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Mourning
Saturday,
August 2, 2008 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Margaret of Spain, Empress of Austria, in
mourning, 1666; note the attendants in mourning dress behind her. Mourning is, in the simplest sense, synonymous with grief over the death of someone. The
word is also used to describe a cultural complex of behaviours in which the
bereaved participate or are expected to participate. Customs vary between
different cultures and evolve over time, though many core behaviors remain
constant. Wearing dark, sombre
clothes is one practice followed in many countries, though other forms of dress
are also seen. Those most affected by the loss of a loved one often observe a
period of grieving, marked by withdrawal from social events and quiet,
respectful behavior. People may also follow certain religious traditions for such
occasions. Mourning may also apply
to the death of, or anniversary of the passing of, an important individual like
a local leader, monarch, religious figure etc. State mourning may occur on such
an occasion. In recent years some traditions have given way to less strict
practices, though many customs and traditions continue to be followed.
Social customs and
dress
Continental Europe
"Mourning dress" redirects here. For the
daytime form of men's formal dress, see morning dress.
Catherine de' Medici as widow, c. 1560s Mourning jewelry The custom of wearing
unadorned black clothing for mourning dates back at least to the Roman
Empire, when the Toga pulla made of dark-colored wool was worn
during periods of mourning. Through the Middle Ages
and Renaissance,
distinctive mourning was worn for general as well as personal loss; after the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre of Huguenots in France, Elizabeth I of England and her court are
said to have dressed in full mourning to receive the French Ambassador. Women in mourning and
widows wore distinctive black caps and veils, generally in a conservative
version of the current fashion. In rural areas of Mexico,
Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece widows will wear black for the rest of their
lives. The immediate family members of the deceased will wear black for an
extended period of time. [edit] White mourning
Mary Queen of Scots in deuil blanc c.
1559 following the deaths of her father-in-law, mother, and first husband Francis II of France. The colour of deepest
mourning among medieval European queens was white rather than black.
This tradition survived in Spain until the end of the fifteenth century, and
was again practiced by the Spanish-born Belgian Queen
Fabiola of King Baudouin's funeral. It was the custom for the
Queens of France to wear deuil blanc or "white mourning"; this
is the origin of the white wardrobe created by Norman
Hartnell for Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen
Mother, in 1938, when Elizabeth was required to make a state visit to
France while in mourning for her mother. United Kingdom
Nowadays there is no
special dress or behaviour required for those in mourning and even the wearing
of black at funerals is in decline. Traditionally however there were strict
social rules to be observed. By the 19th century,
mourning behaviour in England had developed into a complex set of rules,
particularly among the upper classes. Women bore the greatest burden of these
customs. They involved wearing heavy, concealing, black clothing, and
the use of heavy veils
of black crępe. The entire ensemble was colloquially known as widow's weeds
(from the Old English "Waed" meaning
"garment"). Special caps and bonnets,
usually in black or other dark colours, went with these ensembles. There was
even special mourning jewellery, often made of jet
or the hair of the deceased. The wealthy could also wear cameos or lockets
designed to hold a lock of the deceased's hair or some similar relic. Poor
orphans depicted wearing a makeshift black armband to mourn for their mother (Work
by F.M. Brown), 1865 Widows were expected to
wear special clothes to indicate that they were in mourning for up to four
years after the death. To remove the costume earlier was thought disrespectful
to the decedent, and if the widow was still young and attractive, suggestive of
potential sexual promiscuity. Those subject to the rules were slowly allowed to
re-introduce conventional clothing at different time periods; stages were known
by such terms as "full mourning", "half mourning", and
similar descriptions. Friends, acquaintances,
and employees wore mourning to a greater or lesser degree depending on their
relationship with the deceased. In general, servants wore black armbands when there had been
a death in the household. Mourning was worn for six
months for a sibling. Parents would wear mourning for, "as long as they
feel so disposed." A widow was supposed to wear mourning for two years and
was not supposed to enter society for twelve months. No lady or gentleman in
mourning was supposed to attend balls. Amongst polite company the wearing of
simply a black arm band was seen as appropriate only for military men (or
others compelled to wear uniform in the course of their duties); wearing a
black arm band instead of proper mourning clothes was seen as a degradation of
proper ettiquette and to be avoided.[1] Formal mourning
culminated during the reign of Queen Victoria. Victoria herself may
have had much to do with the practice, owing to her long and conspicuous grief
over the death of her husband, Prince Albert. Although fashions began to be
more functional and less restrictive for the succeeding Edwardians,
appropriate dress for men and women, including that for the period of mourning,
was still strictly prescribed and rigidly adhered to. The rules were
gradually relaxed and acceptable practice for both sexes became to dress in
dark colours for up to a year after a death in the family. By the late 20th
century, this no longer applied.
United States Mourning
dress, circa 1867 Mourning generally
followed English forms. In the antebellum South, with social mores that rivaled
those of England, mourning was just as strictly observed. The sequence in the
book and film of Gone with the Wind in which Scarlett
O’Hara scandalizes the attendees at a ball
by accepting Rhett Butler’s invitation to dance, despite the fact that she is
in mourning for her late husband, accurately reflects the social customs of the
time. Victorian mourning could
be quite expensive. At the end of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy
explains to Glinda
that she must return home because her aunt and uncle can not afford to go into
mourning for her.[2] The loss of the male head
of the family had serious ramifications for American Indian widows; mourning
among some tribes included the act of cutting off of a finger.[citation needed] Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, an edir
is a traditional community organization in which the members assist each other
during the mourning process. Members make monthly financial contributions
forming the Edir's fund and they will be entitled to receive a certain sum of
money from this fund, the rate of which varies based on how close the deceased
is to the Edir member. The purpose for such payment is to help cover the
funeral and other expenses associated with the death. In addition, female
members of the Edir take turns to do the house work like preparing food for the
mourning family and people coming to comfort them. Usually, the male members
take the responsibility to arrange the funeral, erect a temporary tent to
shelter guests who come to visit the mourning family. Edir members are also
required to stay with the mourning family and comfort them for three full days. State & Official mourningQueen
Paola of Belgium in "grand deuil" State mourning, or in the case of monarchies, court mourning, refers to
displays of mourning behavior on the death of a public figure or member of a
royal family. The degree and duration
of public mourning is generally decreed by a protocol officer. It was not
unusual for the British court to declare that all citizens should wear full
mourning for a specified period after the death of the monarch, or that
the members of the court should wear full- or half-mourning for an extended
period. On the death of Queen Victoria, (January 22,
1901), the Canada
Gazette published an "extra" edition announcing that court
mourning would continue until January 24, 1902, and directing the public to wear deep mourning until March 6, 1901, and half-mourning
until April 17,
1901. The black-and-white
costumes designed by Cecil Beaton for the Royal Ascot
sequence in My Fair Lady were inspired by the
"Black Ascot" of 1910, when the court was in mourning for Victoria's
son, Edward VII. All over the world,
states usually declare a period of official mourning after the death of
a Head
of state. The signs may vary but usually include the lowering or posting
half-staff of flags on public buildings. In contrast, in the
United Kingdom, the Royal Standard is never
flown at half-mast, because there is always a monarch on the throne. On the death of the Emir
of Kuwait in January 2006, a 40-day mourning period was declared. On Tonga, the official
mourning lasts for a year; only afterwards is the royal heir crowned the new
king. On the other hand, the
principle of continuity of the state must be respected. The principle is
reflected in the French saying "Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi!"
("The king is dead, long live the king!"). Regardless of the
formalities of mourning, power must be handed on; if the succession is
uncontested, that is best done immediately. Yet a short interruption of work in
the civil service may result from one or more days of closing the offices,
especially on the day of the state
funeral. Religions and Customs
Christianity
The European social forms
described above are, in general, forms of Christian religious expression
transferred to the greater community. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Mass
of Paul VI, adopted in 1969, allows several options for the liturgical
color used in Masses for the Dead. Prior to the liturgical reform, black
was the ordinary color for funeral Masses; in the revised use, several options
are available. According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal
(§346d-e), violet, white, or black vestments may be worn at Offices and Masses
for the dead. Christian Churches often
go into mourning symbolically during the period of Lent to commemorate the
sacrifice and death of Jesus. Customs vary among the denominations and include the
covering or removal of statuary, icons and paintings, and use of special
liturgical colours, such as violet/purple, during Lent and Holy Week. In more formal
congregations, parishioners also dress according to specific forms during Holy
Week, particularly on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday,
where it is still common to wear black or sombre dress or, as mentioned, the
liturgical color purple. Hinduism
Death is not seen as the
final "end", but is seen as a turning point in the seemingly endless
journey of the indestructible "atman" or the soul through innumerable bodies
of animals and people. Hence Hinduism, prohibits excessive mourning or
lamentation upon death, as this can hinder the easy passage of the departed
soul towards its journey ahead: "As mourners will not help the dead in
this world, therefore (the relatives) should not weep, but perform the
obsequies to the best of their power."[3] Hindu mourning is
described in dharma
shastras[4][5]. It begins immediately after the cremation of the body
and ends on the morning of the thirteenth day. Traditionally the body is
cremated within 24 hours after death, however the cremations are not held after
sunset and before sunrise. Immediately after the death an oil lamp is lit near
the deceased and this lamp is kept burning for three days. Hinduism associates
death with ritual impurity for the immediate blood family
of the deceased, hence during these mourning days, the immediate blood family
must not perform any religious ceremonies (except funerals), must not visit
temples or other sacred places, must not serve the sages (holy men), must not
give alms, must not read or recite from the sacred scriptures nor can they
attend social functions like marriages, parties etc. Hence the family of the
deceased is not expected to serve any visiting guests food or drink, and it is
customary that the visiting guests do not eat or drink in the house where the
death has occurred. The family in mourning are required to bathe twice a day,
eat a single simple vegetarian meal and try to cope up with their loss. On the
day on which the death has occurred, the family do not cook, hence usually
close family and friends will provide food for the mourning family. White clothing (the colour of purity) is
also the colour of mourning and many will wear white during the mourning
period. On the morning of the thirteenth
day, a Shraddha
ceremony is performed. The main ceremony involves a fire sacrifice, in which
offerings are given to the ancestors and to gods, to ensure the deceased has a
peaceful afterlife. Typically after the ceremony, the family cleans and washes
all the idols in the family shrine and flowers, fruits, water and purified food
is offered to the gods. Now the family is ready to break the period of mourning
and return back to daily life. Islam
Main article: Islamic funeral#Mourning Mourning is observed in
Islam by increased devotion, receiving visitors and condolences, and avoiding
decorative clothing and jewelry. Loved ones and relatives
are to observe a 3-day mourning period.[6]
Widows observe an extended mourning period (Iddah), 4 months and
10 days[7]
long, in accordance with the Qur'an 2:234. During this time, she is not to
remarry, move from her home, or wear decorative clothing or jewelry. Grief at the death of a
beloved person is normal, and weeping for the dead is allowed in Islam.[8]
What is prohibited is to express grief by wailing ( Bewailing refers to
mourning in a loud voice), shrieking, beating the chest and cheeks, tearing
hair or clothes, breaking things or scratching faces or saying phrases that
makes a Muslim lose faith.[9] Directives for
widows
Qur'an prohibits widows to engage
themselves for four lunar months and ten days, after the death of their
husbands. According to Qur'an:
Islamic scholars consider
this directive a balance between mourning a husband's death and protection of
the widow from censure that she became interested in re-marrying too soon after
her husband’s death.[10]
This is also to ascertain whether or not a lady is pregnant.[11] Judaism
Main article: Bereavement in Judaism Judaism looks upon
mourning as a process by which the stricken can re-enter into society, and so
provides a series of customs that make this process. The most known and
central stage is Shiva, which is a Jewish mourning practice in which
people adjust their behaviour as an expression of their bereavement for the
week immediately after the burial. In the West, typically, mirrors are covered
and a small tear is made in an item of clothing to indicate a lack of interest
in personal vanity. The bereaved dress simply and sit on the floor, short
stools or boxes rather than chairs when receiving the condolences of visitors.
English speakers use the expression "to sit shiva". Modern customs
Mourning attire became
less customary after the mid-twentieth century, by which time it had already
been determined that mourning was not to be worn in the business arena. It is
still customary, though not as universal, to indicate mourning through somber,
semi-formal dress, particularly at the funeral and among
the family and close friends of the deceased. As such, men often wear a suit
and tie, while a woman may wear a dark-colored, long-sleeved dress or pantsuit.
The armband is still seen, but mostly amongst Irish, German, Austrian, and
other northern- and central-European Catholic groups such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians. A few
modern customs have evolved, for example the use of sunglasses
in order to hide tear-swollen eyes. Mourning is used as a statement of respect,
solidarity, commemoration, or protest by a particular group in an unusual
circumstance. For instance:
Epona'Bri Astra-Peace http://lifedeathmagick.blogspot.com/2008/08/mourning.html |
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