Funeral Customs of the Ancient Egyptians

Readings Question #1

HAFD page 5Which culture was the first to record a morality

of group life based on internal conscience rather than on external authority supported by force?

Readings Question #2

HAFD page 6

Who is Osiris?

Circle of Necessity

• soul makes a 3000 year long journey and returns to the body

• once reunited the whole person would live with the gods

• created the need for embalming

Readings Question #3

• What did the Egyptians believe was the focus of the universe?

Readings Question #4

• Describe the Egyptian concept of life after death.

• offerings to the dead• perpetual care• tombs, coffins, funeral treasures

Readings Question #5

HAFD page 8• What are dry burials? What was their

purpose?

• The history of embalming will be covered in the Embalming I course.

Coffins(HAFD page 9)

Sarcophagi: “massive coffins from a single mass of stone to protect from grave robbers”

• Sarco: flesh• Phagus: eaters

Arthropoid

Readings Question #6(HAFD page 13)

• Describe what was done when the head of an Egyptian household died. Include all elements from the actual time of death to interment.

Funeral Customs of the Ancient Greeks

Readings Question #7(HAFD page 18)

• What is the “Cult of Dionysius” and “Elysian fields”?

Readings Question #8(HAFD page 19)

• How did the Athenians treat the dead on the battlefield?

Readings Question #9(HAFD page 19)

• Describe how the Greeks prepare their dead for interment.

Greek Funeral Procession

HAFD page 20• Consisted of:– deceased placed on a bier– female mourners– fraternity members– hired dirge singers

Cremation

HAFD page 20• began 1000 BC• at no time was earth burial completely

abandoned• power of the flame to set the soul free• “ashes” contained personal or spirit

characteristics

Coffins and Tombs

HAFD page 20• Baked clay, cypress wood, stone• Classification of tombs:– stelae (shafts)– kiones (columns)– trapazae (square-cut)– naida (temple-like)

Funeral Feast

HAFD page 21• one of the final steps

• broke the fast

• sacrifices: kept a connection between the living and the dead

Funeral Customs of the Ancient Romans

Early Death Beliefs

HAFD page 24• animistic view

• mystery cults

• Epicurians

• Christianity

Burial Customs(HAFD page 25)

• cremation and burial

• sanitation issues

• columbaria

• burial societies

Readings Question #10(HAFD page 25)

• In Roman times, if a person died in the presence of family, how was the body prepared?

Readings Question #11(HAFD page 26

• Who were the “pollinctores”, “libitinarius”, “designator” and “praecor”?

Roman Funeralis

HAFD page 27• Readings question #12:

• In the Roman funeral procession, where was the body taken? What type of rituals were performed there?

Constantine the Great(314 AD – 379 AD)

HAFD page 27• first Christian emperor• management of funerary

behavior became morewithin the jurisdiction of thechurch

Edict of Toleration

• Galerius 311 AD• Christians at this time were refusing to

worship the gods• allowed them to practice their faith without

fear of persecution, as along as their actions did not go against the common good

Influence of Roman Burial Practices

HAFD page 29• occupational models

• Roman undertaker

• precursor to modern day funeral service law