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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 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 mourning |
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“ |
And those of you who die and leave widows behind, they
should keep themselves in waiting for four months and ten days. Then when
they have fulfilled their term, there is no blame on you about what they do
with themselves in accordance with the norms [of society]. And Allah is well
acquainted with what you do. And there is also no blame on you if you tacitly
send a marriage proposal to these women or hold it in your hearts. Allah
knows that you would definitely talk to them. [Do so] but do not make a
secret contract. Of course you can say something in accordance with the norms
[of the society]. And do not decide to marry until the law reaches its term.
And know that Allah has knowledge of what is in your hearts; so be fearful of
Him and know that Allah is Most forgiving and Most Forbearing. |
„ |
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:
- The
wearing of black armbands by the Israeli Olympic team in 1976 to
commemorate the attack on the team during the 1972 Olympic
Games.
- A
sports team may wear black armbands, or affix a black stripe to their
uniforms, for a specified time period following the death of an owner,
coach, teammate or (if the decedent is a high school student), classmate.
- A
community wearing special-colored ribbons on a designated day or for a
particular time period. For instance, the wearing of red, white and blue
following the September 11th attacks.
- Observing
a "moment of silence" and/or flying flags at half-staff
following a death. This most frequently happens in conjunction with
national periods of mourning (such as the death of a former or current Head
of State or other notable leader).
- However,
flags are sometimes lowered to half-staff in other circumstances, such as
after the death of a high school student or noted local figure; such
circumstances vary widely and are usually influenced by local customs.
- In all
cases, when a flag is to be flown at half-staff or half-mast it is first
to be fully hoisted and only then lowered half-way, never raised only to
half-way and left there.
- Local-,
state- and federal-uniformed employees who wear badges place a black band
around the badge when a fellow employee has been killed in the line of
duty.
- The
wearing of a black armband to protest an action by one's government that
the wearer considers so atrocious as to warrant mourning for the loss of
the decency/respect for human life/morals of their country. A circumstance
in which this would occur would be a time when a person believes that
their country has committed genocide, or made a decision that will
jeopardize the future of their country.[citation needed]
- A wedding
ring, either the original or the dead partner's, may be worn for a
period after the death.
Epona'Bri Astra-Peace
http://lifedeathmagick.blogspot.com/2008/08/mourning.html