Funeral customs

Since life began on Earth, so too has mortality. The following overview provides interesting information about the burial customs of different eras and peoples.

Homo heidelbergensis

The ancestors of Neanderthals do not appear to have had any particular relationship with their dead. We know nothing of burial rituals; the bodies were usually deposited in caves or shallow graves.

The Neanderthals

Neanderthals already had more respect for the deceased, as excavations suggest the existence of early burial rituals. Caves and pits served as final resting places. The dead were primarily given everyday objects, weapons, and food for their final journey. They were often buried bound and in a fetal position. Bear bones were also frequently found in Neanderthal graves. The idea may have been...
to transfer the renewed strength of cave bears after hibernation to the deceased.

The Cro-Magnon man

Cro-Magnon humans possessed more sophisticated tools than Neanderthals. The first evidence of ritualized burial practices dates from this period. Grave goods and cave paintings suggest that Cro-Magnon humans lived in groups and had different levels of social status. They likely already had shamans and priests who conducted societal farewell rites.
were responsible.

The Egyptians

Death played a central role in the lives of the ancient Egyptians. Over time, they developed increasingly complex burial rituals. Preparing for death and the afterlife became almost an obsession. To guarantee a happy afterlife, funeral rites had to be performed according to strict rituals. These specific rites and procedures were meticulously described in the Book of the Dead, the earliest sacred text in the world. The Book of the Dead was a collection of magical texts, spells, and incantations intended to ensure the well-being of the deceased in the afterlife. From around 3000 BC, the Egyptians practiced mummification, a practice that was only abandoned when Egypt converted to Islam in 641 AD. The concept of the Last Judgment was of central importance to the ancient Egyptians. They believed that the deceased would need objects from their earthly lives in the afterlife, and therefore provided them with everything that had been useful to them in this life. Their pyramids are the largest burial sites in the world.

The Greeks

The Greeks believed that the gods would weigh a person's soul after death. They provided their dead with food, wine, and clothing. The Greeks feared death and its suffering, but were fascinated by their firm belief in the immortality of the soul. Failure to observe burial customs or insufficient offerings led to unjust deaths.
would lead to torment in the "joyless realm," the so-called Hades. Until around 1000 BC, the deceased were buried in the earth, but then the
Cremation became common practice. Particularly in times of high death tolls during wars, cremation proved helpful. The ashes of the fallen were then placed in urns and given to the bereaved. This was a respectful way of saying goodbye, especially when death occurred during a war.
had entered a distant place. With cremation, it also became possible to hold state funerals for high dignitaries even weeks or months after their death. While "ordinary" Greeks mostly continued to be buried, cremation soon developed into
preferred method for the elite.

The Romans

As with the Greeks, the ordinary Roman ones were also
Citizens were mostly buried, while the Roman elite preferred cremation.
Wealthy families preferred cremation. They purchased ornate urns and rented spaces in special tombs called columbaria. They also bought jeweled lament jars to collect and preserve the tears of professional mourners (mourners). Soon, an entire industry developed around the lavish funeral practices of the Romans, which also gave rise to the first professional undertakers. From around 100 AD, the practice of cremation gradually declined for two reasons. First, Christianity was on the rise, and the early Church disapproved of cremation. Second, wood had become scarce as a result of civilizational progress. The Romans now needed this precious resource for other purposes.
especially for shipbuilding and the construction of fortresses.

Early Middle Ages

For people in the Middle Ages, death was an everyday occurrence.
Experience. It was accepted without complaint and understood as part of life.
Exaggerated feelings of fear and grief were considered inappropriate.
This fatalistic attitude can be explained by the fact that death is something most people are accustomed to.
People see it more as a salvation from a life of hardship than as
Punishment appeared, and the Catholic belief in the resurrection was degraded.
Death became a transitional stage. People usually died young during this time and
He always had death in mind. Because community was more important than death.
In some cases, the loss of a member wasn't mourned too much.
Burials took place in a simple setting until about the 7th century.
outside the settlements. One reason for this was, not least, the
Belief that the dead could return and harass the living. Around the same time...
During this time, monastic life developed, and with it a cult surrounding [the religion].
A multitude of martyrs. Large crowds of pilgrims sought out their graves.
and many people desperately wanted to be buried nearby. When
As a result, more and more chapels and later churches were built alongside these
Burial sites were built. This led to the practice of placing the deceased on
Burial in churchyards instead of in open fields. Another place for mortals.
The remains were the ossuaries (bone houses). These public sites
The bones of the poor and unknown were often collected – here one came
together to conduct business, dance, or play games. This behavior
This also reflects the prevailing view at the time that death is a collective fate.
was someone one didn't need to be too afraid of.

Late Middle Ages and Renaissance

 

Around the 12th century, the early medieval
Attitudes towards death. Through renewed access to the works.
Greek and Roman philosophers (copies in monasteries) and the
The discovery of new continents and cultures changed the worldview and self-confidence.
of society. The longer it went on, the less willing people were to believe the promises.
to believe the Church regarding a resurrection. At the same time
The idea developed that a divine authority exists for each individual.
would create a life review. With that, the thought of death was no longer present.
not from a feeling of peace, but from the fear of the Last Judgment
This change of faith was further accompanied by the appearance of
Various epidemics, especially the plague, were accelerated. Suddenly
Death seemed to be everywhere, and precisely because of the many opinions of
As church doctrine no longer stood up to the changing times, fear grew.
Salvation and the fear of the Last Judgment. Thus, death became
a theme that accompanied people throughout their lives. The then revolutionary
The concept of free will consequently led to the self-responsibility of
People for their lives. With proper behavior, shedding personal
Testimonies and the just legacy of property were seen as means and ways to
to secure one's salvation. During the long years of the plague, death was more
more than ever surrounded by fears and taboos. From this time on, the corpses were in
Wrapped in cloths to hide them from the eyes of the living. The custom
The Romans came to represent the dead in some form for posterity.
reappeared. Gravestones, inscriptions, death masks and sculptures illustrated
whose lives.

The industrial age

Around 1700, the perspective on one's own death broadened.
on the death of others. Interpersonal relationships in their most intimate form (lovers,
Parents -

Children, husbands – wives, friends, etc.) were always
An important and recognized part of life. Death, which brings about dissolution.
The passionate attachments it brought with them became even more unbearable than ever.
perceived as romantic and even erotic. More and more
People hoped that there was a chance for the family to go to heaven.
to be reunited. By focusing on the fate of the other.
Concentrated, it succeeded in dealing with the terrifying possibility of eternal personal
Damnation at finishing. This notion eventually led to ideas like
from a “beautiful death”, to a cult of remembrance and to exaggerated mourning rituals.
Death was now only seen as a prelude to reunion with the deceased.
Family members viewed in heaven. The Romantics of the 18th and early 19th centuries.
In the 19th century, death was compared to the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into the
Butterfly. Artful funeral ceremonies and memorial stones helped the
to alleviate the pain of their loss for the bereaved. The dead were ceremonially treated with
The cemeteries were honored with richly decorated tombs, statues, and monuments.
transformed into huge, inviting parks where everyone could find peace and quiet. To
During this time, most people still died at home, and the wake was held at the
Having the coffin placed in the death chamber was a firmly established tradition. In Victorian times
The age also saw the use of special, black-bordered [material/items].
Funeral stationery is in use, and the fashion industry has designed special ones.
Dark-colored mourning clothes. Earrings and brooches were also extremely popular.
and bracelets containing hair of the deceased. Slowly, a
to develop a more modern attitude towards death. Due to medical
Progress meant people lived longer. However, this also meant that
Illnesses were lasting longer and longer. The growing fear of prolonged illness.
Disease was widespread and the demands for personal care were growing.
Intimacy became more vocal. Openly displayed grief, or even just conversations about it, were not discussed openly.
Death was frowned upon.

Present

 

Just 100 years ago, most people died at home.
Today, most people die in hospitals – and death is almost unfamiliar to us.
They have become invisible. Advances in medicine help to alleviate the worst suffering of
To alleviate illnesses and injuries. From a scientific perspective, this represents
Death is now merely a biological transition that should be avoided as much as possible.
The aim is to make death painless. The fact that dying in a modern environment
The fact that technology is being disguised does not change the fact that the fear of the
The end remains significant. Now that the dying process has progressed as a result of medical treatment...
While progress has been largely painless, many fear its impersonal nature.
clinical environment, in which she is left alone in a hospital, the world
They have to leave. Even religion offers fewer and fewer people solace. With
The disappearing rituals on which people used to rely also always go hand in hand.
We have lost more knowledge about the power of saying goodbye together.
Funerals nowadays are mostly short and discreet events that tend to be
are handled by professionals rather than by family members. Since most
It is often said that people today are no longer used to dealing with death:
"I don't know what to say – I don't know what to do." In
In our modern society, death seems to have become something offensive.
to be, and our mortality is often met with a wall of silence.
surrounded.

Urns

Since ancient times, the ashes of the deceased have often been placed in urns.
filled, which were kept in columbaria. The Assyrians used for the
Storage of the ashes: urns, the Etruscans oversized vessels that were built on
They were placed on a pedestal. The Greeks called their urns kraters;
Some of these vessels, decorated with elaborate paintings, belong to the
most impressive works of art of their time. They document the attitude of
Greeks use them for life and death. Among Buddhists, the urns stand on...
Home altars, inside the house or in the garden. More and more people are doing this here too.
to the point of keeping the ashes of a deceased family member at home
to store, place outdoors, or on a surface already occupied by
to scatter the remains of the deceased to the winds at the chosen location and to use the empty urn as an object
to preserve the memory.

Columbaria

A columbarium can be a simple or even
an artfully designed building suitable for housing the
suitable for mortal remains. Columbaria already existed in Roman times and are still used today.
found in Italian, Greek, and many other catacombs.
Underground columbaria containing ash remains have been discovered in Mexico and Nicaragua.
They were stored in chambers. Modern columbaria can sometimes contain thousands of items.
Urns, appropriately labeled, are placed in niches.
The French columbarium, built in 1887, has 25,000 niches, of which
Today, approximately 16,000 spaces are occupied. A columbarium built in San Francisco in 1898.
It was restored and has now become a tourist attraction.
Weddings are even taking place there now.