Death Of The Ancient World - 2949 Words

Death. Something that no one wants to think about much less encounter. Yet we all must come face to face with death in some way or another. The whole process of losing a loved one and taking care of the remains made me wonder why we honor the dead the way we do. Why do we bury them or burn them? What dictates that religion, environment, culture? What is the point of doing anything at all for the dead? To honor their memory or ease the pain for those left behind? Death in the ancient world held a deeper meaning than it does today, in the ancient world they look out for your soul and the journey it is about to embark upon. Our traditions today are merely warped versions from these ancient traditions. As I examined some of the ancient texts from different cultures, I found something very surprising, even across different cultures the dead were tended the same way. You would never notice these similarities, because the rites and meanings are so different, leading me to the conclusion it wasn’t all culture. Environment plays a small role but it was insignificant, in comparison to religion. Religion or the lack thereof was what made these death rites so different and distinctive. Religion affects the practices and different rituals surrounding how the dead are laid to rest in the ancient world as we see in Beowulf, the Iliad, and the Bhagavad-Gita. If I say Viking, immediately the image of a blonde haired pillager comes to mind, and if I say Viking funeral, you think of a shipShow MoreRelatedEssay about Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece903 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece† According to history there existed two of many important ancient civilizations that left a significant mark in the history of human development that even today leaves modern society in awe of its greatness. In spite of being distant civilizations, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece share similarities and difference in terms of how they practiced religion,political structure, everyday life style, and how they built the monumental architectures that continued to amazeRead MoreCompare And Contrast Ancient Rome And Christianity1710 Words   |  7 PagesAncient Rome vs Christianity Ancient Rome and Christianity experienced many similarities and differences throughout their time. Because the Roman World began their religion multiple years before Christianity began to erupt, therefore Christianity was persecuted by the Roman World. The Roman World based their religion off gods and goddesses while Christianity was based off of Jesus and his crucifixion on the cross for our sins. These religions share different but in some way similar purposes, virtueRead MoreLife After Death By Benjamin Franklin1081 Words   |  5 PagesLife after Death Benjamin Franklin once said, â€Å"In this world nothing can be certain, expect death and taxes†. (www.brainyquote.com). Death is something a lot of people are scared of, even though it a natural life cycle and it happens to everyone and everything. Everybody agrees death happens, but not everyone agrees what happens after death. Different people have different views of what happens after death, but one thing they all agree on is that it happens to everybody and there is no way aroundRead MoreAnti-Idealism In Shakespeares Hamlet1563 Words   |  7 PagesMark Edmundson’s book, Self and Soul, he calls William Shakespeare â€Å"our great de-idealizing author.† In his book, Edmundson examines the ideals of the ancient world and how they have been lost in the modern world. In one section of the introduction to his novel he analyzes Shakespeare’s works and how they function as a shift between these two worlds. Specifically, he examines Shakespeare’s re jection of the â€Å"religious ideal [and] the ideal of contempt,† as well as his use of skepticism and â€Å"uncertaintiesRead MoreAs the saying goes no good deed goes unrewarded. Coleridge, in his poem The Rime of the Ancient600 Words   |  3 Pagesdeed goes unrewarded. Coleridge, in his poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, tells a story that no evil deed shall go unpunished. For every action there is an appropriate consequence equal to or greater than the original action. In the poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Coleridge explains this through the crime committed by the ancient Mariner and the consequences forced upon him for his actions as seemed fit by the spiritual world. The albatross had flown to the side of the Mariner’sRead MoreThe Superstitious And Mythical Figure Of The Vampire988 Words   |  4 Pagesresurrects from the dead and lives of the living, by draining humans of their blood, until a it is impaled by a wooden stick or burned. In ancient history we see the myth of the vampire appearing in burial traditions, showing vast similarities to the modern day definition of the vampire. We see this appear in various cultures and regions like the Tibetans, ancient Babylonia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome (Wotherspoon, 6-8). In The Tibetan Book of the Dead, it is explained by Lama Kazi Dawa that, they believeRead MoreAncient Egypt : Religion And Religion1374 Words   |  6 Pagesdo in mythology. Ancient Egypt had an organized system with beliefs about the supernatural, belief was an polytheistic one, and part of the culture and lives of people. All these features and roles are all part of the religions, animistic religions. The people of Egypt at the time were part of a civilization that had two kingdoms that eventually became one. World being flat was the belief at the time and thus the Nile River is seen as the main source of life. The people of ancient Egypt all had jobsRead MoreThe Themes Of Death And Death1282 Words   |  6 PagesCambridge Hinds Big Question Paper The Meaning of Death The themes of life and death are used frequently throughout many ancient and modern stories, and specifically, thoughts on death and what it means differ from author to author, time period to time period, and circumstance to circumstance. Many works of ancient literature address the meaning of death directly; examples include the drama Medea by ancient Greek playwright Euripides in 431 BCE, and the Decameron by Italian Giovanni BoccaccioRead MoreDeath Of Latin American Culture1542 Words   |  7 PagesDeath in Latin American Culture Death is part of life in every part of the world, and every culture handles it differently. Just like every other region in the world, the approaches to death in Latin America are unique to the area, and have changed over the years. The Pre-Colonial death rituals in Mexico, Peru, and Haiti each have their own method of addressing this inevitable tragedy. Never the less there are common threads throughout the Aztec, Inca, and Taino peoples. When the Europeans arrivedRead MoreGreek Mythology : Ancient Greece1322 Words   |  6 Pagesfor the dead which was called the underworld. Greek mythology itself is legend. In fact, it shows a window into the ancient past, a view of a world that existed not only in the mind of the Greek poets but also in the native hearts of Ancient Greece. Polytheistic, is to be defined as believing in more than one God in which Ancient Greeks can closely relate too. However, Ancients Greeks paid focused attention on the 12 to 14 Gods of Mount Olympus which the Gods had their own â€Å"semi-gods† and â€Å"deities†