Death and Afterwards
Death and Afterwards

Summary/Abstract: For a folklorist all death-related aspects of human life can be divided in two groups: 1) ritual, beliefs that begin to operate at the instance of death in the neighbourhood; 2) general death-related beliefs in daily life. While the first group can be seen as the more ceremonial one and, thus, more obligatory in a way, the other contains more explanations that are not bound to particular customs. In my opinion beliefs connected with certain activities are inclined to be preserved due to their complexity and dynamic character, while at the same time they are constantly under threat of being levelled down and modernised in accordance with changes in human interpretation. On the other hand, the beliefs that enjoy a certain degree of “freedom” can be more fragmented, but they are more likely to contain more archaic traits. Penetrating into the people’s ideas about what will happen after death, how this world and the one after death are connected to each other, or what is their notion about the other world in general, helps us gain information about everyday beliefs.

• Details
• Contents