Celebrating Death by School of Art, George Mason University

Celebrating Death How Different Cultures React to Death Kattleya Reategui Ochoa

Copyright © 2021 by Kattleya Reategui Ochoa All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in d in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Book design and illustrations by Kattleya Reategui Ochoa. Edited by Shanzeh Umerani

Life and death are one thread the same line viewed from different sides. Lao Tzu

To my family, To my friends, To my boyfriend, Thank you for your support and always believing in me. Special shoutout to Annie and Chiqui for inspiring on this topic. Wherever you are, I truly miss you.

Contents 11

Introduction

Torajan Culture

Jewish Culture

Sky Burial

Famadihana

Viking Funeral

The Parade

Tower of Silence

Ashes to Death Beads

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Strangulation Funeral

Chapter 9

Jazz Funeral

Hanging Coffins

Funeral Strippers

Memento Mori

Sati

Jade Burial Suit

Kiribati Skull Burial

Sources

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Introduction Death has always been part of the cycle of life, and nobody has changed, and they have not been able to change this part of life, as it is something inevitable that every human being has to go through. However, death causes a lot of curiosity, fear, and suspense to almost everyone because everyone wonders what happens after death, or what it feels like when one dies. The process that allows a person to make treatment decisions, say goodbye and take care of final arrangements is what many people are hoping for. Such a death may be called a “good death.” There are, however, not many deaths that occur in this way; not all deaths involve such interaction with family members or being able to die in a familiar environment, as are aware that people can die unexpectedly. To stop this fear of death, many cultures have created traditions where the soul and body of the deceased can rest in peace. This book presents the different death traditions of each culture.

Chapter 1

Torajan Culture Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death 12

Death is still regarded as a source of terror and dread in the western world because it serves a vital connection between the dead and their loved ones. In the Toraja society, a person’s funeral is the most important day of their life, and it is a social and incremental phase in which the family conserves the deceased’s body until they have enough funds to pay for a funeral. The body may be kept by the family for months or years, and during the body’s preservation, the family tends to the deceased as a dying person rather than a dead person. In addition, the deceased is fed and watered three times a day by the family. Funerals in the Toraja community are very costly since the ritual lasts twelve days and must be massive in scale. Hundreds of cattle, including buffalo and pigs, were slaughtered during this incident because it was seen that the world would not respect the family if they held a small funeral. Death is an important part of the community’s economy, and families invest for years to be able to afford the gift exchanges, freshly slaughtered beef, and money shared at the ceremonies. These events are regarded as critical in redistributing capital and the economy to Torajan society.

Death gives income to many residents as well as visitors in industries connected to funerals. This includes the people who look after the costly buffalo, the restaurants and hotels that spring up in the area, and the artisans who built the wooden tau-tau sculptures that adorn the graves.

Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death 14

Tau-tau sculptures are an art form and a source of revenue, with looks ranging from heavily stylized to realistic. These sculptures are a part of the caves and rocky outcrops that dot the landscape. Even after burying humans, the Torajans believe that the process of burying a deceased person and gradually transitioning to the other side does not end. The families put the tau-tau statues on top of the cliffs, eternally examining the houses as a symbol of security and presence. Everything that distinguishes the Toraja culture from other communities is that this group displays reverence by changing into clean clothing and fresh sunglasses as though the deceased’s look had never changed.

Chapter 2

Jewish Culture In Jewish society, the dead are viewed as a social impurity, and this had a profound effect on many traditions surrounding the dead and burial. According to Jewish practice, the newly dead should be kept isolated from human habitation and limited to areas reserved exclusively for them. This is also linked to body decomposition and the danger it presents to survivors, since beliefs about the relationship between living people and the deceased have shifted, especially between urban and rural areas, especially those who live in areas with high infant mortality rates. Respect for the Dead and consideration for living humans is another significant belief in Jewish culture. This philosophy is founded on respecting the aged, alleviating others’ misery and pain, and the fundamental right of all before God. These values underpin traditions about the preparing of the body for death, funerals, and grieving. The deceased is not left alone from the time of death before the funeral as a show of gratitude. Volunteers from the Jewish faith remain with the dead before death, often reading psalms. In general, the time between death and burial should be as short as possible, as Jewish burials are expected to take place within 24 hours of death.

Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death

According to the Torah, the Jewish sacred book, “you will bury him the same day... his body does not stay overnight. Burials are seldom done on Sabbaths or public holidays. The dead must be ritually cleaned before being buried. This task is carried out by volunteers who are part of a “chevra kadisha,” or holy society, and are available for this operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Gender plays an important role in this stage of planning. Women execute the rite for women who have died, and men do the same. When the operation is over, the deceased is wrapped in a white linen shroud. It is not permissible to meet friends prior to the funeral. During the funeral, the deceased is buried in a wooden coffin, and readings in both Hebrew and English are performed. Commonly, the rabbi would give a short description of the Hebrew sections of the reading. It should be remembered that a rabbi is not expected to officiate at a funeral. It is something that any Jew should do, and in certain cases, music and flowers are prohibited. It will take about 20 minutes for the Jewish funeral to conclude. Funerals are scarcely held too fast nowadays, outside of Orthodox cultures. However, in order for the divine healing process to continue, the funeral must take place as soon as possible after death.

Chapter 3

Sky Burial Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death 18

Unlike society’s perspective, in Tibetan culture, death is not something to fear as it is part of the cycle of life. According to Tibetan Buddhists, humans are born, die, and are reborn, and they formally believe that the individual must be prepared for death both psychologically and emotionally. We all know that we must face death sooner or later, without the certainty of knowing when and where we will die, and Buddhists believe that life is a short journey in which it means that time on Earth has to be significant, so they are encouraged to visit a nearby cemetery as a way to face their death. Facing death without fear is the only way to ensure a good rebirth. Fear and regret are two feelings that all students who have the most advanced faith should not at the time of their death. For Tibetans, at the moment of moving on to the next life, only the human mind is needed, it is the only thing that survives. It is forbidden to carry something of this world with us. The Tibetan teachings on death indicate that we should not have these concerns as possessions, power, and one’s position in life, and death is inevitable despite friends and family taking care of us. That includes that reincarnation cannot accompany us either. Our bodies no longer serve us because they are empty after death. After the person dies. Instead, travel to the bardo, which is referred to as the location of transition. The soul of the deceased stays there till forty-nine days earlier than being reborn.

Concerning the frame, it’s miles given to Buddhists, who historically recite prayers from the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Offerings such as food and drink are presented. Quite apart, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, also known as Bardo Thodol, contains a description of the three states by which the soul experiences between lives. These three states are: The second of the character’s demise (the “chikhai bardo”) Experience reality, wherein the lately deceased character has visions of Buddha (the “chonyid bard”) The rebirth (the “sidpa bardo”). These experiences can be compared to other close experiences about death in which the person dies and meets a religious figure depending on his religious faith. After that meeting, they come back to life in the same body. Astrology plays a vital role in Tibetan culture because they determine the time and method of disposal of the deceased’s body. Although there is not much space available for internment for a Tibetan death, other ways are used. There are two options of corpse disposal methods used after a Tibetan death: cremation and exposure to burial elements in the Tibetan sky. If the first method is chosen, the body will be cremated, the Buddhists form a procession and accompany the deceased to the cremation site, and is performed during the parades. In the case of the second option, which is a burial in the Tibetan sky, the body is transported to a cemetery, and the body without clothes is tied to a stake.reserving the body is not considered essential to Buddhists, as the body is useless and an empty container. Based on that, the deceased person’s body serves to provide food for animals and birds of prey. This is considered a beneficent gesture made with the aid of using the dead and his circle of relatives.

Chapter 4

Famadihana Families of the Merina tribe exhume the bones of their ancestors in the highlands of Madagascar to hold a family reunion during a festival known as “Famadihana,” which means “the turning of the bodies of the ancestors. A traditional family reunion is not generally connected to the deceased. The Famadihana festival, on the other hand, is a meeting for families to spend time and remember their loved ones, both living and deceased, in the Merino culture. The aim of this event is for new family members to meet their ancestors, and also provides a chance for families to reminisce about times gone by that will never be forgotten. Long ago, this festival was not well-known in Merina culture. However, it regained interest after tomb transitions, when the use of stones and the introduction of the kiln became critical in the restoration of new tombs. If there are families whose ancestors are buried in the same graveyard, it will take a year to prepare the next Famadihana. During the year, the family would decide on dates, costs, and visitors, whereas the festival consists of visitors and neighbors are allowed to share Famahanana food, which contains rice and pork. A local astrologer is needed to decide the exact dates of Famadihana. It usually happens between July and September. There are two to three days per year when family graves can be opened.

The first day is known as “Fidirana,” which means “entry day,” and the second day is known as “Famonosana,” which means “wrapping day; the ritual, as previously mentioned, is a festival that reinforces family connections and local networks in the Merina region. The night is scheduled to include interaction, beverage, music, and food the next day. It is the duty of men to butcher the animals and prepare the meat. When visitors arrive at Famahanana, they donate rice and money to the organisers. It is recorded in what is known as “atero ka alao,” which means “to send something and receive it back,” depending on the sum of money and rice. This ritual further ensures that when visitors are required to address their own Famadihana, they will be reimbursed and assisted by the group. Since costs are divided, all funds or rice received will be distributed to anyone who contributes to the event’s expenses. When all of the visitors have finished feeding, the deceased’s family organizes another gathering to visit the deceased’s grave. Guests dress up in their best costumes to celebrate life. There is also a trio of musicians playing trumpets and drums to accompany the party from the village to the cemetery, and the remains are collected and laid on reed mats until everybody has arrived at the cemetery, and are wrapped in fresh clothing by the deceased’s relatives. From now on, both the family and the visitors are permitted to put anything that the individual loved when she was alive with the fresh leaves. Men had the choice of smoking or drinking, and ladies wore make-up-related items such as perfume. Finally, in the case of infants or children, candy or a gift is usually mounted. When the dead are alive, immediate family members dance with the bodies and present them to strangers to the family.

In recent years, this form of funeral has been denounced, and the media has reported that it should be stopped due to the outbreak of the Famadihana plague. As time progresses, more and more people choose to abandon this tradition, arguing that it contradicts the beliefs of other faiths. Not just that, but this ceremony is becoming more costly to conduct, eventually placing the family in debt. Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death 24

Every five to seven years, this festival takes place. They do a dance with the corpses right before the sun sets, and when the bodies hit that point, they are gently returned to the grave and turned upside down. The crypt is then sealed for the next five to seven years. The Merina people claim that their ancestors act as intermediaries between the living and God; in other words, the deceased have the right to interfere in events on Earth. The deceased, on the other hand, do not instantly enter the next world. They will live in the land of the living until their bodies have fully decomposed, after which point they will be transported to their second life.

Chapter 5

Viking Funeral Norse traditions are also associated with Norse mythology. There were two potential destinations for Viking warriors who died in battle: Valhalla and Fólkvangr. The primary aim of the funeral rites was to ready the body for entry into Valhalla, which is similar to heaven. The aim is to provide them with the tools they need to live a long and happy life after death.

Cremation A large number of Vikings were cremated. Only because of Christian presence was intact burial common. In comparison to an intact burial, cremation was more common. To achieve the appropriate temperature, a large bonfire made of dense and heavy materials was required for the cremation. This fire had to provide another conduit so it could produce massive quantities of smoke, as it was thought that the smoke would aid in the transport of the dead to Valhalla. The Vikings became buried after just being cremated. There is a risk that debris has been adrift. Archaeological findings indicate that they were all buried with the goods. Guns, slaughtered animals, and other worldly things that could be useful in Valhalla are among these things. Arms that were buried were still broken. According to legend, a warrior’s soul was bound to his sword, and breaking it meant the end

of his life. He also advised against grave robbery since any firearm would be useless. Slaves were also included in the funeral property. There were variations, such as when the widow chose to be killed in order to accompany her husband on the road to Valhalla.

Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death 26

Burials were typically shaped like grave mounds. This is a rather realistic requirement. The earth would be frozen and impossible to excavate in medieval Scandinavia because it was not a warm spot.

Ship Burials This second funeral choice involves stone burials in the form of a ship. Other boats have been discovered in various shapes such as triangles and rectangles, but boats or wide ovals are the most common. Many who died in high positions in society were buried in a royal ship, which was a small personal ship. These will be towed into place after being loaded with cremation results. They would eventually be paved with stones and soil to create a crypt. The ship is not part of the cremation; it merely includes the deceased’s body and some possessions. Many well-preserved funerary remains have been discovered as a result of this process.

Chapter 6

The Parade Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death 28

People of Varanasi have a habit of embracing the deceased and dying with open arms. Varanasi is regarded as the Hindu spiritual city devoted to death. Hindus conclude that Yama, the ordinary God of Death, has no authority in this realm, allowing people to embrace and overcome their own death by reincarnation. Hindus assume that by sitting in the Ganges river, they will be freed from reincarnation and go straight to utopia. The only condition for reincarnation is to be cremated in one of the city’s numerous funeral pyres along the river. In Varanasi, death has no sense of silence and private suffering. Rather, it is serious business. People with less than a certain amount of days to live, for example, book hotels in the capital. When they die, their remains are paraded across the streets past packed cafes before being cremated in front of the viewing platforms. Even the residents are not shocked to see many people taking selfies with illuminated pyres.

Chapter 7

Tower of Silence Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death

According to Zoroastrian belief, when someone dies, their body is instantly corrupted by spirits and becomes unclean. That is, bodily purity is inextricably related to divine purity, because after the breath has entered the physical body, it becomes polluting when it is tainted by demons. Furthermore, fire, earth, air, and water are four “sacred” elements that must be kept free of any infectious or unclean material, as per Zoroastrians. As a result, rather than burying the body directly in the dirt or burning it - which would both dishonor the fire as well as the soil - they would use another form, such as the funeral process for their loved ones’ corpses. To stop this penetration, they would shower the newly deceased corpse with water and ‘gomez,’ which is bull pee, and then they would wash the clothing and the area where the body would lay. Furthermore, they will continue to contain the devils by taking a dog into the corpse’s presence. This is referred to as “Sagdid,” which means “dog’s gaze.” The fabric would then be used as a shroud to protect the body, which would be laid on a stone or a small hole in the earth. Following that, they would draw circles around the corpse to build a shield between the travelers and the body, as well as a metaphysical barrier to hold negative powers at bay. This portion of the ritual must always be done during the day, and the number of bearers must still be consistent. For

three days, relatives and friends will pray for the deceased’s soul and refrain from consuming meat or cooking in the house where the body was being prepared for the funeral. Zoroastrians would use the light and air to purify the corpse by exposing it to certain holy things, establishing a harmony between “the powers of good and bad.”

Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death 32

Meanwhile, the corpse’s bones will be washed by birds of prey. The impure corpse would disappear in this fashion, and the remaining bones would be moved to the well in the structure’s middle. As shown by this practice, the bodies were grouped in three concentric circles in the towers. Men were arranged in the outer circle, women in the middle, and children in the innermost ring. Similar dakhmas can be located on the outskirts of Mumbai, India, but the most recognizable “Towers of Silence” are in Iran, and as the nation evolved and urbanized, the dakhmas migrated closer to the city limits, reducing their use dramatically. Dakhmas became illegal in Iran after a while, prompting Zoroastrians to switch to new burial practices. Many members of the Zoroastrian culture have advocated for burying the remains in concrete to keep all toxins out. This tower is now a tourist attraction rather than being used for funerals as it was originally intended.

Chapter 8

Ashes to Death Beads In South Korea, the beads have proved to be incredibly useful. These beads are crafted from the ashes of deceased family members. South Koreans take the ashes of their ancestors and turn them into beads of various colors such as orange, pink, or black to the alternative to western burial practices. Cremation beads are a relatively new tradition in South Korea, dating back just a decade. The population of South Korea is one of the crucial factors that he presented to the cremation accounts. This country is one of the most heavily inhabited globally, with Seoul having almost twice the population density of New York City. According to the South Korean opinion, holding the ashes in an urn or spreading the ashes in nature is not an acceptable way to remember the deceased. The custom of remembering the dead is based on the belief that there is a second vine from which the souls of the departed will affect the lives of the living. Burial is a more common choice. Also, families used the practice to remember the deceased better and guarantee that the dead did not become ghosts. Regrettably, the burial space is minimal. South Koreans are increasingly choosing conventional burial rituals. This assists them in selecting cremation beads.

Chapter 9

Strangulation Funeral It was a rule in Fiji that any Fijian was required to slay a close relation or a friend in order to save the tribe or the clan from being killed. For example, a man had to be choked to death, as it were, to save him from revealing others about his secret. Since he was married, the wife could not reject the course of action. As far as the world is concerned, people do not face death alone, so it was a matter of faith for the majority of the community. If death was eased in this way, the dying process was also expanded. The use of this system is seen only in the rural areas of Fiji. While the behavior may have noble purposes, it may have more negative than positive outcomes. The tradition of conducting grisly brutality was discontinued because of being performed with obsolete ritual.

Chapter 10

Jazz Funeral In New Orleans, as people die, the streets must be filled with music. For the citizens of New Orleans, music serves as both a celebration of life and a lamentation of death. A traditional jazz funeral starts in a church and ends in a graveyard. A marching band enters the mourners, performing music that begins heavy and tragic but quickly becomes joyful. It was traditional to play very quietly and sadly a dirge like, “Nearer My God to Thee” songs on the way to the cemetery. However, on the way back from the graveyard, the band would perform a rousing “As the Saints Go Marching In” or a ragtime song like “Didn’t He Ramble?” While most jazz funerals are for musicians, they can be demanded by anyone. Passers-by are invited to join in and help cheer as long as they are polite. It is popular in New Orleans to associate it with jazz; if New Orleans, Louisiana, is the body, then jazz is the pounding heart. This style of music is a part of daily life, so it stands to reason that it will be an important part of death as well. Modern jazz funerals follow a rigid arrangement. When the family wake ends, the band follows the family to the funeral service; together, they are known as “the front line.” After the formal service, the band leads the march to the burial ground. A parade leader, clad in formal attire and always with the band’s name prominently displayed, walks to the front.

Strangers and onlookers join in at this stage, giving them the moniker “second line.” Initially, the band will perform depressing funeral songs and traditional hymns. It is said that the sound of jubilation draws the second line: acquaintances and acquaintances, travelers and family, old and young. Jazz funerals in New Orleans put people together, regardless of class, race, or heritage. People gather to celebrate the joys of life. Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death 38

Chapter 11

Hanging Coffins Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death

The town of Saga in the Philippine Islands has a special funeral tradition; Elders build their own coffins from hollow trees. If they are too frail or sick to die, their families prepare coffins for them. When someone dies, they are placed in a coffin in the fetal position, due to the assumption that a human must leave the world in the same state in which he arrived. The deceased are covered in blankets and bound with rattan leaves before being put inside coffins (sometimes crushing their bones in the process), and the coffins are taken to a cave for burial. During the procession, mourners attempt to catch and hold the body. This is due to the illusion that being tainted with the blood of the dead is good luck, since it allows an individual to inherit the deceased’s abilities. Rather than being placed on the earth, the coffins are hanged inside caves or on the face of cliffs, alongside their ancestors’ hanging coffins. Such burials have been practiced by the Sagada people for over 2000 years, and some of the coffins are over a century old. The caskets inevitably deteriorate and collapse from their precarious places. The coffins were hanged because it was believed that the higher the deceased was raised, the more likely their souls would achieve a higher nature in the afterlife. Many of the casket sites are impossible to reach (and can obviously be avoided out of respect), but they can

be seen from a distance. In addition, after anyone passes away, pigs and chickens are traditionally sacrificed for group festivities. Tradition demands that three pigs and two chickens be slaughtered for older persons, but anyone who cannot afford to butcher too many animals will sacrifice two chickens and one pig. Since families of the dead are terrified of crushing their loved ones’ bones, the newest coffins are only six feet tall.

Chapter 12

Funeral Strippers Many people don’t just want to have our funerals be depressing. In reality, a growing majority of us want to make our final goodbye a happy moment, a celebration of our life on Earth. While it might seem strange to our Western standards, asking strippers to remove their clothes at funerals is common in Taiwan. This uncommon trend dates back to the 1980s when gangsters took over the mortuary business and began offering strippers from their clubs to mourners at a politely reduced price, and is still common in Taiwan and rural areas of eastern China, where limited access to entertainment means that funerals are one of the only moments where locals will experience a bit of excitement. Strippers, according to one theory, are used to maximizing funeral attendance, and massive crowds are seen as a symbol of honor for the dead. Another theory holds that the ritual is related to a “cult of reproduction and money.” Since, unlike Taiwan, the Chinese government has become more restrictive, many people are unaware of this. However, even in Taiwan, the practice is not widespread in major cities. Since funeral spoil lies right in the midst of a lawful and unlawful operation, it is less prevalent in urban areas, but it can be found on the outskirts of most cities.

Chapter 13

Memento Mori Portraits of dear ones taken once they have died may seem gruesome to modern standards. However, in English Society, they were used to mourn the deceased and to alleviate sorrow. Often, families pose with the deceased, infants pretend to be sleeping, and consumptive girls recline gracefully, as the plague not only kills but also beautifies them. The Victorian era was filled with death. The world was still plagued by epidemics such as diphtheria, typhus, cholera, yellow fever and scarlet fever. Memento mori trinkets, which simply mean “remember that you must die,” come in a number of shapes and sizes and appeared even before the Victorian era. Strands of dead hair were mounted and used in medallions and chains, death masks were rendered of wax, and representations and symbols of death appeared in paintings and sculptures. However, by the mid-nineteenth century, photography was turning into more commonplace and inexpensive, resulting in the memento mori photographic portrait. The daguerreotype, a thin, highly detailed picture in polished silver that was the first successful medium of photography, was an expensive luxury; the cost of daguerreotypes declined as the number of photographers grew. These photos were the first that families considered, but they were also the last hope to provide a lasting memory of a loving one due to inadequate medical treatment.

The invention of snapshots signaled the demise of photography, as most people would take photos when they were still alive, and the term memento mori represents “remember that you must die.”

Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death 46

Chapter 14

Sati Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death

The ancient Hindu ritual known as sati, in which a widow would throw herself on her husband’s pyre and burn to death, began as a voluntary act regarded as brave and noble, but it later became a forced practice. While sati is now illegal in India, it has a tumultuous past. “Sati” initially referred to a lady who immolated herself after her husband died. The term is derived from the Sanskrit word “asti,” which means “pure or real. Sati, according to ancient Hindu customs, represented the end of a marriage. It was a voluntary gesture in which a woman accompanied her husband to the afterlife as a symbol of becoming a dutiful wife. As a result, it was viewed as the highest form of a wife’s dedication to her deceased husband. It became a forced occurrence over time. Women who did not want to die in this manner were compelled to do so in a variety of ways. Traditionally, a widow had little place in society and was treated as a liability. As a result, if a woman had no living children to sustain her, she was forced to embrace sati. Sati was originally limited to royal families of the Kshatriya caste, and it was only later that it spread to the lower castes, being commonly practiced by all social. The bulk of accounts show women as sitting on their husbands’ funeral pyres or lying down next to the dead body. Some claim that once the pyre was lit, women would leap or step onto it, whilst others claim that women would sit on the pyre and light it themselves. The procedure often differed from one area

to the next. A small hut was built in some areas for the widow and her deceased husband. In certain other areas, the husband’s body was put in a pit of combustible raw materials, and the widow was forced to hop in after the fire was lit. Few less heinous means of execution were still in use at the time. A woman, for example, may take poison or medications before being put on the funeral pyre, causing her to either die slowly or become unconscious. Before approaching the pyre, the widow will often be snake-bitten or use a sharp sword on her throat or wrist. However, there were some laws that exempted some women from this procedure. According to the first sati precept, any widow who was pregnant, menstruating, or had very young children should not participate in this rite. Women who committed sati are said to have died chaste, which meant she would have positive karma and a much happier life in her next birth, according to common belief. Roop Kanwar, an 18-year-old married woman from the Rajasthan village of Deorala, was forced to become sati in 1987 after her husband died after just eight months of marriage. She flatly declined. As a result, a gang of men from the village drugged and immolated her. The men were arrested after police investigated the matter. In reaction to this incident, the government passed the Prohibition of Sati Act, which made it illegal to compel a woman to commit sati, and anyone who did so would face the death.

Chapter 15

Jade Burial Suit The ancient Chinese assumed that when a person died, he or she entered the afterlife during the reign of Chinese dynasties. Death was regarded as a way of extending life, and an emperor’s mausoleum acted as his afterlife residence, mirroring his regal life on earth. Many of their former life’s everyday comforts, such as servants, attendants, artifacts, dogs, spouses, guards, concubines, food and drink, will be given for them in the afterlife. This was done by burying all of these items with the dead. “Treat death as existence,” as an ancient Chinese philosopher once wrote. It was not unusual for people to be killed so that they could be buried with their master, but as dynasties progressed, clay replicas replaced the real thing. The jade burial suits of ancient China were made as armour for the afterlife, threaded in silver and gold from thousands of plates of precious stones. The development of a jade burial suit was a difficult task due to the stringent criteria for techniques. First, jade materials shipped from distant locations were processed into thousands of small jade pieces of specific shapes and sizes through a series of procedures; second, each jade piece was polished and drilled, with the shapes and sizes of the holes receiving careful inspection and delicate processing; and third, a large number of specially made gold, silver, or copper threads were used to connect the finished suites were dubbed “gold thread sewn jade burial suit,” “silver thread sewn jade burial suit,” and

“copper thread sewn jade burial suit,” in that order. The suit had the same form as a human being. The suit is divided into five parts: the head, jacket, socks, shoes, and gloves. The cost of manufacturing a medium-sized jade burial suit was approximately equal to the total property values of 100 then-middle-class households.

Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death 52

Gold thread was reserved for emperors, silver thread for close family members (sons and daughters), and copper or silk thread for lower-ranking aristocrats. Jade was thought to have preservative and defensive properties that would resist soft tissue damage and keep evil spirits at bay. However, under the stone suits were just crumbled skeletons. Nonetheless, since jade is translucent, DNA from the royal couple may be embedded in the stones about 2,000 years after their deaths, granting them a kind of immortality.

Chapter 16

Kiribati Skull Burial Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death

Today, a Kiribati funeral is traditionally conducted in accordance with Catholic or Protestant rites. However, in the nineteenth century, these manifestations of Christianity were opposed to the Kiribati skull burial. The Kiribati people keep the skull at home so that the deceased’s soul can be accepted to the afterlife by the local god named Nakaa. When someone dies, their body is held at home for three to twelve days so that relatives and friends can pay their respects. They burn leaves near the body and place flowers in their mouth, nose, and ears to make it smell sweet. They can also apply a coconut and scented oil mixture to the body. During the wake, loved ones tell eulogies and present the deceased with food and coins. As an offering, they also produce a pudding from the root of a local herb. Following that, the deceased is buried in a nearby graveyard or somewhere close to his or her residence. Family members dig up the remains and scrape the skull some months after the funeral. They add oil and polish to the skull before showing it in their house, and they may sell it food and tobacco. The widow or infant of the deceased sleeps and feeds next to the skull and takes it with them everywhere they go. They make necklaces out of the teeth that fell out. They can also detach bones from the body to use as fish hooks or other items. They rebury the skull with the body or in their yard with the top sticking out of the earth after a few years.

Sources

Celebrating Death: How Different Cultures React to Death

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Celebrating Death Death has always been a part of the life cycle, and no one has been able to change it because it is something that every human being must go through. Death, on the other hand, provokes a great deal of curiosity, fear, and suspense in almost everyone because everyone wonders what happens after death or what it feels like to die. To alleviate this fear, many cultures have developed traditions in which the deceased’s soul and body can rest in peace. This book discusses the various death traditions of each culture.