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INTRODUCTION THE LORE OF DEATH by Kenneth L. Untiedt  Contrary to what Captain Kirk told us at the beginning of every Star Trek episode, space is not the final frontier. Nor is the ocean, which many scientists believe warrants more research and promises more potential life-sustaining solutions for our planet than does any place outside our atmosphere. No, death is the real final frontier . It is the true unknown, and it is the only adventure everyone must ultimately face. A select few people have been to outer space, and their travels have been thoroughly documented. Each day scientists answer more of the questions we have about our material world and the universe in which we live. However, no one knows for sure what will happen when death occurs. The mysteries of death make the lore that surrounds it unique for two reasons. First, because death is universal and occurs without regard to culture, gender, social status, ethnic background, country of origin, or any other factor, it is the focus of more folklore than anything else. Also, because no one knows what awaits them after their inevitable death, much of the folklore related to dying is generated by fear. Some burial customs and superstitions regarding death go back centuries—indeed, to earliest man. Contemporary cultures maintain a strong connection to this lore, more so than to any other kind. Younger generations are more likely to retain death rituals and customs than they are other life cycle events, such as births and rites of passage celebrations. With divorce rates averaging well over fifty percent, couples may adhere to wedding customs the first time, but the second or third time around, most folks don’t worry as much about following tradition. Especially here in America, as families continue to spread apart in a vastly transient society, fewer people embark on cross-country trips to see newborns or celebrate sixteenth birthday parties, sometimes for grandchildren or other 1 2 Introduction relatives they’ve visited in person only a few times. The baby can be seen via a live video feed on the Internet from anywhere in the world, and videotapes or DVDs and digital photographs are easy to produce and share, again because of computer technology. A death in the family, however, still calls for a personal appearance. We don’t honor the dead through a web cam. One reason death customs continue when others fade away is that we are able to rely on an organized, regulated institution to help keep them alive: the funeral industry. Funeral homes, no matter how corporate they’ve become, still promise to assist families with every part of the burial process—even providing counseling on how to grieve properly, but also almost certainly explaining all the most common rituals and burial customs, at least for that particular local culture. A more important reason, though, is that death is final. We remember little if anything of other life cycle events such as our own birth, learning to walk, or first days of school. And almost everyone looks forward to those occasions that, in many cases, have become more about clever marketing and commercialism (Sweet Sixteen birthday parties) than they are about achieving something meaningful. On the other hand, no one overcomes death, and the loss of a loved one often affects people more powerfully—and personally—than any other event. To understand more about dying and what might follow, people study the folklore related to death. They can learn about rituals from cultures all around the world, as well as how they originated and have changed. Many books (and now web sites) repeat much of the same information, providing only variations of many different cultures over time. One can compare specific examples of superstitions, rituals, customs, and beliefs of ancient man, as well as those within contemporary cultures. Each culture’s beliefs surrounding death are an important starting point for such study, for they are at the heart of all death lore (and all folklore in general). Shared beliefs are a substantial part of what defines a culture. The idea that people believe in something is what makes them continue the practice with which it is associated. While the origins may have been lost, people find comfort in the rituals, superstitions, and customs that support what the larger group believes. Man’s attempt to learn more and satisfy curiosities about his surroundings and his future demonstrate his civilized nature. His comprehension of his inevitable death and his...

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