased that our efforts are now bringing the necessary focus and attention within the international community of governments. With direct access to the “UNESCO NGO Forum” our Committee has made many new important contacts and it provides us with the opportunity to create support and receive advice from fellow NGO’s. During the FIAT-IFTA Congress in Bologna important steps were made in creating an inventory regarding local and national funeral traditions. In the past year we have been supported by many active FIAT IFTA members who have dedicated much time and effort to the work of our Committee. Not in the least we are very thankful for the support that has been provided to us by the FIAT IFTA Secretariat. We hope that you will enjoy the content of this report. Our Committee is always available to answer your questions or listen to your comments.

Henry J. Keizer, Chairman FIAT IFTA Heritage Steering Committee President International Association of Funeral Museums, Amsterdam

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

UNESCO

FUNERAL HERITAGE ON THE OFFICIAL UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LISTS 4 A. UNESCO INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE LIST 1. INDONESIA

Indonesian Funerary Batik Inscribed in 2009 (4.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity The techniques, symbolism and culture surrounding hand-dyed cotton and silk garments known as Indonesian Batik permeate the lives of Indonesians from beginning to end: infants are carried in batik slings decorated with symbols designed to bring the child luck, and the dead are shrouded in funerary batik. Cultural practices and expressions linked to the balafon of the Senufo communities of Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire

2. MALI, BURKINA FASO, IVORY COAST ‘’Ncegele’’ Music, Funerary Music Inscribed in 2012 (7.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity The balafon of the Senufo communities of Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire is a pentatonic xylophone, known locally as the ‘’ncegele’’. The ‘’ncegele’’ is composed of eleven to twenty-one keys of varying lengths, made of wood, and arranged on a trapezoidal frame, also made of wood or bamboo. The instrument has calabash gourd resonators of varying sizes, arranged beneath the frame proportionally to the keys. The ‘’ncegele’’ provides entertainment during festivities, accompanies prayers in the parishes and in sacred woods, stimulates enthusiasm for work, punctuates funerary music and supports the teaching of value systems, traditions, beliefs, customary law, and rules of ethics.

3. MEXICO Indigenous festivity dedicated to the dead “Día de los Muertos Inscribed in 2008 (3.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity As practiced by the indigenous communities of Mexico, el Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) commemorates the transitory return to Earth of deceased relatives and loved ones. The festivities take place each year at the end of October to the beginning of November. This period also marks the completion of the annual cycle of cultivation of maize, the country’s predominant food crop. Families facilitate the return of the souls to Earth by laying flower petals, candles and offerings along the path leading from the cemetery to their homes. The deceased’s favorite dishes are prepared and placed around the home shrine and the tomb alongside flowers and typical handicrafts, such as paper cut-outs. Great care is taken with all aspects of the preparations, for it is believed that the dead are capable of bringing prosperity (e.g. an abundant maize harvest) or misfortune (e.g. illness, accidents, financial difficulties) upon their families depending on how satisfactorily the rituals are executed. The dead are divided into several categories according to cause of death, age, sex and, in some cases, profession. A specific day of worship, determined by these categories,

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

is designated for each deceased person. This encounter between the living and the dead affirms the role of the individual within society and contributes to reinforcing the political and social status of Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s indigenous communities. The Day of the Dead celebration holds great significance in the life of Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s indigenous communities. The fusion of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Catholic feasts brings together two universes, one marked by indigenous belief systems, the other by worldviews introduced by the Europeans in the sixteenth century.

4. SPAIN Drama of Death, Mystery play of Elche Inscribed in 2008 (3.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity The mystery play of Elche is a sacred musical drama of the death, the passage into heaven (known as the Assumption) and the crowning of the Virgin Mary. Since the mid-fifteenth century it has been performed in the Basilica of Santa Maria and in the streets of the old city of Elche, situated in the region of Valencia. It is a living testimony of European religious theatre of the Middle Ages and of the cult of the Virgin. This theatrical performance, which is entirely sung, comprises two acts, performed on 14 and 15 August. These depict the death and crowning of the Virgin in a series of scenes and related paintings: the death of Mary, the night procession that is followed by hundreds of participants carrying candles, the morning procession, the afternoon funeral procession in the streets of Elche,

Myster y Play of Elche, Spain

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

B. UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST 1. BULGARIA

Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak Discovered in 1944, this tomb dates from the Hellenistic period, around the end of the 4th century BC. It is located near Seutopolis, the capital city of the Thracian king Seutes III, and is part of a large Thracian necropolis. The tholos has a narrow corridor and a round burial chamber, both decorated with murals representing Thracian burial rituals and culture. These paintings are Bulgariaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-preserved artistic masterpieces from the Hellenistic period. Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari Discovered in 1982 near the village of Sveshtari, this 3rd-century BC Thracian tomb reflects the fundamental structural principles of Thracian cult buildings. The tomb has a unique architectural decor, with polychrome half-human, half-plant caryatids and painted murals. The 10 female figures carved in high relief on the walls of the central chamber and the decoration of the lunette in its vault are the only examples of this type found so far in the Thracian lands. It is a remarkable reminder of the culture of the Getes, a Thracian people who were in contact with the Hellenistic and Hyperborean worlds, according to ancient geographers.

2. CHINA Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor No doubt thousands of statues still remain to be unearthed at this archaeological site, which was not discovered until 1974. Qin (d. 210 B.C.), the first unifier of China, is buried, surrounded by the famous terracotta warriors, at the center of a complex designed to mirror the urban plan of the capital, Xianyan. The small figures are all different; with their horses, chariots and weapons, they are masterpieces of realism and also of great historical interest. Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu The temple, cemetery and family mansion of Confucius, the great philosopher, politician and educator of the 6thâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;5th centuries B.C., are located at Qufu, in Shandong Province. Built to commemorate him in 478 B.C., the temple has been destroyed and reconstructed over the centuries; today it comprises more than 100 buildings. The cemetery contains Confuciusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tomb and the remains of more than 100,000 of his descendants. The small house of the Kong family developed into a gigantic aristocratic residence, of which 152 buildings remain. The Qufu complex of monuments has retained its outstanding artistic and historic character due to the devotion of successive Chinese emperors over more than 2,000 years. Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties It represents the addition of three Imperial Tombs of the Qing Dynasty in Liaoning to the Ming tombs inscribed in 2000 and 2003. The Three Imperial Tombs of the Qing Dynasty in Liaoning Province include the Yongling Tomb, the Fuling Tomb, and the Zhaoling Tomb, all built in the 17th century. Constructed for the founding emperors of the Qing Dynasty and their ancestors, the tombs follow the precepts of traditional Chinese geomancy and fengshui theory. They feature rich decoration of stone statues and carvings and tiles with dragon motifs, illustrating the development of the funerary architecture of the Qing Dynasty. The three tomb complexes, and their numerous edifices, combine traditions inherited from previous dynasties and new features of Manchu civilization.

3. COLOMBIA National Archeological Park of Tierradentro Several monumental statues of human figures can be seen in the park, which also contains many hypogea dating from the 6th to the 10th century. These huge underground tombs (some burial chambers are up to 12 m wide) are decorated with motifs that reproduce the internal decor of homes of the period. They reveal the social complexity and cultural wealth of a pre-Hispanic society in the northern Andes.

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

San Agustín Archaeological Park The largest group of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in South America stands in a wild, spectacular landscape. Gods and mythical animals are skilfully represented in styles ranging from abstract to realist. These works of art display the creativity and imagination of a northern Andean culture that flourished from the 1st to the 8th century. The park is at the core of San Agustín archaeological zone featuring the largest complex of pre-Columbian megalithic funerary monuments and statuary, burial mounds, terraces, funerary structures, stone statuary and the Fuente de Lavapatas site, a religious monument carved in the stone bed of a stream.

4. CYPRUS Paphos Paphos has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. It was a centre of the cult of Aphrodite and of preHellenic fertility deities. Aphrodite’s legendary birthplace was on this island, where her temple was erected by the Myceneans in the 12th century B.C. The remains of villas, palaces, theatres, fortresses and tombs mean that the site is of exceptional architectural and historic value. The mosaics of Nea Paphos are among the most beautiful in the world.

5. CZECH REPUBLIC Pilgrimage Church and Cemetery of St John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora This pilgrimage church, built in honour of St John of Nepomuk, stands at Zelená Hora, not far from Ždár nad Sázavou in Moravia. Constructed at the beginning of the 18th century on a star-shaped plan, it is the most unusual work by the great architect Jan Blazej Santini, whose highly original style falls between neoGothic and Baroque.

6. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF KOREA Complex of Koguryo Tombs The property includes several group and individual tombs - totalling about 30 individual tombs - from the later period of the Koguryo Kingdom, one of the strongest kingdoms in nowadays northeast China and half of the Korean peninsula between the 3rd century BC to 7th century AD. The tombs, many with beautiful wall paintings, are almost the only remains of this culture. Only about 90 out of more than 10,000 Koguryo tombs discovered in China and Korea so far, have wall paintings. Almost half of these tombs are located on this site and they are thought to have been made for the burial of kings, members of the royal family and the aristocracy. These paintings offer a unique testimony to daily life of this period.

7. DENMARK Roskilde Cathedral Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, this was Scandinavia’s first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick and it encouraged the spread of this style throughout northern Europe. It has been the mausoleum of the Danish royal family since the 15th century. Porches and side chapels were added up to the end of the 19th century. Thus it provides a clear overview of the development of European religious architecture.

8. EGYPT Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis Thebes, the city of the god Amon, was the capital of Egypt during the period of the Middle and New Kingdoms. With the temples and palaces at Karnak and Luxor, and the necropolises of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, Thebes is a striking testimony to Egyptian civilization at its height. Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur The capital of the Old Kingdom of Egypt has some extraordinary funerary monuments, including rock

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

tombs, ornate mastabas, temples and pyramids. In ancient times, the site was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

9. FINLAND Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki This Bronze Age burial site features more than 30 granite burial cairns, providing a unique insight into the funerary practices and social and religious structures of northern Europe more than three millennia ago.

10. GERMANY

Speyer Cathedral Speyer Cathedral, a basilica with four towers and two domes, was founded by Conrad II in 1030 and remodeled at the end of the 11th century. It is one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire. The cathedral was the burial place of the German emperors for almost 300 years.

11. GREECE Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina) The city of Aigai, the ancient first capital of the Kingdom of Macedonia, was discovered in the 19th century near Vergina, in northern Greece. The most important remains are the monumental palace, lavishly decorated with mosaics and painted stuccoes, and the burial ground with more than 300 tumuli, some of which date from the 11th century B.C. One of the royal tombs in the Great Tumulus is identified as that of Philip II, who conquered all the Greek cities, paving the way for his son Alexander and the expansion of the Hellenistic world.

12. HUNGARY Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs (Sopianae) In the 4th century, a remarkable series of decorated tombs were constructed in the cemetery of the Roman provincial town of Sopianae (modern Pécs). These are important both structurally and architecturally, since they were built as underground burial chambers with memorial chapels above the ground. The tombs are important also in artistic terms, since they are richly decorated with murals of outstanding quality depicting Christian themes.

13. INDIA Taj Mahal An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage. Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi This tomb, built in 1570, is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal.

14. ISRAEL Necropolis of Bet She’arim: A Landmark of Jewish Renewal Consisting of a series of catacombs, the necropolis developed from the 2nd century AD as the primary Jewish burial place outside Jerusalem following the failure of the second Jewish revolt against Roman rule. Located southeast of the city of Haifa, these catacombs are a treasury of artworks and inscriptions in Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew and Palmyrene. Bet She’arim bears unique testimony to ancient Judaism under the leadership of Rabbi Judah the Patriarch, who is credited with Jewish renewal after 135 AD.

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

top: Ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent, Rusia below: Humayunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tomb in Delhi, India

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

15. ITALY Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia These two large Etruscan cemeteries reflect different types of burial practices from the 9th to the 1st century BC, and bear witness to the achievements of Etruscan culture. Which over nine centuries developed the earliest urban civilization in the northern Mediterranean. Some of the tombs are monumental, cut in rock and topped by impressive tumuli (burial mounds). Many feature carvings on their walls, others have wall paintings of outstanding quality. The necropolis near Cerveteri, known as Banditaccia, contains thousands of tombs organized in a city-like plan, with streets, small squares and neighborhoods. The site contains very different types of tombs: trenches cut in rock; tumuli; and some, also carved in rock, in the shape of huts or houses with a wealth of structural details. These provide the only surviving evidence of Etruscan residential architecture. The necropolis of Tarquinia, also known as Monterozzi, contains 6,000 graves cut in the rock. It is famous for its 200 painted tombs, the earliest of which date from the 7th century BC.

16. JORDAN Petra Inhabited since prehistoric times, this Nabataean caravan-city, situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges. The Outstanding Universal Value of Petra resides in the vast extent of elaborate tomb and temple architecture; religious high places; the remnant channels, tunnels and diversion dams that combined with a vast network of cisterns and reservoirs which controlled and conserved seasonal rains, and the extensive archaeological remains including of copper mining, temples, churches and other public buildings. The fusion of Hellenistic architectural facades with traditional Nabataean rock-cut temple/tombs including the Khasneh, the Urn Tomb, the Palace Tomb, the Corinthian Tomb and the Deir (“monastery”) represents a unique artistic achievement and an outstanding architectural ensemble.

17. KASAKHSTAN Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, in the town of Yasi, now Turkestan, was built at the time of Timur (Tamerlane), from 1389 to 1405. In this partly unfinished building, Persian master builders experimented with architectural and structural solutions later used in the construction of Samarkand, the capital of the Timurid Empire. Today, it is one of the largest and best-preserved constructions of the Timurid period.

18. MALI Tomb of Askia The dramatic 17-m pyramidal structure of the Tomb of Askia was built by Askia Mohamed, the Emperor of Songhai, in 1495 in his capital Gao. It bears testimony to the power and riches of the empire that flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries through its control of the trans-Saharan trade, notably in salt and gold. It is also a fine example of the monumental mud-building traditions of the West African Sahel. The complex, including the pyramidal tomb, two flat-roofed mosque buildings, the mosque cemetery and the open-air assembly ground, was built when Gao became the capital of the Songhai Empire and after Askia Mohamed had returned from Mecca and made Islam the official religion of the empire.

19. MALTA Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum The Hypogeum is an enormous subterranean structure excavated c. 2500 B.C., using cyclopean rigging to lift huge blocks of coralline limestone. Perhaps originally a sanctuary, it became a necropolis in prehistoric times.

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum (underground cemetery) was discovered in 1902 on a hill overlooking the innermost part of the Grand Harbour of Valletta, in the town of Paola. It is a unique prehistoric monument, which seems to have been conceived as an underground cemetery, originally containing the remains of about 7,000 individuals. The cemetery was in use throughout the Żebbuġ, Ġgantija and Tarxien Phases of Maltese Prehistory, spanning from around 4000 B.C. to 2500 B.C.

20. OMAN Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn The protohistoric site of Bat lies near a palm grove in the interior of the Sultanate of Oman. Together with the neighboring sites, it forms the most complete collection of settlements and necropolises from the 3rd millennium B.C. in the world. The vast necropolis at Bat includes different clusters of monumental tombs that can be divided into two distinct groups. The first group is Hafit-period “beehive” tombs located on the top of the rocky slopes surrounding Bat, while the second group extends over a river terrace and includes more than a hundred dry-stone cairn tombs. Another important group of beehive tombs is located at Qubur Juhhal at al-Ayn, 22 km east-southeast of Bat. Most of these tombs are small, single-chambered, round tombs with dry masonry walls dating to the beginning of the 3rd millennium BCE. Others are more elaborate, bigger, multichambered tombs from the second half of the 3rdrd millennium BCE.

21. PAKISTAN Historical Monuments at Makli, Thatta The capital of three successive dynasties and later ruled by the Mughal emperors of Delhi, Thatta was constantly embellished from the 14th to the 18th century. The remains of the city and its necropolis provide a unique view of civilization in Sind. The vast necropolis of Makli is among the largest in the world. Kings, queens, governors, saints, scholars, and philosophers are buried here in brick or stone monuments, some of which are lavishly decorated with glazed tiles. Among the outstanding monuments constructed in stone are the tombs of Jam Nizamuddin II, who reigned from 1461 to 1509, and of lsa Khan Tarkhan the Younger and of his father, Jan Baba, both of whose mausolea were constructed before 1644. The most colorful is that of Diwan Shurfa Khan (died in 1638).

22. PORTUGAL Monastery of Alcobaça The Monastery of Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, north of Lisbon, was founded in the 12th century by King Alfonso I. Its size, the purity of its architectural style, the beauty of the materials and the care with which it was built make this a masterpiece of Cistercian Gothic art. The founding of the Monastery of Alcobaça, located in central Portugal, is closely associated with the beginning of the Portuguese monarchy. The ultimate symbol of this privileged relationship with the Portuguese monarchy can be found in the famous tombs of Inês de Castro and Dom Pedro (Peter I). King Peter I commissioned the twin tombs after the dramatic event that would later inspire the poet Luís Vaz de Camões, the writer Velez de Guevara and so many other authors and filmmakers. The design of a high sarcophagus supporting the giants watched over by angels, frequently used in the 14th century, finds here one of its greatest artistic expressions. The stylistic quality of the sculptured ornaments, despite having been mutilated by Napoleon’s troops in 1810-1811, is surpassed by the compelling symbolism of the iconography, which evokes human destiny, death, and the Christian hope of eternal life. Built c. 1360, the tombs are the tangible sign of Peter I’s mystical rehabilitation of Inês, assassinated at Coimbra on the orders of King Alfonso IV.

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

23. REPUBLIC OF KOREA Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites The prehistoric cemeteries at Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa contain many hundreds of examples of dolmens - tombs from the 1st millennium BC constructed of large stone slabs. They form part of the Megalithic culture, found in many parts of the world, but nowhere in such a concentrated form.

Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty form a collection of 40 tombs scattered over 18 locations. Built over five centuries, from 1408 to 1966, the tombs honored the memory of ancestors, showed respect for their achievements, asserted royal authority, protected ancestral spirits from evil and provided protection from vandalism. Spots of outstanding natural beauty were chosen for the tombs which typically have their back protected by a hill as they face south toward water and, ideally, layers of mountain ridges in the distance. Alongside the burial area, the royal tombs feature a ceremonial area and an entrance. In addition to the burial mounds, associated buildings that are an integral part of the tombs include a T-shaped wooden shrine, a shed for stele, a royal kitchen and a guards’ house, a red-spiked gate and the tomb keeper’s house. The grounds are adorned on the outside with a range of stone objects including figures of people and animals. The Joseon Tombs completes the 5,000-year history of royal tombs architecture in the Korean peninsula.

24. RUSSIA Ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent The Novodevichy Convent, in south-western Moscow, built in the 16th and 17th centuries in the so-called Moscow Baroque style, was part of a chain of monastic ensembles that were integrated into the defense system of the city. The convent was directly associated with the political, cultural and religious history of Russia, and closely linked to the Moscow Kremlin. It was used by women of the Tsar’s family and the aristocracy. Members of the Tsar’s family and entourage were also buried in its cemetery. The convent provides an example of the highest accomplishments of Russian architecture with rich interiors and an important collection of paintings and artefacts.

25. SWEDEN Skogskyrkogården This Stockholm cemetery was created between 1917 and 1920 by two young architects, Asplund and Lewerentz, on the site of former gravel pits overgrown with pine trees. The design blends vegetation and architectural elements, taking advantage of irregularities in the site to create a landscape that is finely adapted to its function. It has had a profound influence in many countries of the world.

26. UGANDA Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi The Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi constitute a site embracing almost 30 ha of hillside within Kampala district. Most of the site is agricultural, farmed by traditional methods. At its core on the hilltop is the former palace of the Kabakas of Buganda, built in 1882 and converted into the royal burial ground in 1884. Four royal tombs now lie within the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga, the main building, which is circular and surmounted by a dome. It is a major example of an architectural achievement in organic materials, principally wood, thatch, reed, wattle and daub. The site’s main significance lies, however, in its intangible values of belief, spirituality, continuity and identity. The site is the major spiritual center for the Baganda where traditional and cultural practices have been preserved. The Kasubi Tombs are the most active religious place in the kingdom, where rituals are frequently performed. Its place as the burial ground for the previous four kings (Kabakas) qualifies it as a religious center for the royal family, a place where the Kabaka and his representatives carry out important rituals related to Buganda culture. The site represents a place where communication links with the spiritual world are maintained.

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

27. UNITED KINGDOM Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites Stonehenge and Avebury, in Wiltshire, are among the most famous groups of megaliths in the world. The two sanctuaries consist of circles of menhirs arranged in a pattern whose astronomical significance is still being explored. These holy places and the nearby Neolithic sites are an incomparable testimony to prehistoric times. Stonehenge is the most architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world, while Avebury is the largest. Together with inter-related monuments, and their associated landscapes, they demonstrate Neolithic and Bronze Age ceremonial and mortuary practices resulting from around 2000 years of continuous use and monument building between circa 3700 and 1600 BC. As such they represent a unique embodiment of our collective heritage. Heart of Neolithic Orkney The group of Neolithic monuments on Orkney consists of a large chambered tomb (Maes Howe), two ceremonial stone circles (the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar) and a settlement (Skara Brae), together with a number of unexcavated burial, ceremonial and settlement sites. The group constitutes a major prehistoric cultural landscape which gives a graphic depiction of life in this remote archipelago in the far north of Scotland some 5,000 years ago. The group of monuments that make up the Heart of Neolithic Orkney consists of a remarkably wellpreserved settlement, a large chambered tomb, and two stone circles with surrounding henges, together with a number of associated burial and ceremonial sites. The group constitutes a major relict cultural landscape graphically depicting life five thousand years ago in this remote archipelago.

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

HUNGARIAN FUNERAL

SERMON AND PRAYER 14 The oldest handwritten Hungarian text in Latin characters dating from 1192-95 Behold, brethren, with your own eyes, what we are. Behold, ‘tis but dust and ashes that we are. In what grace did [God] create in the beginning our ancestor, Adam, and he gave unto him Paradise as an abode. And he gave unto him all the fruits of paradise for life. Only one fruit did he forbid unto him. But he also told him why he must not eat: “Verily, the day thou shall eat thereof, thou shalt die with deadly death”. He heard his own death from God, his Creator, but he forgot. He yielded to the devil’s bidding and ate of that forbidden fruit, and he ate death therewith. And the juice of that fruith was so bitter that it stuck in his throat. Not only for himself, but for all his kind did he eat death. And God was wrathful and threw him into this world of labours, and he became a prey unto death and hell, and all his kind. Who are they? We are. As ye behold with your own eyes: verily, no man shall escape this pit, verily, we shall all come therein. Let us worship the grace of God for this soul, that he may have mercy on him, and be graceful, and may forgive all his sins. We ask the blessed Virgin and the blessed Archangel Michael and all the angels to pray for him. And we adore Lord Saint Peter

To whom the power hath been giveneth to release and to bond, to release from All the sins. And we adore all saints To be of his aid before our Lord so that God may forgive his sin on account of Their prayer. And may he be delivered from the persecution of the devil and the torment of hell and may he be led into the Tranquility of paradise and be showneth The way to heaven and may he partake of all that is good. And ye shall cry out Three times to our Lord: kyrie eleison! My beloved brothers and sisters! Ye shall say prayers for the soul of This poor man, who hath been saveth by the Lord from the prison of this False world, whose body we bury On this day so that the Lord may place him in his grace on the bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Among the chosen ones, His saints who sit upon His right hand; And that this man’s soul may ascend When the Day of Judgment comes. So be it for you all. Clamate ter. Kyrie Eleison!

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

CERAMIC FLOWERS A CHARMING TRADITIONAL PRODUCT FROM FRANCE

Ceramic flowers are unique handmade products. They date back to the middle of the 19th century and are an example of France’s long ceramic tradition, mixed with a specific tradition in grave decoration. These ceramic flowers are to be found everywhere in France and also in some places over the world on graves, to honour the dead. Grave decoration is very popular in France, for two main reasons:

of the year. Therefore, families decorate the graves with long-lasting products that do not need regular maintenance.

Graves in France are generally made of two parts: a headstone and a tombstone. The tombstone is the large, flat stone laid over a grave. It can measure up to 3 meters wide and 2 meters long. It is mostly made of granite. This bare area is very often used to put funerary decoration items like granite plaques, artificial flowers, or ceramic flowers.

Company

Traditionally, French families do not go as often to cemeteries to tend loved ones’ graves, as in other countries like Spain or Italy for example. Graves are usually visited once a year for All Saints’ Day, but rarely during the rest

We need to return to the middle of the nineteenth century to find the origins of the brand that has become Céramiques de France today. There is little written evidence of old times in the company, but we know that the FOUBERT family founded the production of ceramic flowers in 1856 near Lille, Northern France, then moved to Béthune, 50 kilometers away, for unknown reasons. The company went through various troubles: two World Wars that destroyed part or all of the factory, economic crises, and even two fires... In 1988,

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

the company was taken over by the company’s Financial Officer, but after 10 years of hardships, it was sold to the company CHRISOLA, leading French company on the field of funerary items in France. Still belonging to the same group, the brand Céramiques de France has recently been integrated to a new company, SOUVENEO, to form France’s largest producer of funerary items. In spite of all these changes, Céramiques de France managed to keep its know-how and to pass it on from one generation to the next. Funerary items are a common sight in French cemeteries. Almost every grave bears granite or porcelain plaques, artificial or ceramic flowers to honour the loved ones. Creativity bears no limit to develop the most beautiful products. Ceramic flowers has a unique advantage when compared with the other funerary products: they are forever lasting, as ceramics are produced in a way that make them weather and time resistant. Ceramic flowers can be found in different sizes and uses: vase tops and grave decoration (top or front). As for cremations, there are some new options available today, with little flower sets aimed at hanging or glued on the grave.

After the first firing, the flowers are then glazed (painted) by hand, either with a tiny brush, or with a little spraying device. Each colour is applied separately, in order to avoid melting colours. This stage can also take between a few minutes and many long hours. Then the ceramic is fired a second time for another 24 hours in the oven. After firing, the colours reveal their shine. Each ceramic flower being shaped and painted by hand, each of them is unique and different, even for the same set of flowers.

Unique know-how

Fixing and shipping

Producing a ceramic flower requires many manual operations. The ceramist’s knack is acquired over many years, turning the men and women into true artisans of art. Ceramic flowers are made by hand out of a special mix of plastic clay. Each petal, each leave is shaped separately by the same artist and then assembled on a plaster basis. According to the size of the composition and/or the complexity of the flowers, it can take between 15mn and up to a complete day to shape a full set of flowers. The ceramic flower then dries naturally during about a week before being fired for about 24hours in a gas oven, to make it solid.

The ceramic flowers and the basis are then fixed together by gluing. Sometimes, screws are attached in order to receive the name plate to personalize the ceramic flowers.Ceramic flowers are then shipped all over France, and the world. Indeed, customers are also to be found elsewhere in Europe (Belgium, Gibraltar and the UK mainly) but also further away in Australia and New-Zealand, among others.

Basis The flowers are set on a cast porcelain basis, produced according to traditional ceramic techniques: In order to make a cast object, you must have a mould (made of plaster). This delicate operation, mould casting, consists of filling a matrix (the mother mould) with liquid plaster to create the mould that will enable shaping the basis. When the plaster mould is dry, it can be filled with a mix of clay. Once cast, the items are removed from the mould and dried for several days. They are then glazed by spraying and then put into a gas kiln and fired for 24 hours.

Quality and durability What makes ceramic flowers unique is the quality of the products and their excellent durability in an outdoor environment. They

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

will spend many years outside, subject to the weather’s tantrums, alternating hot and cold, wet and dry periods and attacks from salt, ultra-violet rays and pollution. These products are frost-resistant and a wet autumn followed by a harsh winter will not make them shatter. The same goes for the treatment of colours: they do not fade and the sun will not transform the bright colours of these floral arrangements into pastel shades.

Development Since the turn of the third millennium, ceramic flowers have undergone a total shake-up in terms of flowers, colours, and composition. All year long, new flowers and new colours are developed by Céramiques de France, following the trends seen in the natural flower sector. Next to the traditional dark red rose, the range now offers various new flowers as arums, peonies and anemones. It also boasts new colours as vivid red, dark blue, white, yellow and pink, making the products more modern and long-

lasting than ever, thanks to the know-how of its workers and the century-old French ceramic tradition.

Keeping up with the French tradition of ceramic flowers Ceramic flowers are a common part of the scenery in French cemeteries and elsewhere. Céramiques de France owns a unique experience in this field. In order to continue this brilliant French tradition, the company keeps up the know-how of the production of ceramic flowers, as well as a close attention to high quality. Following the evolution of the markets, Céramiques de France constantly develops numerous new products, as part of this unique French tradition for ornamental products in cemeteries.

Xavier Puppinck

SOUVENEO, producer of the brand CÉRAMIQUES DE FRANCE

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

WALKING AT FUNERALS

THE TRADITION OF UK FUNERAL PROCESSIONS After careful thought and research, I think that the most enduring feature of funeral service in the UK is the act of walking. Historically, undertakers/funeral directors have walked with, alongside or in front of the coffin for some or all of the distance to the place of burial, and latterly, cremation. This tradition continues today through the act of walking in front of the motor hearse. If we take the fifteenth or sixteenth century as our starting point, the dead would have been walked in procession (with the coffin carried probably at waist height, but occasionally on the shoulders) from a village settlement to the local churchyard. The poor would have been buried in a (reusable) parish coffin, whilst the wealthy in a more substantial receptacle. The only exception would have been if (a) there was a significant distance to the place of burial, or (b) the wealthy died away from their family seat and had to be transported back home with a horse-drawn cart or wagon being used. Clare Gittings’s book describes these processions and includes some images. Despite the increasing distance to the place of burial that commenced in the 1830s when out-of-town cemeteries were established in

London (and elsewhere), walking continued to be a feature of the funeral. The undertaker would head the procession (or ‘page’ the funeral) whilst staff would walk at the side of the horse drawn hearse. They would process down the street from the house where the coffin had been resting in the interval between death and the funeral before climbing onto the hearse (and other vehicles for the staff) for the journey to the cemetery. On arrival, the staff would reassemble and walk with the cortege to the grave; a priest and/or cemetery official would often join the undertaker. Julian Litten explains this in this book. What were termed ‘walking funerals’ where there was only a short journey from the house to the place of burial and involved the coffin being carried at shoulder height or occasionally on a carrying frame, continued in the UK until the 1940s, possibly later. The funeral records of

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

the Kingston, Surrey, funeral director Frederick W Paine confirm this in respect of the south west London/north Surrey area. Such a tradition continues in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland where the funeral director heads the procession from the church or house to a nearby cemetery with the mourners walking behind the motor hearse. Whilst the increasing adoption of cremation during the twentieth century eliminated the procession to the grave, funeral directors would continue to walk in front of the hearse from the house and then when approaching the crematorium chapel. The late twentieth century use of alternative forms of funerary transport, such as a motorcycle hearse, motorcycle trailer hearse, donkey cart, farm wagon or cycle hearse have not eliminated the potential for the funeral direc-

tor to walk in front of the hearse. Walking has also been adopted at ethnic funerals. The attached images show the funeral director walking at funerals during the twentieth century.

Further reading Gittings C (1984) Death, Burial and the Individual in Early Modern England London: Routledge Litten JWS (2002) The English Way of Death: The Common Funeral Since 1450 London: Robert Hale Parsons B (2001) The London Way of Death Stroud: Sutton Publishing

Brian Parsons

www.brianparsons.org.uk

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

THE FUNERAL OF

EVA PERON

25 “Santa Evita!” the massive crowd assembled outside the Casa Rosada, wailed plaintively. Sobs and shrieks of anguish pierced the inky blackness of the August night, winter in Argentina. The crowd kept a vigil, refusing at first, to believe that their beloved Evita, the first lady of their land, could be gone from them forever at the age of 33. To the descamisados (an endearing term for Argentina’s poor) Evita Peron, the woman from humble beginnings, much like their own, was thought to be saint-like. But to the oligarchs, Argentina’s elite; the people she had taken every opportunity to displace in the name of, as she put it, “redistributing the nation’s wealth”, she was more like Satan incarnate. In reality, she was one of the most complex, paradoxical and enigmatic woman in history, who, more than most, embodied a litany of extreme opposites - earthy/ ethereal -sacred/profane -good/ evil -puritanical/ promiscuous. On November 11, 1951 a gravely ill, bedridden Evita voted by her bedside, the electoral ballot box brought to her. An auspicious day for both Eva and the country, as it was the first time in Argentine history that women participated in an election. The cause Evita had championed so ardently had indeed become law.

Her health rebounded at Christmas, enabling her to resume her cherished duties of distributing millions of gifts to needy children. But the rebound was brief and her suffering returned, excruciatingly so, causing her, ever the pragmatist, to try to bargain with God in a way that was pure Evita. “If you’d give me back my health, I will never wear jewels or beautiful dresses again. Nothing but a skirt and a blouse.” Evita’s last public appearance was at her husband’s second inauguration on June 4, 1952. She weighed 82 lbs., and was pumped up with morphine and propped up by a plaster support concealed by her fur coat. Seven weeks later, on July 26th, she was dead. Her last words were to her sister Elisa, “Eva se va.” (Eva is leaving) The time of her death was listed as 8:25 P.M., a more fanciful than actual hour, given that it was the time of her marriage. Nevertheless, 8:25 became the official time and beginning July 26th, until the fall of Peron’s

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regime, the news was interrupted each evening to remind the country, “It is 8:25 P.M, the time when Eva Peron entered immortality.”

Evita’s death and the subsequent preparations were as dramatic and grandiose as her life had been. A period of national mourning was decreed for one month. All Peronists were ordered to wear a black tie or armband, accepted signs of mourning. Flags were at half-mast and draped in black as were lamp-posts in every city, town and village. Tributes poured in from world dignitaries, including President Truman and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth. Business virtually shut down for three days in all of Argentina; Buenos Aires, the capital city, closed down completely. Only florists remained open. While the country mourned publicly, behind the closed doors of the Casa Rosada, Dr. Pedro Ara, a distinguished Spanish pathologist, working as an embalmer, began his extensive preparation of Eva’s body. This was no ordinary embalming process. Dr. Ara had spent much of his life perfecting a process to preserve corpses for an indefinite period of time. This procedure entailed replacing blood with absolute alcohol, then replacing the alcohol with glycerin that had been heated to 140 degrees. The alcohol would draw the water from the tissues and the glycerin would replace the water, filling out the body to its lifelike state. This process was thought to preserve even the internal organs. Interestingly, Dr. Ara’s technique required only two incisions, one in the neck and the other at the heel. A process so precise and contained, it was unnecessary to even remove her undergarments. Dr. Ara, along with an assistant worked through the night, in the morning declaring his work “definitely incorruptible”.

With the embalming complete, it was time for the finishing touches. This, her last public appearance, was as carefully planned as any of her previous personal appearances had been. Her dressmaker, like Dr. Ara, had also worked through the night, fashioning an ivory-colored tunic for her to wear. Her personal hairdresser, who had styled her hair daily for her entire adult life, applied a fresh wash of color, then fashioned her hair into her trademark chignon for the last time. Next came her manicurist, who removed the crimson polish Eva usually wore and replaced it with a pale color, as Eva had instructed shortly before her death. With the aesthetic preparation at an end, the undertakers brought in the casket that had been kept ready. Constructed at a cost of $30,000 by the Lynch Metalworking firm of Connecticut, the casket was made of Bronze with an inch-thick crystal cover, similar to one the company had produced for Mother Cabrini. The rosary beads of silver and mother-of-pearl, given to her by Pope Pius XII, were entwined in her hands and she was draped by Argentina’s blue and white flag. Then the casket was soldered shut and taken to the Ministry of Labor building, where Evita would lie in state, following a Mass celebrated by the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Monsignor Manuel Tato and Eva’s personal priest, Father Hernan Benitez. The military acted as honor guards as hysteria gripped the entire country. For thirteen days, during which time the rain never ceased, Evita’s body lay on view. Three million Argentines waited in line 15 hours to file past her casket, at a rate of nearly 65,000 a day, for one last look at “La Senora”, as she was reverently referred. Some stopped to kiss the glass cover, many would faint and many more would weep

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

uncontrollably. Nurses stood by to attend the 3,900 who required medical attention, still sixteen died in the crush of people, several from heart attacks. Thousands of torches burned throughout the land, extinguished each night at 8:25. The smell from the thousands of flowers, piled 20 feet high up the walls of the ministry of Labor building permeated the streets. On Saturday, August 9th, Eva’s casket was placed atop a special gun carriage, and taken to the Congress building for an additional day of public viewing. The next day, Sunday, after a funeral Mass and many eulogies, the flagdraped casket was again placed on the gun carriage. A military band played Chopin’s funeral march as 39 white-shirted, trade-union officials led the vehicle down Rivadavia Street between an honor guard and the two million Argentines who lined the streets. President Juan Peron, his Cabinet and Eva’s family followed. As the cortege passed street after street, flowers were thrown from balconies and windows, while squadrons of Air Force planes flew overhead. Three hours later, they reached the CGT building, which would be Eva’s temporary resting place, while her permanent monument was

being built. Her body was taken to Dr. Ara’s third floor laboratory, so that in the meantime he might continue the preservation of her remains. A procedure he kept mum about, but said to be an ancient method of “Spanish mummification” in which preservatives are distributed throughout the entire circulatory system, all the way to the capillaries. In addition, certain areas of the body were filled with wax and then the whole body was covered with a layer of wax. His ministration’s, which took an entire year, were complete in July of 1953; however, the mausoleum was not, so Eva’s body remained, perfectly preserved, at the GCT building. Eva’s mother and three sisters came regularly, and from time to time a designated few were allowed to see her. And all the while, the building remained covered by flowers. The myth of Saint Evita remained so strong than more than 100,000 requests to canonize her poured into the Vatican. Requests that were denied.

Alexandra Kathryn Mosca

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

ALEXANDER

THE GREAT

THE FUNERAL CORTEGE

AND SARCOPHAGUS

For 12 years Alexander had personally led his men from rugged highland Macedonia, in the north of the Greek peninsula, first destroying rebellious Thebes, then crossing the Hellespont—today’s Dardanelles—to begin his revenge on Persia. His troops fought their way across Anatolia, subjugating the great Persian Empire, defeating even the Bactrian armored cavalry, and winning onward, undefeated, as far as the Beas River in India. Alexander had been wounded many times, but nothing, it seemed, could overcome his boundless energy, his iron constitution, and his capacity for quick recovery. Yet now came this fever, which modern doctors believe was typhoid, “complicated by bowel perforation and ascending paralysis.” His own doctors had tried every remedy they knew, but without success. During the last 10 days Alexander had grown steadily weaker. Finally, he assembled his closest companions, his eight chief officers, to hear his answer to the inevitable question: To whom would he leave what was now a Macedonian empire? His answer is still debated. Arrian quotes it as “Hoti to kratisto” —which can mean “to the strongest,” “to the best” or “to the ablest.” If Alexander meant “to the strongest of my generals,” he was almost predicting the succession wars that followed. Yet he had already handed his royal ring to Perdiccas, his second-in-command, thus appointing him regent—and certainly Alex-

ander’s Bactrian wife, Roxane, was pregnant at the time. Alexander died at sunset on June 10, in the year we today know as 323 BC. He was 32 years old. Alexander’s eight senior generals agreed to divide his empire among them, each to govern his respective territory as a vassal of the ruling house of Macedonia. As to who would be king of Macedonia, and Alexander’s heir, they also agreed that it could only

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

be a blood relative of the conqueror’s—which meant, regrettably, either Alexander’s mentally handicapped half-brother, Philip Arrhidaeus, or Roxane’s half-Macedonian child, if it should be male. (It was.) Perdiccas’s regency did not much please those strong-minded leaders, but no other solution was even tolerable to them.

Aristander, Alexander’s chief soothsayer, had said that the country in which Alexander was buried would have good fortune, a prediction that increased the rivalry developing among the generals. Alexander himself had made known his wish to be buried at the well-known temple of the supreme Egyptian god Ammon Ra in the remote oasis of Siwa, in the Egyptian-Libyan desert. Alexander had made a crucial visit to this oracular shrine in 331, when he had taken Egypt from the Persians. The temple priests, who said they had foreseen his arrival, had welcomed him as the son of Ammon—a designation that certified his divinity—and, apparently more important, they had given him the answer “that his soul desired” to a personal question, its content never divulged, that he had put to them when he spoke to them alone. The funeral cart, or catafalque, that was to bear Alexander’s body was beautifully designed, sculptured and decorated, a gold- and jewel-covered extravagance that surpassed anything known in history or legend. It took two years and many skilled craftsmen to prepare it, with cost no object. Sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight, the heavy, roofed funeral carriage was pulled by teams of 64 matched mules. An army of honor guards accompanied it, under the command of a distinguished Macedonian nobleman, one of Alexander’s staff officers. Departing from Babylon, the funeral cortege traveled north a short distance along the Euphrates River, then east toward the ancient Persian city of Opis, then northwest along the banks of the Tigris. Ahead of the procession, road-builders smoothed the way, and thousands of people traveled to gather all along the route to see the magnificent spectacle pass. The cortege proceeded slowly, probably no more than 15 kilometers (9 mi) a day. Its route then skirted

the northern edge of the Syrian desert, and headed toward the coast at Alexandria ad Issum (now Iskenderun, Turkey), a city founded by Alexander in 333 to consolidate his victory over the Persians at nearby Issus. At this point, the procession reached a crossroads of sorts. If it were to proceed to Macedonia, it would have to continue west along Turkey’s southern coast, either overland or by ship. If Siwa were the destination, then it would either sail southwest across the Mediterranean to Paraetonium (now Marsa Matruh) on the Egyptian coast, or travel by land down the Palestinian coast to Gaza and then turn west. Travel by sea was easier, but if the intent were to allow the largest possible number of people to see the funeral procession pass, then a land route would be preferable. Whatever the aim, it was another of Alexander’s generals who determined the direction of the next leg of the long journey. Ptolemy, who had been made governor of Egypt, arrived with a sizable army to meet the funeral procession. In what biographer Mary Renault called “a reverent hijack,” he forced it to take the overland route south toward Egypt. And though he may have appeared to be acting to fulfill Alexander’s personal wish, Ptolemy had no intention of burying Alexander at Siwa. He wanted the body for his own capital of Alexandria in Egypt, the better to bring honor to his own domain. But as these events took place before a suitable mausoleum— prominently located in the center of the city—could be constructed in Alexandria, Ptolemy brought the body first to the old pharaonic capital of Memphis, where it was to remain for some years. In Babylon, the reaction of Perdiccas was predictable: When he learned of Ptolemy’s coup, he set out for Egypt with an army to punish the hijacker and recover the body. But on the way, some of his officers, bribed by Ptolemy, stabbed him to death. No other attempt was made by any of the other generals to remove Alexander’s body from Egypt, and eventually it was transported to the site in Alexandria that Ptolemy had designated as the location of the future royal cemetery of the Ptolemaic line. Within a few

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

years Ptolemy, like each of Alexander’s successors, had declared himself king in his own right, and over the next three centuries Ptolemy’s descendants succeeded each other. As each died he was buried in the royal cemetery in an opulent mausoleum, near the central tomb of Alexander. Local residents and travelers to Alexandria visited the site, and Alexander’s tomb, especially, was treated as a shrine. In subsequent times, successive Roman emperors likewise traveled to Alexandria, and a visit to the tomb to pay homage to the great conqueror and pagan god became virtually a sacred duty. Though Caligula, who ruled from AD 37 to 41, did not visit Egypt himself, his officers went to the tomb, and as they departed they removed a breast-plate from Alexander’s armor. This was brought to Caligula, who wore it on ceremonial occasions. Finally, near the turn of the third century, Septimus Severus ordered the mausoleum of Alexander sealed to prevent further damage to the famous tomb and corpse. Even so, his son and successor, Caracalla, had it opened again for a look at the remains. In admiration and respect, Caracalla is said to have removed his own purple imperial robe from his shoulders and spread it over the body, and he also left many other precious gifts. A more recent episode associated with the mysterious fate of Alexander’s remains took place in 1798, when Napoleon Bonaparte’s armies invaded Egypt through Alexandria. In the courtyard of the mosque that had once been the church of St. Athanasius, standing inside a small open building, was a handsome, heavy sarcophagus carved from a single block of rare, beautiful, dark green breccia. It was decorated, inside and out, with Egyptian hieroglyphics. Although it was being used as a cistern for worshipers’ ablutions before prayers, locals referred to it as “the tomb of Alexander.” French troops removed it and transported it to the hold of a French hospital ship. It was said that they intended to bring it to Paris, where a monument to Napoleon would be built around it, thus associating the latter with Alexander the Great in much the same way rulers had done since Ptolemy first hijacked the funeral cortege in southern Turkey.

But in 1801, the British invaded Egypt and expelled the French. Antiquaries attached to the British forces knew about the so-called “Alexander sarcophagus” from travelers’ writings. They searched for it specifically, removed it from the French ship, and today the sarcophagus is not in Paris, but in London, on display in the British Museum. At first, British scholars rationalized that the hieroglyphic text covering its inner and outer surfaces was attributable to Alexander’s role as an Egyptian god, but the decipherment of hieroglyphics a few decades later— thanks to the Rosetta Stone, which had been carried off by the British at the same time as the sarcophagus—made it obvious that it had been carved for the last native Egyptian pharaoh, Nectanebo II, who had ruled from 360 to 343 BC. Historians and archeologists concluded that this sarcophagus had never contained the body of Alexander; that it came to be called “Alexander’s tomb” is an example of the great flourishing of legend and false attribution about the conqueror that began even during his lifetime. Beginning shortly after Alexander’s death, a more fantastic tale began to circulate. According to this story, when Nectanebo II, now said to be an adept of the magic arts, fled the Persian occupation of his country in 343 BC, he went not to southern Egypt but to Macedonia, there to beget an avenger of his country’s defeat. Olympias gave him refuge in Philip’s court, and, casting her horoscope, Nectanebo predicted that she would give birth to a son, a hero, fathered by Ammon. The pharaoh, who could indeed claim to represent Ammon, fulfilled his own prophesy by seducing the then childless Olympias, and the offspring of their union was none other than Alexander! This is, of course, largely pharaonic propaganda, designed after the fact to bolster the Egyptian spiritual claim to Alexander, for in reality it is not only well documented that Nectanebo never set foot in Macedonia, or anywhere else in Greece, but in 343, when he supposedly went there, Alexander was already 13 years old. Nonetheless, the story may have inspired the connection of the breccia sarcophagus of Nectanebo II with the memory of Alexander.

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

There exists yet another “Alexander Sarcophagus,” a magnificent, monumental work of marble discovered by accident in 1887, in what turned out to be a royal necropolis in Sidon, a city on the Mediterranean in what is today Lebanon. This extraordinary monument, still in nearly perfect condition and now in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, is the work of an unknown Greek master sculptor, carved in the classic Hellenic style from a pure white marble quarried in the Pentelic mountains northeast of Athens—the same material used to build the Parthenon and other famous works of the classical period. Is it possible it was made to receive Alexander’s remains? As a work of art, it is certainly worthy to have been used for this purpose. But as tempting it is to make the connection, archeologists and historians have concluded that this sarcophagus was more than likely carved for the body of a king of Sidon, Abdalonymos, a few years after Alexander’s death. Abdalonymos was a Phoenecian who ordered it made to commemorate his close friendship with Alexander, who had had him appointed ruler of the region. In fact, historians now believe that the use of any sarcophagus to carry Alexander’s body on that long last trip was unlikely.

As the remains were originally to be sent to Siwa, Alexander’s body was prepared in the Egyptian manner by Egyptian embalmers. Also, the close-fitted gold sheathing surrounding the body was a style used for royalty, and designed to be seen, not hidden by stone, however beautifully carved. Few figures in history have been studied more, written about more, or spoken of more than Alexander the Great, whether seriously by scholars, fantastically by unknown compilers of legends, or personally by tribesmen who, even today, claim descent from his Macedonian troops. Some still dream and hope that, somewhere in the catacombs under the Mosque of Prophet Daniel, his remains might yet be discovered. But extensive explorations and excavations have been made in Alexandria, under the mosque and elsewhere, and no trace has been found either of the royal Ptolemaic necropolis or of Alexander’s tomb.

T. Peter Limber

Specialist in Greek history (limberis@att.net)

He is working on a historical novel about Alexander and the years after his death, to be called: The Chronicle of Hexadoros.

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

Louis FrĂŠchette Memorial 1909, Canada

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

ART AND HONOR SCULPTURES AT NOTRE-DAME-DES-NEIGES CEMETERY 35

Notre-Dame-Des-Neiges Cemetery in Montreal is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful garden cemeteries in North America. Nestled in a green and natural setting overlooking the city, it is a true haven of tranquility on Mount Royal. The site is dotted with numerous sculptures in a plethora of styles, cut from granite and marble or cast in bronze, principally from the 19th and 20th centuries. Through his classically-inspired, decorative and evocative pieces, beginning in the 1880s the renowned artist Louis-Philippe Hébert paved the way for several generations of master sculptors who would later marshal their considerable talents to satisfy a wealthy client list well-versed in modern European funerary sculptural trends. Towering works such as the Valois Family Memorial (1895), which dominates the cemetery at 37 feet in height, would soon be replicated by the dozen. Both individually and collaboratively, Hébert and his son Henry would, in the half-century span from 1880 to 1930, create a series of works now considered masterpieces in Canadian funerary art.

In addition to Hébert’s legacy, sharp-eyed visitors will also encounter creations by renowned artists including Alexandre Carli (1861 – 1937), George William Hill (1862 – 1934), Elzéar Soucy (1876 – 1970), Alfred Laliberté (1878 – 1953), Émile Brunet (1893 – 1977), Alice Nolin (1896 – 1967) and more recently, Sebastiano Aiello (1908 – 1987), Charles Daudelin (1920 – 2001) and John Stohl (born 1954).A veritable who’swho of artists who traced – or continue to enjoy – outstanding careers in Canadian sculptural art, with funerary art representing only one aspect of their creative output. The deeply-rooted concern of families wishing to preserve the likenesses of their loved ones

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

in perpetuity may be felt through the significant number of busts and medallion portraits dotting the garden cemetery. Various representations of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints also hold special significance within the landscape, and magnificent angels and a multitude of allegorical depictions adorn numerous sculptures scattered about the garden. Visitors may also admire some of the most beautiful representations of weepers in the country. And although a majority of modern funerary sculptures continue to draw inspiration from Christian iconographyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most ancient themes, others evoke secular concepts now closely associated with modern spirituality, forming a stark contrast with earlier preferential renderings. In any season, a stroll through Notre-DameDes-Neiges Cemetery is a true source of

enchantment for those willing to see and appreciate the past and current efforts of dozens of artists who, through their sculptural art, sought to impact needed strength and courage to mourners grieving the loss of a loved one. In this way, some of the greatest names in the history of Quebec and Canadian art contributed works, both grandiose and cleanly simple, to numerous family lots at Notre-DameDes-Neiges Cemetery, born from a collective desire to commemorate the soul of the dearly departed, evoke the whisper of memory, and elicit a heartfelt response.

Daniel Drouin

Curator of Ancient Art and Head of the Inuit Collection MusĂŠe National des Beaux-Arts du QuĂŠbec

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

Valois Family Memorial 1895, Canada

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

Kasubi Tombs in Kampala, Uganda

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

THE FUNERAL

SERVICES OF

THE BAGANDA

This article is about developments that are taking place in the funeral services management of the Baganda, a tribe found in the central part of Uganda. For the sake of achieving adequate depth in the treatment of the subject, the article shall restrict itself to the funeral of a common Muganda. Royals are buried differently, and this article will not treat that area. The period is also restricted to the 1900â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to today. Earlier than this period, some differences do exist.

The Traditional Funeral The death of a person in traditional Buganda would normally be announced by the wailing of a woman/ women. This wailing would be triggered by shock, but it also had social implications. It acted like an official public announcement to the whole village that a death had occurred, and a clarion call for immediate assistance to the bereaved family. Death used to be a community concern. This call had to be responded to, and immediately. The neighbors would all congregate to the home of the bereaved, build a makeshift shade for the mourners to be shielded from either the sun or the rain. The women would

bring and prepare food or tea and/or porridge, and the men would mobilize local brew especially for the night period. They would collect logs and make a fire in front of the house (if the deceased is the husband) or on the side (if the deceased is the wife or a child). Men would gather around this fire-place keeping vigil while the women would keep indoors with the human remains. This vigil would appear like a reunion of friends, neighbors and friends, especially for the men seated outside. They would take free beer and discuss all sorts of issues including those irrelevant to the funeral. But this would also be the time for the elders, clansmen and neighbors, to make plans for the burial ceremonies.

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

The sitting room would be cleared of all tables and chairs to allow for more sitting space. The remains would be put on a bed in the sitting room, and the women would sit on mats on the floor around the bed. If the deceased was the husband, the bed would be put in the center of the sitting room with the head pointing to the door. If the deceased was the wife, or a child, then the bed would be placed on the side. All the portraits bearing the image of the deceased would either be removed from the sitting room of turned against the wall as a sign of mourning. One small table would be placed strategically at the entrance to the house, and a trusted neighbor would be positioned there to receive funeral cash donations (Mabugo). This fund would be used by the family and friends to buy the funeral clothing (Mbugo), and to buy all other essentials for a decent funeral. The balance of this money would be given to the family. While the women would be busy cooking, the men would voluntarily mobilize to dig the grave. The depth of the grave would depend on the popularity of the person being buried. For a very popular person, every man would want to contribute to the digging and the grave would easily sink to 10 feet, while for unpopular person they may stop at 5 feet. Burials used to take place at 2 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock in the afternoon, and the preparations would start at about noon depending upon whether the burial is preceded by a Service/Mass or not. The twins and the parents of twins would be buried in the evening, normally at 6 pm. The preparations for the burial for a man would be done in the courtyard, while the ladies would be done in the sitting room. There are several private ceremonies that take place in the preparation of the man but they have not been included here. There are two methods of clothing the remains; one is the envelope type (Ebbaasa) and the other is the rolling type (Kakomma). Both were intended to ensure that the body is kept together as much as possible. The burial would involve using ropes made out of the burial back cloth to lower the tightly rolled body into the grave pit. The soil would then be shoved back into the grave pit until all the red soil is finished. This would form a heap the length of the grave pit.

The modified Traditional Funeral Modifications to this traditional model have developed over time. Some of these have been caused by modernity, the influence of foreign cultures and others have come up as an effort to reduce the trauma embedded in the traditional style. Wailing is still an important signal, especially in the rural setting. People still congregate after that wailing. What has changed slightly is that the supplying of food and drinks by the neighbors is becoming rarer. Instead, the mourners are increasingly expecting the bereaved to make adequate arrangements for accommodation (tents and chairs), and catering for the mourners. People are becoming more and more individualistic, and death is gradually becoming a family issue. Cash donations to assist in the funeral ceremonies are gradually dwindling, as the cost of maintaining a funeral is gradually rising. There is more and more reliance on commercial catering firms than on neighbors for feeding the mourners, and coupled with the dwindling cash donations the pressure is shifting more on the employers of the deceased, very close friends and the bereaved family. Partly because of these developments, the period between death and burial is reducing to an average of two to three days. The vigil night is gradually reducing to 1 day, followed by burial on the following day. It is only in rare cases where the family has to wait for relatives from the Diaspora, that the period extends to four days or more; but even then the remains are either left in the Hospital mortuary, or in a funeral home to allow for only one vigil night. Wrapping of human remains is speedily giving way to dressing them in their usual attire, and gracefully placing them in coffins of varying values. Funeral service companies are rapidly increasing in number to replace the friends and neighbors in conducting funerals. Transportation of human remains is increasingly being referred to Funeral service companies as opposed to the traditional means of Pick-ups, Lorries or Bicycles. The use of ropes to lower coffins or caskets into the graves is fast disappearing and giving way to the use

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

of sailors (Lowering devices). Built graves are now the fashion, whether they are in cement or in tiles is just a factor of financial capacity. Flower petals have replaced the refilling of graves with soil, and graves are more and more finished in cement, terrazzo, or granite. There is a very significant shift from the traditional model to the current style of funerals in Buganda. The wailing during funerals has tremendously reduced in tempo, and it is more normal now

to hear of “celebrating the life of so and so”, than “mourning the death of so and so”. All these have greatly contributed to changing the image of death among the Baganda.

Aloysius Mutyaba-Mukiibi

Manager Uganda Funeral Services

Modern Memorial Stone, Uganda Funeral Services

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

NGABEN

EMOTION AND RESTRAINT

IN A BALINESE HEART

The Balinese cremation ceremony, or Ngaben, has primarily been known in the West as either a major tourist attraction that dazzles visitors with the splendor, intricacy, and drama of its performance, or as food for long-standing anthropological arguments about personhood and emotion that debated whether or not Balinese people expressed, or even experienced, grief. While expressed, performed, and experienced in various ways by the people who participate in them, Balinese cremation ceremonies are part of Balinese Hinduism, the result of a syncretism between local Balinese animist spirituality and cosmology and Hindu beliefs and practices, which were brought to the Indonesian archipelago as early as the 1st century and spread to Bali as early as the 4th century and reached its peak of influence during the Hindu Majapahit Empire in the thirteen hundred. The richness and complexity of Balinese Hinduism is worth detailed study of its own but two of the key beliefs of Balinese Hinduism are karma phala, wherein positive or negative behavior

has the capacity to influence the fate of oneself or one’s family members in the future, and reincarnation, or the process of a soul’s rebirth after death. Cremation is one of the most important steps in a person’s spiritual life, because it is through cremation that the physical body is returned to its five constituent elements, or pancamahabuta, which are the earth (perthiwi), water (apah), fire (teja), air (bayu), and ether (akasa), and the soul is cleansed and released from the body to ascend to heaven and be reincarnated. As they are responsible for carrying out the cremation, the family bears a significant responsibility in

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

this process and must ensure that the crossing over and spiritual elevation of their loved one is done properly. These Balinese Hindu beliefs about reincarnation provide the backdrop for the cremation ceremony known as Ngaben. The Ngaben is part of a complex ceremonial funerary process that begins long before - sometimes even years before - the actual immolation takes place. It can be divided into a number of stages.

The first of these stages is the funeral, which occurs shortly after death. Most Balinese who pass away will be buried for a period of time before they are exhumed and cremated. The burial is an important element in the progression of the deceased person’s soul in that here the prethiwi, the “solid” or material elements of the body, are returned to the earth and begin to be broken down. Burial is also often required as an interim between death and cremation so that the family of the deceased has an opportunity to raise the money required to hold a proper Ngaben, which may cost between two and three thousand dollars. As such, the length of time the body remains buried will vary due to the financial position of the family; priests from the high Brahmin caste are never buried but kept in the house until their almost immediate cremation, rich families may be able to cremate their relatives very soon after they have died, but less well-off families may have to wait years. Some families who cannot afford a cremation may wait for the Ngaben of a member of royalty, as the preparations for these ceremonies will be the best, in terms of comprehensive planning and offerings, auspicious date, and holiness of the priests and blessings, reassuring relatives that the soul of their loved one will be guided to heaven. Other families will gather together with a group of other families, sometimes as many as

ten or more, to share the financial and other burdens of hosting a cremation. Until there are sufficient funds to carry out the cremation, the deceased will be purified and buried in the part of the family temple complex known as the Pura Dalem, or “the temple of the dead,” which is built facing the sea. Once interred, the deceased will be brought daily offerings of food that are placed on a small adjacent shrine. Family members will also place small coconut leaves at the head and feet of the grave because it is believed that the spirit of the deceased roams at night and the leaves serve as markers to guide the spirit back to its body. If there are no leaves the spirit will be left to wander forever with potential negative effects on the family or even the whole village. Ideally, the cremation will not have to be postponed longer than three years after the deceased has been buried, because until the full cremation ceremony has been completed, the soul cannot rise to become a “purified ancestor” or be “brought home” to reside in the family shrine, nor can it be reincarnated. The experience of this delay upsets many Balinese family members, as they grieve for the soul of the deceased who is not yet able to reach heaven. Many Balinese believe an extended period of waiting causes the soul of the deceased to suffer, as he or she is forced to wander and wait in a torturous limbo. In their distress, such suspended souls may cause sickness in members of the surviving communities, or endanger their well-being in other ways. If a family is experiencing illness or trouble they may consult a spirit medium and healer, or balian, who can contact the dead. If they have a buried family member they have been unable to cremate they might hear the plea, “Why have you just thrown me away? I want to be cremated.” Meetings in such situations are often filled with weeping and feelings of guilt. Once

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

enough funds have been raised the family is ready to move on to the next ceremonial stage of exhumation and cremation. They will go to a priest who will determine the auspicious date for the cremation ceremony based on the Balinese ritual calendar and other factors. A week before the cremation, members of the banjar, or village organization, and family will start bringing gifts and offerings for the deceased. The family will in turn provide food and entertainment. Three days before the cremation, the body is removed from its temporary grave at the Pura Dalem. This is known as the bone taking, or ngebet. The remains, in whatever state they are in, are then purified and washed by immediate family members while extended family and others in the village look on.

feelings of tenderness and care. If the body is recently deceased, the family might still be in the throes of grief and loss and if it has been long buried these feelings might arise anew. Both pleasant and painful memories might be triggered, as well as a kind of mortal horror involved with handling the dead, or seeing a loved one in such a position. However, theoretically the Ngaben is an occasion for joy because the family knows that they are both fulfilling their most important obligation and allowing their loved one’s soul to be purified, released from the body, journey to heaven, and then be reincarnated. It is common at funerals for family members to be subdued but non-family members to enjoy and encourage a festive atmosphere.

In Ngaben, the recently deceased relative’s corpse is still fairly intact, while the remains of other relatives, who has been buried for ten years, are now mostly just pieces of bone. In certain cases, an effigy or effigies of the deceased may be built and placed atop the remains, serving as a symbolic idealized version of the human body which will take a new shape heaven—for example, the effigy might be given eyes made out of pieces of mirror so that in the next life the deceased’s eyes will be clear and sparkling, teeth made out of nails so that they will be strong, and etc. The remains will then be wrapped in white cloth. Family members and friends may insert money into the layers of cloth wrapping the corpse or the remains in order to ensure prosperity in the next life. The bones will be kept in a temporary shelter, or “salon,” for three days, and family members and friends will keep the remains company there, praying and celebrating. Tending to the body and remains can be an emotionally intense experience for family members. As washing the corpse is the last intimate “work” one does for a family member it may elicit

A day before the cremation is to take place, one final ceremony is held at the Pura Dalem, where people dress in their finest clothes and carry offerings to the temple. On the day of the Ngaben, the body itself will be transported to the funeral grounds. The remains sit in a tower built from wood and bamboo. This tower can be striking, some as tall as 30 feet high, covered with bright decorations made of paper, string, tinsel, gold thread, silk, cloth, mirrors, flowers and other bright and colorful materials. The tower has three tiers; the remains or the body is placed on a platform on the highest tier, and the priest stands next to it on this platform to escort it to the temple. The lowest tier, or the base of the tower, is supported bamboo poles and carried by a group of usually male family members or pallbearers. These pallbearers will twist, twirl and circle around with the tower to disorient and confuse the soul of the deceased, ensuring that it will be unable to find its way back home. The procession is accompanied by lively drumming, music, and dancing. Meanwhile, in front of the procession another group of men carry a sarcophagus, which is often

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

in the form of a black bull, although depending on the caste may also take the form of a winged lion, as is evident in Ngaben, or an elephant. The sarcophagus is the first to arrive at the temple, where it awaits the funeral tower. Once the tower arrives, the remains will be inserted into the sarcophagus through an opening in the back of its body.

The final offerings are made and the priest, who sprinkles holy water on the sarcophagus, conducts the final rituals. The sarcophagus is then set on fire to purify and release the deceasedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teja, radiance, or soul. This purification is only complete once the entire sarcophagus has been burned to ashes, signaling that the soul has ascended into heaven. The white ashes from the bones are then gathered and wrapped with flowers in a yellow and white cloth. This is not yet the end of the cremation ritual. There is one final stage to the cremation and the purification of the soul, where the apah, or liquids, will be dispersed by sending the ashes to the sea. The gathered ashes will be placed, along with the cloth they are wrapped

in, on a small bier. If the family lives close to the ocean, this bier will be brought and placed directly on the waves. If not, the ashes will be placed in a river, which will slowly carry them to the sea. This step is also accompanied by a ceremony that involves offerings and music. Ideally this occurs within twelve days after the cremation but again, due to the cost of such a ceremony, a family may be forced to wait longer as they gather the necessary resources to carry it out. It is only during this last ceremony that the soul is released from heaven to the highest level of being, from where it can follow the final stage of reincarnation, which is to be reborn. Balinese believe that the soul will be reincarnated back into the family, such as a greatgrandchild but also possibly the first baby born after this final ritual is completed.

Robert Lemelson

UCLA Department of Anthropology; Documentary Filmmaker

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

ETHIOPIA

TRADITIONAL

OROMO BURIAL PRACTICES Stones, Slabs, and Stelae: The Origins and Symbolism of Contemporary Oromo Burial Practice and Grave Art The Oromo people of the Horn of Africa have played a critical role in the formation of modern-day Ethiopia. Interestingly, few aspects of Oromo culture have received the academic attention they deserve. Among the many contemporary Oromo practices that have received little scholarly attention, is Oromo burial practice and memorial grave art. Although Oromo memorial grave art has been documented to some extent, the current practice remains surprisingly undocumented and not interpreted.

Traditional Oromo Burial Practices The following information was gathered during a personal interview with Oromo specialist Dr. Gemechu. While this information was gathered as objectively as possible, the high complexity of Oromo religion and social structure are indicators of the unease with which Oromo cultural practices are conceived by outsiders. Additionally, however, the necessity to document traditions appear immediate in the face of domination and cultural assimila-

tion by larger religious institutions, namely Christianity and Islam. It is important to note that the existence of these burial practices is not widespread across all Oromo groups in Ethiopia today. There are Oromo groups however, particularly the Borana Oromo, which have been noted for their high degree of resistance to modernization and great respect of cultural tradition. It must be understood that contemporary Oromo burial practices in many cases may be no different than those historically practiced by Ethiopian Christians and Muslims. This phenomenon has warranted the documentation of traditional Oromo burial practices, despite the fact than a thorough examination of the practices requires a highly invested understanding of Oromo social ideology. As a result of the heavy impact of Islam and Christianity on Oromo tradition, traditional burial practices are performed by approximately fifty percent of the Oromo today. Additionally, these traditional practices are more likely to be found among the Arsi or Borana Oromo,

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

as a result of the high resistance to cultural change present in these groups. Traditional Oromo burial practices are extremely complex and involve differing degrees of treatment for individuals of different age, sex, and social affiliation. The importance of “stone culture” to the Oromo is quite clear in traditional burial practices, but the significance of stones in Oromo culture in general cannot be undermined. The physical layout of the traditional Oromo house, or the mana, and the importance of stones within the home provides great insight into familial structure and value. These socalled “hearthstones,” which are often placed near the fireplace or the mana’s main support poles, are highly symbolic. One stone, which is fixed in the ground, symbolizes permanence. The first born of the family is also represented here among the hearthstones. The symbolic significance of these stones ultimately provokes interest in the meaning embodied in other cultural practices involving stones, such as burial practice. Given Oromo egalitarianism, contemporary burial practices reveal some surprising details about Oromo social perception and ideology. The death of an infant, for example, is treated dramatically different that of an adult. When an infant dies, it is placed within a large clay jar and buried within the house, usually near the central pillar. The Oromo concept of ayanaa is particularly important in understanding the differential treatment of infant deaths. According to Oromo social ideology, the traditional Oromo grave is viewed as a home of sorts for the deceased. This serves the individual’s ayanaa, which does not die with the deceased’s physical death. The ayanaa, which is the primary concern for the reverence of the deceased, is not of concern to infants. The Gada system employed by the Oromo does

not affiliate adolescents younger than the first Gada cycle with the possession of an ayanaa. This renders a more substantial burial for infants unnecessary. Whether male or female, when an individual dies he/she is thoroughly washed and tied in the fetal position. Additionally, the deceased is then wrapped in perfumed plants. A sort of mat made of palm tree leaves is often used to wrap the individual before burial. Spiritual leaders, and those with higher standing in the Gada system, receive a different physical preparation before burial. They are also washed in a similar manner to the standard burial practice, but the individuals responsible for preparing these elite civilians receive specialized training. The details of this training and the burial practice are rather ambiguous, as they are traditionally kept secretive. The burial of these elite individuals is meant to be invisible to the public, in accordance with Oromo traditional belief that does not assign them to physical mortality. The cleansing process for these burials is much more thorough, and the individual’s intestines are removed. Traditional Oromo burial practices incorporate various methods of grave construction. The physical, underground burial element can either be a straight pit, or a sort of chamber that is dug out following the initial dig downwards. Each method is symbolic of a specific individual’s social status. The standard pit depth of Oromo burials is around two to two and a half meters. Additionally, when an individual dies, the corpse is covered by a pile of stones. This modest stone covering is accompanied by an outlying circle of stones, placed symbolically and successively by each of the deceased’s children. The result is a circle of stones that represents the number of children possessed by the deceased. In the case of higher status individuals, the burial is often

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

placed in a highly visible or public space. The primary stone pile is continuously renewed as individuals pass by and pay their respects by placing an additional stone upon the deceased. The size of the deceased’s stone pile is an indication of the man’s importance and social position. Burial practices are highly symbolic of an individual’s social position. If an individual dies without having been married, they are placed closer to the homestead. A large tree is buried in the individual’s memory. A married individual however, will receive the

more traditional stone-pile burial. When an individual dies, there are a variety of traditional practices in Oromo society that pertain to the practice of mourning loss. A white thread is often worn around the neck to serve as a symbol of remembrance. Members of the deceased’s immediate family will also shave their heads to demonstrate the fact that they are in mourning.

Christopher Grant SIT Study Abroad

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

EBOLA

PSYCHOLOGY,

HISTORY, CULTURE The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa has been the largest outbreak of the disease in history. It has taken almost 7,000 lives, primarily in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. In the rush to address this medical emergency, insufficient attention has been given to the human impacts of the disease, beyond the lives it has claimed.

The outbreak has been characterized by fear, mistrust and stigma, which has interfered with containment efforts; this highlights the need to consider Ebola in the context of overlapping psychological, historical and cultural factors.

Burial Practices In West Africa, religious beliefs and customs dictate specific procedures for handling burials, which may come into conflict with necessary Ebola safety precautions. Traditional burial practices often include washing, touching, and kissing the body, which is problematic given that Ebola is transmitted through direct

contact with bodily fluids. Victims are most infectious after death, and this continues for several days. In the 2014 outbreak, the WHO estimated that contact with deceased individuals has caused at least 20% of infections. Burial practices have caused similar problems in Ebola outbreaks in other parts of Africa. Dr. Barry Hewlett and Dr. Bonnie Hewlett conducted extensive anthropological research in Uganda, which suggests, “Prohibiting families from performing such rites is not only viewed as an affront to the deceased, but as actually putting the family in danger. ‘In the event of an improper burial, the deceased person’s spirit (tibo) will cause harm and illness to the family’”.

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

A similar situation has played out in West Africa, where Ebola burial teams have often put safety before tradition, wearing full protective gear and dousing the body with bleach before lowering it into a 6-foot grave, enclosed in multiple body bags. It has become common in some places for Ebola victims’ bodies to be hidden away by family members so that they can be buried properly. Medical officials have been bribed to persuade them to hand over bodies, and a WHO representative has said that, “It’s not uncommon to hear of people driving round with bodies on motorcycles during the night”. The situation was even worse in Liberia, where the government ruled in August that bodies of all Ebola victims in the Monrovia area should be cremated after they failed to find adequate burial sites. This policy has led many people to avoid hospitals and conduct secret burials. The country’s assistant health minister acknowledged, “We know cremation is not our culture… But now we have a disease, so we have to change the way we used to do business”. Casket-makers have suffered greatly, “Because all bodies are now considered Ebola bodies, as if other diseases are not killing people here”. Many relatives have complained of loved ones dying from ordinary illnesses and still being subject to Ebola burial procedures. Officials recognize that it is important to avoid alienating relatives. As one new report puts it, “The washing, touching, and kissing of these bodies… can be deadly. But prohibiting communities from properly honoring their dead ones—and thereby worsening their distrust in medical professionals—can be deadly too”. To improve community trust, the WHO released new guidelines for the burial of Ebola victims in November2014, which placed a higher em-

phasis on balancing safety with religious beliefs and the dignity of the deceased. The new protocol encourages the inclusion of relatives and suggests that modified rites, like dry ablution, be accommodated. It was developed by an interdisciplinary team that included religious leaders and anthropologists, and aims to “help families to be part of the decision-making process”. The Red Cross has attempted to conduct burials as respectfully as possible, and increasing numbers of burial teams may have helped to reverse the Ebola trend in Liberia. In other countries, they have even trained and payed locals to bury the dead. however, the WHO still estimates that the West African countries have had only 1/3 of the necessary number of burial teams to cope with the terrible outbreak. One of the primary lessons that have been drawn from the issue of adapting traditional burial practices is the importance of reaching out to the community and making accommodations to their belief system. In cases where communities distrusted health workers and burial teams, dead bodies were hidden away, probably infecting many others in the process. Thus, it is critical when attempting to interfere with deep-seated customs to educate the population and clearly communicate why such measures are necessary, although this may be more difficult in impoverished areas with high illiteracy rates, where few understand infectious diseases. A key aspect is direct contact between burial teams and the community, because such encounters will feed into the teams’ reputation. It is for this reason that the WHO advises that, in the future, teams do not wear personal protective equipment when first meeting a family. Another key step that can be taken to build trust is to involve the family in the burial

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

process, rather than simply disappearing with a body and never coming back. For many people â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both Muslims and Christians â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is extremely important to perform certain rites, and although some may not be feasible in the context of Ebola, it is important to acknowledge the sacrifice and allow other practices to continue as normally as possible. In some areas, health workers have even begun to work with religious and political leaders to develop narratives

telling people that it does not violate their religion to conduct safe burials and refrain from touching the body, which is a promising means of obtaining community buy-in. Unfortunately, in the beginning of a dangerous outbreak, such measures are not always possible.

Thao Nguyen Duke University

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

SPANISH CEMETERIES TOURIST DESTINATION

ON THE RISE

Although a priori a cemetery is a space to bury the mortal remains of the deceased, the reality is that they are much more than that. Cemeteries are spaces of history, art, tradition and culture of our country and, increasingly, become must-see places for tourists. Cementiris of Barcelona organizes - from 2004 - Cemeteries Tours of Poblenou and Montjuïc with the aim of raising awareness of the heritage and history of these burial sites. These free tours are organized every first Sunday of the month and, twice a year, night tours guided by costumed actors are also organized. It is meant to promote the funerary landscape” and bring the visitor to “a trip to the past”. Cementiris of Barcelona has chosen these two cemeteries, out of 9 is in the city of Barcelona, because Poblenou and Montjuïc “are the two monumental cemeteries in the city and recognized by the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe (ASCE) – for having a great heritage value. Both cemeteries have also a great tourist attraction as they are a fundamental part of

the city and reflect the history and evolution of Barcelona, in social and cultural terms. In addition, they have a high concentration of artworks. These graveyards shelter the remains of prominent personalities such as the inventor of the submarine, Narcís Monturiol; the writer José Luis de Vilallonga or actress and humorist, Mary Santpere at Poble Nou Cemetery. In the cemetery of Montjuïc, one can visit the graves of artist Ramón Casas; FC Barcelona founder, Joan Gamper or the painter Joan Miró. The cemetery of Montjuïc holds the Collection of Carriages Funeral, a unique exhibition in Europe showing 23 original hearses. Along with the collection the museum accommodates the second in Europe in number of books Funeral Library. More and more people visit cemeteries on the occasion of various cultural events,

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

concerts, theater performances and lectures. In 2013, 11,000 people took the day tours of the two cemeteries.

of Valencia, the Parc de la Font Roja located near another natural park, the Sierra Mariola, known for the medicinal value of herbs.

Cultural magazine ‘Adios Cultural’ has launched a contest of Spanish cemeteries. The Burguete Cemetery and the Roncal Cemetery came out as the best in the category of Best Sculpture. The pantheon of Augustine Cemetery Gisbert Alcoy in the category of Best Architectural Monument. Editor Jesus Pozo, pointing out that the goal “is to contribute to the promotion of our funerary heritage, a unique opportunity to open cemeteries as if they were urban museums”. The magazine edited by Funespaña, Spanish funeral group- is preparing the second edition of this competition and will include two new categories: one environmental and one for the best innovative initiative.

“Our cemetery has attractions such as architecture, sculpture, art, historical events, relevant characters, symbols, botany, epitaphs and aesthetic values.” “Any of them worth a visit but all together, united, eclectic, are an authentic experience that lingers in the memory of those who visit us,” he concludes.

Councilor for Tourism of the Alcoy Cemetery, Maria Llopis states that “these awards are a recognition of the heritage value of the cemetery.” “The award is undoubtedly a big boost to the tourist promotion of our cemetery and the city of Alcoy in the province of Alicante. Llopis points out that it is an eclectic cemetery with modernist and neoclassical works and even a modern pantheon built in 2009 and owned by an industrial family. In addition, the cemetery is located in privileged natural enclave, at the foot of one of the most visited natural parks

The Mayor of the city of Roncal, Alfredo Cabodevilla, proudly tells that the town’s cemetery has been awarded the title of Best Cemetery Sculpture. This award is yet more remarkable for the fact that it is located in a small town in Navarre Pyrenees, with just 250 inhabitants. This work is one of the most important examples of funerary sculpture of modern time. The Mausoleum of Gayarre attracts many people - especially fond of lyric and great admirers of the artist Gayarre. Furthermore, it is an area of great attraction for the spectacular setting and because it houses one of the most remarkable works of Mariano Benlliure and one of the examples of funerary sculpture major modern era. This, and the Pyrenean landscape that accompanies it, make it a special place that surprises and impresses.

Gabino Abanades Guerrero Funespaña.S.A.

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

THE BANQUET FOR THE AJAYU 60

MASTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;AKU

Since the dawn of mankind, food has been at the midpoint of our existence; from the struggle of obtaining it for survival to the creation of a social identity through it. Every human group has fabricated an intricate communal and symbolic relationship with the blend of tastes, aromas and textures - food. We can determine that one of the most outstanding elements of a culture is its food. Food is part of the traditions, rituals, beliefs embedded in the collective memory or the daily life of any society. Furthermore, it is thru this remarkable component that the individual will bear in mind sensations, remembrances or particular emotions or feelings. The components for food traditions will be different from country to country or regions or continents; however, it is vital to understand that food is associated with expressions of love, friendship, hospitality; furthermore, it can also be considered as a symbol of social status and religious significance. All special occasions from festivals to holidays, to religious celebrations,

to weddings or funerals are impacted by the various foods, its preparation; way it is served, including the emblematic and/or transformative value it may have. It is in this context that we shall further look into the importance of food within the general Andean Culture, Inca Culture and its impact with the rituals of the Deceased; specifically, the preparation of the Mastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;aku in regions of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. For the Andean and Inca Gastronomy we can resume that tubers, roots and grains were of importance, being Maize the most prominent. Potatoes were also abundant and appreciated because more than 4000 varieties could be

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

Calavera

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

found in the vast lands of the Inca Empire. For the sources of meat, guinea pigs and dried fish was part of the diet, being Llamas the most valued.

For the Andean people, the Quechuas, Aymaras and other Indigenous Groups the Deceased play an important role in the life of every being, family and of the society as a whole (death is part of the cycle of life). Therefore, the tradition of the connection of food and the Deceased are intertwined because there is a need to continue the bond between the living and the soul, spirit or AJAYU. For the Andean cosmovision the AJAYU is the continuing strength, it is the component that transcends. This perception further allows us to interpret that the soul is immortal and if life and death are part of the same cycle we can continue to infer that there is always an “eternal return”. As explained by the Bolivian anthropologist Amilcar Zambrana, “during the rituals of death it was vital to unbury the Deceased so that they may be washed. Then the table was set with the preferred food and drinks of the Deceased, to honor them because time and space return with them”. Herewith, the mast’aku, was the link of communication between life and death. The set table filled with food offerings is prepared with inherited knowledge, devotion and in due time but most of all it is set to be in resemblance to the love of the departed soul. The mast’aku must reflect three levels (represented at the table setting with 3 levels of steps, like if it were a stairway). Each dimension with a spacial distribution and representative elements charged with syncretism: 1. Janaq Pacha, the world above 2. Kay Pacha, the earthly world 3. Ukhu Pacha, the underworld

The first level (1) represents the heavens, where the Sun and the Moon allow life on earth. It is also believed that the Sun and Moon represent the day and night that the souls visit keeping them safe from the darkness; furthermore, they are the necessary light for the eternal voyage of the souls. Families will add a portrait of their loved one, along with the angels (representing heavenly guardians) and the cross (some anthropologists suggest these elements were added upon the clash of cultures; specifically, with the arrival of Catholicism to the American Continent). The “Andean Cross” is interpreted as the spiritual bridge for the crossing of the soul. From this level the souls will come and begin their visit at midday of every November 1st.

The second level (2) the earthly world has the t’antawawa, which represents the Deceased along with its favorite foods and fruits. Candies and toys keep the soul sweet and entertained; while the cigarettes and the ancestral “coca” leaf will allow communication with the living and the deities. Furthermore, the table shall be filled with “urpus” (pastries with the shape of animals) and drinks. We can grasp the fusion of civilizations when we see beverages as the traditional “chicha” (fermented corn beverage) and beer (introduced in recent times); together these elements quench the thirst and fortify the soul. The ladders on both sides allow the “soul” to descend and ascend between the place it dwells and the earth of the living. The “llamas” are the sacred animals in charge of transporting the offerings and/or can also help the soul move around while visiting. It is the animal that symbolizes the union of the earth and heaven. It is during this preparation where families

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

bond with relatives and friends in hope and joy to prepare each part of the table setting. All details are charged with enthusiasm for families know that they shall soon have the visit of the spirit of their loved one. The Bolivian anthropologist, Wilfredo Camacho, clearly describes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;this is a moment of union and reminiscence.â&#x20AC;? To celebrate the life of our Departed has no time frame.

The third level (3)

Other elements continue to be added or changed, it is clear to anthropologists that many of these are the effects of acculturation. We can conclude that food has always been an intricate piece in every funeral ritual anywhere on our planet. That is why it is not a surprise when we look at all the elements described in this article and find much similitude with faraway traditions:

is considered to represent the underworld. It is in this level that the lizards, snakes, frogs are symbols of the profound.

Qingming Festival, China Chuseok, Korea Pâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;chum Ben, Cambodia Galugan, Bali Pitru Paksha, India

On the sides of this special altar you can see sugar cane, which gives the soul the adequate shade or protection of the sunrays and the rain. Upon its return, the soul can also use this as a walking stick. The wreaths are symbols of the unity that the family must have.

But just as we find these likenesses we are also in a crucible, we must act in a responsible and multidisciplinary perspective because many of these rituals are being lost, rapidly transformed thus creating emptiness in the foundations of our identities.

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

The demands of our “modern” societies, such as safety, health, environmental or other concerns collide in many ways with the performance of the ritual. It is under these circumstances that many times regulations or laws are passed unilaterally thus solving some issues and dislocating others. The case of the Plurinational State of Bolivia has followed to an extent this scenario. We have prohibited that food and drinks enter our cemeteries during these traditional celebrations forcing in many cases our people to alter the ritual or to abandon it. Furthermore, sometimes confusion and conformability grant the younger generation to adopt foreign traditions, which for this pertaining analysis would be Mast’aku versus Halloween. Many experts think that these contradictions must be resolved in finding a harmonious balance between identity and trends of a globalized world. It seems that there are certainties’ we can all incorporate in our efforts to further contribute to this context: Education, Awareness and

Tolerance. Education shall always allow us to better comprehend our history and its evolution that contributes in summing up awareness of our customs, traditions, and rituals; henceforth, this will create a tolerance continuum. Tolerance in return should be the shield we all use to promote peace and harmony amongst all beyond our differences. Moreover, this additionally implies a pledge to the work of the UNESCO, “whose work to protect cultural heritage is one of the most visible, universally acknowledge and respected international conservation initiatives ever undertaken”. All of us, together with FIAT IFTA can make a difference in the inventory and assertive protection of Funeral Rituals around the world!

Teresa Saavedra, Bolivia

1st Vice President FIAT IFTA, President ALPAR

Bibliography: Works of Amilcar Zambrana, Anthropologist Works of Wilfredo Camacho, Anthropoogist Article by Dico Soliz, Opinion Article by Jhonny Nava B Sintesis de una Tesis, “Cuando las Almas se van Marchando”, Xavier Jordan A. Essays on the subject of various authors Many documents of books and web pages: Ministry of Culture-Bolivia, Conaculta-Mexico.

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

POLAND

THE TRADITION OF

FUNERAL VALEDICTION 66 In every culture the basis for communication is words. We use words to get our emotions in order as well as impart information about our mental and physical states, opinions or intentions to other community members. In moments of great importance, we feel an urge to give or listen to an occasional speech. Everyone has heard out a welcoming or inaugural address or a funeral valediction at least once in a lifetime. In times past a funeral valediction was referred to as a necrology (from Greek ho’nekros ‘corpse’ and ho’logos ‘word’). Even today we can come across an obituary notice containing a piece of information that ‘the occasional necrology was delivered by Mr Somebody-Or-Other...’. Of course, in funeral observances it has become customary for a necrology to be ‘a word about the deceased,’ however assuming a rather abridged form, usually informing about a person’s death and a date and place of his or her burial. What appears to be the most significant part of a speaker’s address at a funeral ceremony is called a funeral valediction. A eulogy, i.e. a speech that praises the deceased, is a laudation (from Laudetur Jesus Christus! ‘Praised be Jesus Christ’), and a speaker delivering it is a laudator. Most frequently, a funeral valediction given at the graveside before burial is a posthumous tribute to the deceased, reminiscing about his or her profes-

sional achievements, family, passion, etc., by no means being a life history or biographical entry we can read in encyclopedias. It is distinguishable from the latter by the situational context and, before anything, by both form and composition. Like every literary genre, a funeral valediction should be structured in line with its genre-specific principles: I. Invocation of the deceased’s family and friends - “Dearly bereaved, ladies and gentlemen...” II. From-Death-to-Death structure Unlike a life history, a funeral valediction should start, so to speak, from the end, in the beginning focusing on the reason why all those people have gathered in a funeral chamber/chapel or at a cemetery. Everyone naturally knows that their relative or friend has died, which is why they have

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

come to attend his or her burial ceremony; nevertheless, evoking the fact of that person’s demise and making those assembled realize the finality of their last tribute draw their attention to the deceased, emphasizing the importance of the event in the lives of his or her dearest and closest persons. A model introduction can be worded as follows: “We are gathered here today to pay our last tribute to Jan Kowalski and support his beloved family and friends with our presence on this difficult day”.

That is how we have drawn the assembled persons’ attention to the demise of a human being and the fact that he or she has left some other human beings behind and that those persons – the family – must be attended to with some kind of care. Now it is time for the appreciation of the assembled persons’ relationships with the deceased, no matter how frequent or intimate their interactions were. After all, the departed must have meant something to each of those gathered to bid him farewell. Thus, we can go on like this: “Today all those to whom Jan was dear are reminiscing about the events and words from years or weeks ago, the special and every day, ordinary moments alike – all of them unrepeatable, as experienced together, together with Him”. The situation has been defined now: the person who was with his/her family and friends only a few days ago has passed away... And death has made anything about him or her impossible to happen ever again. At this point, a prepared reminiscence of the departed is read out. To make it a human life story, not a dull biography, certain rules must be followed: 1. Everyone likes when something nice is said about their birthplace, however it can’t take too long in a reminiscence. 2. Only the most crucial dates in the deceased’s lifetime, i.e. birthday, wedding day (if the deceased’s spouse is alive and present at a funeral – he or she is sure to prick up his/her ears), death date, should be mentioned in detail.

In case of any other events (graduations, doctorates, workplace changes), exact dates should be avoided as they tend to put listeners to sleep (!); instead, times of such events should be given in a more vivid manner. For instance, instead of the wording ‘August 30th,’ the phrase ‘at the end of the summer’ seems more adequate; in place of ‘January 15th,’ one can say ‘right in the middle of the winter.’ If exact time-frames for specific stages in the life of the departed person have been provided by the family (e.g. in the years 1958-62 he/ she was posted to someplace, while in the years 1962-70 he/she performed a whatever function), the second date should be replaced with a phrase without the unfortunate numerical wording – for example, ‘then, for eight years he served as...’. The optimal chronological order in a reminiscence is: - Childhood; - Youth; - War; if the deceased witnessed or fought in combat (the subject of war will never be just ‘history’ to the wartime generation since their best years came and went in wartime, with their wartime experiences often haunting them in their advanced years, so the subject is simply very important to them!); - Career/service record; this enables the old colleagues to ‘find’ anew their relationship with the deceased; - Character traits perceived by the people around – possibly, social activities; - Family; a separate ‘block,’ prepared with extreme care and tactfulness, yet at the same time the most extensively, unless the deceased wronged his/her family members, in which case the subject is merely outlined or entirely omitted; - Hobby; not necessarily an ‘ambitious’ one like Italian opera; hobbies such as angling, mushrooming or a favorite pet dog often describe the departed better, thus making a reminiscence warmer and more personal; - Circumstances of death; Note: no medical terms are used in a funeral val-

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

ediction! At a funeral ceremony, diseases are described as inexorable, treacherous, or serious. No such terms as cancer, infarction or Alzheimer are ever used – medical causes of death are only known to the family, and only the family can disclose this information to the outsiders. The from-death-todeath thematic circle is thus closed. III. Farewell In this paragraph we conclude a funeral valediction, once more focusing on the deceased’s close persons. We mention who is saying their farewells to the deceased, or who the deceased is bidding farewell (this bizarre form, in which the deceased is ‘active,’ ‘actively’ saying goodbye to his/her family and friends, is quite deeply set in the religious burial tradition, not infrequently bringing some solace to the living, as though their loved one had not died ‘completely’). Note: Sometimes the family request the enumeration of all family members – relatives and friends alike – by name. Although it will deform the text, their request should be granted, because all those persons will be waiting for their family names to be mentioned. However, if a list of names is too long, the family ought to be made aware that they might pass someone over on account of their forgetfulness in the ensuing painful situation; instead, they should be advised to consent to a safer and more general form like ‘all his/her immediate and distant family, relatives, friends and acquaintances are bidding him/her farewell.’ IV. Personal Acknowledgements It must be pointed out that acknowledgements at a funeral ceremony are given in two forms: - in a ceremonial room or chapel, personal acknowledgements are given by the family to particular individuals; - at the graveside at a cemetery, general thanks are

given to all gathered who have attended the funeral. Irrespective of the composition of a funeral valediction, a funeral orator must observe the following rules: - Protecting the immediate family’s personal interests. Should there be any contents which might intensify their pain, these ought to be toned down or removed. - Protecting the deceased’s good name. As the deceased can no longer defend him-/herself, no unfavorable opinion from the outsiders must disrupt the ceremony. - Preventing information spread. A funeral valediction should not contain anything that might start rumors. A situation where anyone in a funeral procession is whispering to a person next to him/her: ‘Well, well... who would’ve thought that... And now such things... It’s unbelievable...’ is unacceptable. - Preparing a speech using beautiful verbal expression. Foreign influences, like loan translations or calques, so overused in today’s mass media, should be avoided. A funeral valediction, which is the main content of addresses delivered by masters of secular funeral ceremonies, is a most welcome ‘supplement’ to religious burials as well. A religious funeral ceremony, conditional on the rites of a given Church, must remain unchanged and identical at any burial following a given rite. It is the funeral valediction, highly personalized and containing personal themes, that has the power to give a funeral ceremony a unique and special character. It is therefore worthwhile to compose and to deliver every last farewell address with love.

Marek Cichewicz

Polish Funeral Director and Repatriation Specialist

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

CHARTER

of Global Funeral Heritage DEFINITION:

Global Funeral Heritage consists of the expressions, customs, rituals, sites, buildings, constructions and instruments associated with death, loss and grief.

DECLARATION:

The preservation and protection of Global Funeral Heritage is the responsibility of families, local communities, religious institution and governments. FIAT-IFTA affirms the importance and significance of Global Funeral Heritage for societies and individuals. Funeral Heritage Association of FIAT-IFTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role is to inform all parties concerned and strives to work with local, national and international institutions to preserve and to protect Global Funeral Heritage for the future of humanity.

OBJECTIVES:

To support and endorse funeral museums and exhibitions worldwide To study and understand Global Funeral Heritage in order to preserve and protect it To promote understanding and appreciation of Global Funeral Heritage To promote publications and studies related to Global Funeral Heritage with respect to local and national concerns.

PRIMARY ACTIONS: 1. To cooperate with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in order to establish and extend the presence of Funeral Heritage sites on the World Heritage List and to bring in expert knowledge 2. Establishment of the Funeral Heritage Expert Committee 3. Foundation of the Association of Funeral Museums and Collections.

Charter of Global Funeral Heritage (Adopted by the General Assembly of FIAT-IFTA, June 2008, Barcelone)

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

SURVEY of Funeral Museums and Collections 71

AUSTRIA Bestattungsmuseum Wien Goldeggasse 19 1041 Vienna www.bestattungwien.at P.R. OF CHINA Shanghai Funeral Industry Museum Longhua Funeral Home 210 Caoxi Road., Xuhui District Shanghai Shanghai Humanism Memorial Museum Fu Shou Yuan Group No. 600, Lane 7270 Waiqingsong Road 201700 Shanghai FRANCE Musée Funéraire National (Museum to be established) 29, Square Saint Charles 75012 Paris www.museefuneraire.com GERMANY Zentralinstitut und Museum für Sepulkralkultur Weinbergstraße 25–27 D-34117 Kassel www.sepulkralmuseum.de Museum Ohlsdorfer Friedhof Fuhlsbüttler Straße 756 22337 Hamburg www.fof-ohlsdorf.de

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

Survey of Funeral Museums and Collections HUNGARY The Kegyeleti Museum: Piety Museum Fiumei ut. 16. 1086 Budapest www.btirt.hu

MEXICO Museo de la Muerte Plaza del Estudiante 1 Aguascalientes www.museonacionaldelamuerte.uaa.mx RUSSIA The Museum of World Funeral Culture Voenny Gorodok 96 630530 Kamenka – Novosibirsk SPAIN Museu de Carrosses Fúnebres C Sancho de Avila, 2 08018, Barcelona www.sfbsa.es SWITZERLAND Sammlung Friedhof am Hörnli Hörnliallee 70 CH - 4125 Riehen THE NETHERLANDS Nederlands Uitvaart Museum Tot Zover Kruislaan 124 1097 GA Amsterdam www.totzover.nl UNITED KINGDOM National Funeral Museum (Museum to be established) Victoria House, 10 Woolwich Manor Way, Beckton, London E6 5PA www.tcribb.co.uk The Albin Museum 52 Culling Road London SE16 2TN www.albins.co.uk

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

Survey of Funeral Museums and Collections USA The National Museum of Funeral History 415 Barren Springs Drive Houston, Texas 77090 www.nmfh.org Museum of Funeral Customs (Museum temporarily closed) 1440 Monument Avenue Springfield, Illinois 62702 www.ifda.org

Private Funeral Collections accessible to the public CANADA Écomusée de l’Au-Delà C.P. 365, succ. C Montréal, H2L 4K3 www.ecomuseedelau-dela.net FRANCE Musée des Augustins, Collection Funéraire Gothique 21, Rue de Metz 31000 Toulouse www.augustins.org USA Ferguson Funeral Home Museum 105 Spring Street Scottdale, PA 15683 www.FergusonFunerals.com Herr Funeral Service Memorabilia 501 W. Main St. Collinsville IL www.herrfuneral.com Museum of Funeral Memorabilia Mr. Abb Dickson 168 North McDonough Street Jonesboro, GA 30236 www.popedickson.com

FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016

IAFM INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FUNERAL MUSEUMS

THE WORLD ORGANIZATION OF FUNERAL OPERATIVES

IAFM INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FUNERAL MUSEUMS

At the 9th FIAT-IFTA International Convention 2008, Barcelona Members have established the FIAT-IFTA Heritage Steering Committee. Its mission is formulated in the Charter of Global Funeral Heritage. The first Heritage Report was published in 2010. The second Heritage Report in 2012. The third Heritage Report in 2014 at the 13th FIATIFTA International Convention in Düsseldorf, Germany. All editions were realized in collaboration with Members of IAFM – International Association of Funeral Museums. With these publications FIAT-IFTA and IAFM aim to preserve and to safeguard the Global Funeral Heritage in joint effort with other organizations and to create international awareness. The editorial staff gratefully thanks all contributors to this edition of FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report 2016, published at the 14th FIAT-IFTA International Convention, Montreal, Canada. In particular, memorable is the support of the FIAT-IFTA National Members.