Matusekommetest Kirde-Eestis 19. sajandil ja 20. sajandi algul
On the Funeral Customs in North-East Estonia in the 19th and Early 20th Century

Summary/Abstract: The article deals with death-related beliefs and traditions in the 19th and early 20th century. The author has divided the tradition into four main periods. The first period deals with the person's illness, when the death is definitely approaching. Since the rituals and omens occurring during this period were believed to influence the future destiny of the dying person and the living, the rituals and omens became an inherent part of funeral tradition. The first period therefore prepared the dying person and his or her relatives for the future changes. Death as a biological transformation marks the beginning of the second period, involving washing and dressing the dead body and the night wakes. This is the period of communicating with the deceased - his or her conciliation with the living and the preparation for the afterlife and the prevention of any harmful effects related to death. The most detailed period of tradition was the third - the dead person's departure from home. Official church rituals were completed with popular wisdom to help the deceased to settle in the otherworld. The fourth period includes the funeral festivities, symbolising the dead person's joining the new environment, his or her reaching a new social status. Proper performing of all the mentioned periods was supposed to render the deceased harmless for the living. In the 20th century the old popular customs have begun to retreat. The first and the second period rituals are becoming obsolete, whereas the third and fourth period will be dominated by the official church ritual.

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