Research paper

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Yining Lee

Christine Malcom

November 14, 2020

Annotated Bibliography

Thesis:

Understanding death as a universal phenomenon can be tricky since it is easy to get lost in individual details that are largely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Instead, it requires focusing on similarities shared by cross-cultures in terms of funerary behavior and its relationship to the structural aspects of a group.

Abstract:

Death is an inevitable natural event that occurs in every species’ daily life. What sets human beings apart from other species is that we have the ability to mourn to death and to perform mortuary rituals. Despite the differences in rituals celebrating death throughout the world, it is not a surprise to find similarities among many cultures. In many cultures, people believe death is a transition between the current life and the after-life, and the dead should be well-taken care of by their relatives and close ones to be able to enjoy a successful after-life. By studying the individual details of different cultures, one can get distracted and miss the big picture. Therefore, it is important to observe the similarities across societies and find a similar structure. Regardless of the locations and cultures, the mortuary pattern's notion has always been common throughout history; frequency and form are the only difference that sets groups apart.

Eggan, F. (1961).: Death and the Right Hand. Robert Hertz, Rodney Needham, Claudia

Needham. American Anthropologist, 63(3), 599-600. doi:

10.1525/aa.1961.63.3.02a00200

Hertz viewed society as having a moral community where values were expressed as

"collective representation." Hertz further speaks of collective representation and society to explain

how to thole these values related to individuals. Furthermore, Hertz demonstrated these links

through the analysis of death and funeral rights. Sociologically, he describes society as one that

understands itself to be immortal and only passes individuals' lives upon the dead, thus acquiring

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a new status as ancestors. In this sense, society members do not die, but instead, they change the

close relationships from that of living to that of dead members. On the other hand, he also

explained the relationship between the dead and the living and experience of grief psychologically.

Moreover, Hertz made a unique study on double burial to distinguish wet and dry rituals, where

the damp phase is linked to a temporal earth burial of the rotting corpse. In this phase, the dead

identity is removed from the former identity, which is living. Furthermore, the dry ritual entails

bones and incorporates the dead to their new identity, the afterlife. The article will be useful as it

explains the way the transition of life after death.

Varga, M. (2014). Why Funerals Matter: Death Rituals Across Cultures. Death

Studies, 38(8), 546-547. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2013.869467

This article explains why funerals matters among different communities. The article

explains five other funeral practices that are common among organizations. These components

include; significant symbols, ritual action, gathered community, connection to heritage, and

transition of the corpse. The big mark outlines the cultural, personal, and emotional elements

included in the funeral; they may include; flowers, candles, or music. The signs have different

meanings among the communities but are often used to recognize the deceased's life in a specific

way, evoke emotions, and are mostly used to display cultural significance. Ritual actions

incorporate both practical and physical responses stimulated when a community experiences a

loss, including cooking meals or digging a grave. The community gathering action, however,

memorizes the deceased and provides support for the bereaved. The cultural heritage is another

anchor that shows the importance of cultural customs and practices. The cultural heritage

recognizes individuals affiliated with a religion and addresses the incorporation of traditions and

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rituals appropriate to the deceased life and culture. The final approach involves how the human

corpse is used among communities. The article will help identify why funerals matter a lot among

different communities.

Fairhead, J. (2014). The significance of death, funerals, and the afterlife in Ebola-hit Sierra

Leone, Guinea, and Liberia: Anthropological insights into infection and social

resistance.

The article explains how most West African countries carry and value death, funeral

practices, and the afterlife. Funeral practices are given a lot of meaning as they are seen as the

necessary steps in transforming from the living world to the world of spirits. Living relatives

facilitate the transition through correct funeral procedures and burial rituals. It is believed that

spirits may return to punish the living relatives if they fail to attain a more elevated rank of spirits

of ancestors. One of the everyday rituals performed by the livings to cement unity between then

and the ancestral nature is by washing hands in a standard bowl and touching the deceased's face;

this is perceived as "love touch." Communities also believe that in case of a prominent person's

death, for instance, a traditional healer, people may lay over the corpse hoping that some spiritual

gifts may transfer to them. However, this article helps the final paper as it helps to understand

rituals associated with death as rite of passage.

From Arnold van Gennep, The Rites of Passage, tr. Monika B. Vizedom and Gabrielle L.

Caffee (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1960 [1909]).

The literature focuses on death as a rite of passage, revealing that separation is simple and

not many. The transition rite comprises a duration and complexity, which can be great, thus being

awarded autonomy. Additionally, the funeral rites that unite the deceased into the world of the

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non-living are most expansively explained and allocated the most significant importance. The

article state that during mourning, individuals affected by the state suspend their social life, thus

increasing the period time with the intimacy of social ties to the deceased. Additionally, the death

of a person creates suspensions that affect individuals of a given community. The transition stage

may be divided into various parts, thus during posts liminal period, the extension is arranged in

the form of commemorations. The paper also states that, during mourning, the living mourners and

the non- living to constitute unique groups are placed between the world of dead and living.

Additionally, the sooner people leave a particular group to depend on the intimacy of their

association with the dead. The ceremonial rites of the Todas are similar to that of Indonesians. The

ceremonies include burial and preservation of the remnants, bury the ashes forming a circle of

stones around them. Therefore, I find the article significant in my work as it will help me

understand death as a rite of passage in different communities.

Doreen Mekunda. (, 2019). Mytho-Ritual Dramaturgy: Death as Rite of Passage in Wole

Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman. Journal of Literature And Art

Studies, 9(8). doi: 10.17265/2159-5836/2019.08.002

The journal focuses on how the Yoruba of Nigerian understands death as a rite of passage

through Wole Soyinka’s death and the king’s Horseman. The paper states that even if death is a

physical separation from the living, that is not the end of life. People continue to live in another

world after their demise. Vocabulary items such as duty, voyage, honor, and sacrifice contribute

to additional cultural meaning relative to death. The article reveals that death is not something to

create sorrow, tears, and mourning; instead, it shows sacrifice, duty, and honor. Death is a rite of

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passage that results in satisfaction; additionally, the loss of a significant person has a cultural

meaning in the community.

Moreover, the transition from life to the world of dead shows life is a continuum, and

people continue with duties depending on their activities in the living world. Furthermore, the

paper states that in Yoruba, nonliving people are counted as part of the family though there are not

physically present. Sacrifice is needed for acceptance to die for the community as Christians have

believed that the sacrificial lamb (Jesus) was sacrificed for humankind's welfare. The journal will

be critical in my thesis; I will be addressing death as a rite of passage in different communities.

Rebay-Salisbury, K. (2012). Inhumation and cremation: how burial practices are linked to

beliefs. Embodied knowledge: Historical perspectives on technology and belief, 15-26.

The paper concentrates on the inhumation and cremation and how burial practices are

usually associated with beliefs. Understanding the nature of the dead has been a challenge when

one of the family members pass. Inhumation and cremation show the practical responses to the

reality of a non-living person. Additionally, the paper shows the association that exists between

burial practice and beliefs. The belief is usually documented to determine the variation in the

mortuary pattern. The report addresses the treatment of the non-living, building of the grave, and

ways of performing funerary rituals that contribute to the body's beliefs and information. Funerary

practices in central Europe did not entail body and integrity; thus, explaining the funeral.

Therefore, I find this article significant in my study as it will help me understand death as a rite of

passage.

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References

Doreen Mekunda. (, 2019). Mytho-Ritual Dramaturgy: Death as Rite of Passage in Wole Soyinka’s

Death and the King’s Horseman. Journal Of Literature And Art Studies, 9(8). doi:

10.17265/2159-5836/2019.08.002

Eggan, F. (1961). : Death and the Right Hand. Robert Hertz, Rodney Needham, Claudia

Needham. American Anthropologist, 63(3), 599-600. doi: 10.1525/aa.1961.63.3.02a00200

Fairhead, J. (2014). The significance of death, funerals, and the afterlife in Ebola-hit Sierra Leone,

Guinea, and Liberia: Anthropological insights into infection and social resistance.

From Arnold van Gennep, The Rites of Passage, tr. Monika B. Vizedom and Gabrielle L. Caffee

(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1960 [1909]).

Rebay-Salisbury, K. (2012). Inhumation and cremation: how burial practices are linked to

beliefs. Embodied knowledge: Historical perspectives on technology and belief, 15-26.

Varga, M. (2014). Why Funerals Matter: Death Rituals Across Cultures. Death Studies, 38(8),

546-547. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2013.869467