Death and its perception

I would like to write today about death and how it is perceived. This article hasn’t got the goal of tearing apart all the joyful spirits created by the former posts. Unfortunately, death has been quite ubiquitous in my past year or so.

Before I carry on, this post reflects in some way my opinion; if you disagree with any points I raised I will fully understand.

The perception of death is of course subjective, but one can observe that death in society has evolved throughout time. Indeed, we can trace it back to a couple of major eras.

First of all, death was considered for a long time and is still by some, as a very important step in life. It is the end of the earthly existence and the beginning of an afterlife and even, through reincarnation, the start of a second life. This can be observed especially in Ancient Egypt. Pharaohs planned in advance their death and built massive or spectacular tombs such as the Pyramids near Cairo or the hidden tombs in the Valley of the king, some of them reaching depths of around 100 metres. In their burial chambers was gathered everything needed for the afterlife: food, money (gold) and even guards.

Another important aspect that death brought in Antiquity is “honour”. In some civilizations, a way to keep existing through History was to be remembered through a grave. Indeed, on a grave was written a name. If that name was by any chance erased, the memory was lost forever. In order to get a name engraved on a tombstone a mortal either had to die in battle or do a heroic action in his life. If for some reason he turned out to be a coward or deserted whilst in battle then he received a blank tombstone.

Finally, I would like to talk about the Middle Ages, especially in Europe. During this period, death was again perceived differently. The Christian religion was the centre of life. The fear of punishment in the afterlife, with the existence of a Heaven and Hell, ruled the lives of the peasants.  If during his life on earth, a follower behaved well and followed the rules laid down by the church and society then he was rewarded on doomsday with a place in Heaven. On the contrary, if he committed crimes whilst in his human form, his soul had to pay the price and suffer in Hell.

So, all in all, Death is perceived very differently from one civilization to another. In European standards, a funeral must be led in silence and it is expected to be dressed in black, and to mourn the death of a dear one. In other countries such as South Africa it is completely different. Let me give you an example, during a New Orleans jazz funeral, which can be seen in a James Bond film (Live and Let Die), after the coffin was buried, a feast took place with joyful music in order to commemorate the life of the deceased and help the members of the family in grief.

If there is one thing to remember, it would be the fact that everyone reacts differently to the death of a relative or a celebrity and grief can be expressed through mourning or maybe different attitudes. So, don’t judge if somebody reacts differently than you.

Tristan