Death is a constant of human life therefore all religions have to incorporate it into their system of beliefs. The burial rituals of many religions actually symbolize the "long lasting moods" of the religion specifically the religions view of life. In the following series of photo we will look at the burial practices of several religions and examine how these customs echo the religions ideas on life. Because these rituals are different for every religion and can even vary greatly between the different religious sects, I will only talk about a few religions' customs.
I thought I'd start with something we all recognize, mummies. The Egyptians viewed their present life as the most important, meaning they didn't focus on the afterlife while they were still alive. Also death was not seen as an end but a rebirth. Mummification symbolizes this belief in life after death. A person's "ba" much like our concept of personality and with similar needs of the physical body would have to journey to reunite with that person's "ka" or life force to become an eternal spirit, an "akh". The body is the resting place of the "ba" thus it is important that body be preserved so that it can survive in the afterlife long enough for the person to become an "akh".
Many of the pictures found in tombs also reflect the idea of life after death. In this picture food is being set out for the "ka". Sometimes real food was also used. The "ka" doesn't actually eat the food but it is thought that the "ka" absorbs the life preserving energy. The life force goes into rest during the mummification and thus needs to be reactivated giving life and eventually joining the "ba". The painting on the tomb and the process of mummification both serve as symbols of the ancient Egyptians belief in life after death.
African religions differ by tribe and region, but many of them are founded on very similar ideas.
One of these ideas is symbolized by this photo of the San Bushman of the Kalahari in South Africa as they walk to the burial grounds of their ancestors. Most people believe that everyone experiences the same thing as an afterlife; there is no heaven and no hell and the closest thing to hell is not being able to join the ancestors. They believe any rewards or punishments come during life and the goal of life is to become an ancestor. Some groups show love and respect for the dead and others are fearful because the spirits can affect the living. In the picture of the San I think the second person from the right may be carrying either a sacrifice or some of the deceased belongs both of which are supposed to help the dead in their new life with the ancestors. The importance places on the spirits and the life as an ancestor helps to symbolizes the view that one isn't really dead until all the surviving relatives have died or no one is left to remember them.
Dancing in celebration at funerals is representative of the idea that death deepens one's relation ship with the world and grants one access to both the visible and invisible worlds. As mentioned above it is believed that the dead can affect the world of the living, so this dance is an attempt to prevent any negative effects of the death asking for the dead to not trouble the living and to reinforce the natural good in the world.
I thought I'd start with something we all recognize, mummies. The Egyptians viewed their present life as the most important, meaning they didn't focus on the afterlife while they were still alive. Also death was not seen as an end but a rebirth. Mummification symbolizes this belief in life after death. A person's "ba" much like our concept of personality and with similar needs of the physical body would have to journey to reunite with that person's "ka" or life force to become an eternal spirit, an "akh". The body is the resting place of the "ba" thus it is important that body be preserved so that it can survive in the afterlife long enough for the person to become an "akh".Many of the pictures found in tombs also reflect the idea of life after death. In this picture food is being set out for the "ka". Sometimes real food was also used. The "ka" doesn't actually eat the food but it is thought that the "ka" absorbs the life preserving energy. The life force goes into rest during the mummification and thus needs to be reactivated giving life and eventually joining the "ba". The painting on the tomb and the process of mummification both serve as symbols of the ancient Egyptians belief in life after death.
African religions differ by tribe and region, but many of them are founded on very similar ideas.One of these ideas is symbolized by this photo of the San Bushman of the Kalahari in South Africa as they walk to the burial grounds of their ancestors. Most people believe that everyone experiences the same thing as an afterlife; there is no heaven and no hell and the closest thing to hell is not being able to join the ancestors. They believe any rewards or punishments come during life and the goal of life is to become an ancestor. Some groups show love and respect for the dead and others are fearful because the spirits can affect the living. In the picture of the San I think the second person from the right may be carrying either a sacrifice or some of the deceased belongs both of which are supposed to help the dead in their new life with the ancestors. The importance places on the spirits and the life as an ancestor helps to symbolizes the view that one isn't really dead until all the surviving relatives have died or no one is left to remember them.
Dancing in celebration at funerals is representative of the idea that death deepens one's relation ship with the world and grants one access to both the visible and invisible worlds. As mentioned above it is believed that the dead can affect the world of the living, so this dance is an attempt to prevent any negative effects of the death asking for the dead to not trouble the living and to reinforce the natural good in the world.
The video above and the photo to the right are both about sky burials in Tibet. Buddhism is the main religion in Tibet, and Buddhism teaches reincarnation. The rituals of the sky burial symbolize the ideas behind reincarnation as well as the Buddhist paramita (virtue) of generosity. A sky burial is essentially setting a body out for the birds to eat. It is called jhator, which literally translated is "giving alms to the birds". In the video from 1:12-2:13 one sees the bodies that are going to given. Since Buddhism believes in reincarnation, the body after the soul has left is empty and carries no meaning, therefore the body can be given to the birds in an act of great generosity. It is not unusual for the body to be cut into pieces then given to the birds. If you look closely at the picture you'll see a man carrying a knife which he has used to split open the bodies for the bird. When the birds don't eat all of the flesh, it is seen as a bad omen. This burial practice supports the Buddhist's view of the afterlife and the ideals outlined by the Buddhist religion.
This next video and photo are about the Islamic burial rituals. The video above is from the funeral of on of the religious leaders so the scale is larger than a normal funeral, but if you watch from :35-:49 you see people walking very briskly to the funeral. Their speed is not an attempt to beat the rush but a ritual present in all Muslim funeral procession. If they were to walk at a slow mournful tempo, it would indicate that they don't have faith in eternal life.
The photo to the right is of a young Muslim boy how has died. When they buried him, they will turn his face towards Mecca and place the body into the ground perpendicular to Mecca. Then at the end of the funeral the men help cover the grave and say "We created you from it, and return you into it, and from it we will raise you a second time". Muslims believe in a judgement day when God will decide who is going to heaven or to hell. The actions taken during a Muslim funeral symbolize their belief in eternal life.
The final two pictures are of Hinduism funeral rituals. Hindus believe like Buddhists in reincarnation, so similarly to the sky burials and unlike the Egyptians and Muslims the body does not need to be preserved. Hinduism practices cremation because they believe it helps to release the soul. One practice that demonstrates this idea is shown to the left. The skull is cracked open with a bamboo stick to let the soul out so it can be reincarnated. This practice demonstrates their beliefs in the afterlife.
After the remains of the body are taken care of the family turns its attentions to the needs of the soul. The family has a ceremonial meal where they make rice balls called pinda (pictured to the right). The rice balls are offered to the soul of the deceased to help it reach Yama the god of death. These ceremonies are thought to add to the merit of the dead. Again this custom shows how Hinduism views life and death, as part of cycle where the body is not important it is the soul that matters.In conclusion, I hope this project has caused you to view burials in a different way, not just as traditions or customs, but as symbols of the religion's views on life and death.
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