Abstract This paper examines the recurring theme of premature burial in three of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories: "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Premature Burial" and "The Cask of Amontillado."
From the Paper "Edgar Allan Poe's short stories and poems are marked by dark and morbid mood as he is largely considered the father of the psychological thriller and detective story. This macabre tone is perhaps best evident in the works that feature premature burial. Indeed several of Poe's stories including "The Premature Burial," "The Cask of Amontillado" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" feature characters that all confront the undeniable terror of being buried alive."
Abstract A paper which introduces and discusses the burial practices of ancient Egyptians. Specifically, it looks at burial practices for rulers, common people and their belief in the afterlife. It also shows the practice of mummification and entertainment at burial feasts.
From the Paper "After the funeral ceremony, participants would enjoy a great feast in celebration of the dead, with entertainment provided by singers and dancers. During the banquet, the body would be placed inside the final resting place in the tomb, and the footprints of the participants would all be wiped away from the sand. Now, the deceased's soul could finally return to the body, and the deceased could go on to the afterlife. A "Book of the Dead" was also buried with the mummy, to instruct the deceased how to cope with various conditions during the afterlife."
Tags: tombs, Nile, 'opening, of, the, mouth', funeral
Abstract In 1939, at a private estate in southeastern Suffolk, the remains of a ship-burial that occurred sometime in the middle of the seventh century was uncovered. This paper looks at how the burial-ship had never been to sea, but reflected an old Scandinavian custom of setting the dead hero or king afloat, surrounded with treasures and how it became one the most famous and sophisticated excavations of the twentieth century.
From the Paper "From consideration of the effects found in the burial ship, it is obvious that the Anglo-Saxons had developed a sophisticated culture. The workmanship of the gold objects found is of very high degree, and other objects, such as a small harp, signify that music and poetry held a favored position in the court life of the times. In addition there are many items of solid gold and silver, gold and silver coins (which were useful in determining the date of the burial), and the other objects that imply a high level of material wealth. The presence of Christian objects (and the absence of a body) implies that the pagan customs were rapidly being superseded by Christian beliefs."
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that as more and more time is spent on excavating and preserving lesser known Native-American sites, archaeologists are uncovering much older and unconventional historical sites. The writer points out that Native-American burial sites continue to pop up around the country as more and more of the land is continually developed. These sites are providing a much clearer picture of the ancient residents of the United States. The writer discusses that thanks to the work of archaeologists nationwide, these ancient cultures are being preserved through their links with modern day tribes, who are now able to explore their past further. Modern archeology has played a primary role in the discovery, but more importantly the preservation, of Native-American sacred burial sites. The writer concludes that by preserving these sacred sites, we are keeping a culture alive which was almost forgotten; a culture which predates European dominance in the Americas.
From the Paper "Minnesota legislation also protects sites from removal of any material content from protected lands. Any failures to obey such legislation can result in criminal felony charges. The State Archeologist at the Minnesota Historical Society is in charge of excavating and authenticating possible burial sites, showing archaeology's importance in creating and maintaining legislation involving ancient historical sites.
"Many people wonder why the Federal Government and State authorities should spend effort to protect these sites. First, these sites provide crucial details about the American past. They also provide links to modern day Native American cultures."
Abstract This paper traces the history of funerals and burials in the Catholic Church. There has not been many changes in the standard practices but the Church allowed cremation of the body in 1963 which was one practice strictly forbidden in early times.
From the Paper "The practice of burying the body among Catholics is as old as the faith itself. Catholic church did not permit cremation and burial of the body was the only practiced ritual in funerals, it was believed that cremation of the body was against the catholic beliefs. Since Catholics firmly believe in the Resurrection of the body, they did not allow the body to be burnt and then its ashes later buried or dispersed in the air. The Church strictly forbade this practice and even after the ban was lifted in 1963, most Catholics do not believe in cremation."
Tags: Resurrection, cremating, Christ, Jews, Greeks, Romans, body, death, life
Abstract This paper presents an overview on the burial rituals of the ancient Egyptians. Mummy processes, the purpose for the process and their belief in the afterlife are all detailed.
Abstract The paper describes how the fiction of Nathaniel Hawthorne is laced with symbolism and symbolic meaning employed by objects, words and character and place names that convey the ideas Hawthorne wants to implant in the reader. The paper portrays how such symbols often work on the reader unconsciously, evoking meaning and memory based on associations the reader has with the words used or even the sounds of the words. The paper analyzes "Roger Malvin's Burial" and highlights the symbolism present in this short story.
From the Paper "The oak stands as another sign that this is the same place, and the oak also represents the passage of time and the persistence of memory, consience, and sin. When Reuben kills his son and his wife shrieks and falls on the boy's body, the oak acts as if alive: "At that moment, the withered topmost bough of the oak loosened itself, in the stilly air, and fell in soft, light fragments upon the rock, upon the leaves, upon Reuben, upon his wife and child, and upon Roger Malvin's bones" (para. 68). The symbolism is complete as the story makes a full circle and returns to its beginning."
Abstract This paper discusses the Ancient Egyptian's mysterious religious practices and their views of life after death and explains their traditions associated with death and burial. The paper discusses the structure and purpose of the ancient Egyptian tomb (mastaba). The paper also looks at how the Egyptians believed that the dead possessed supernatural powers. The paper further discusses how the ancient Egyptians envisioned the afterlife and explains how they mummified the bodies of the wealthy.
From the Paper "At every stage of their history the ancient Egyptians believed that their spirits survived death and that in order for this to occur their corpses must be preserved at all costs. The desire for eternal life sprang from a deep passion for life and a wish to see it continue beyond the grave. The Egyptians began their preparations for the afterlife with their tombs (Dersin 138). The tomb itself could be a simple mud brick structure, a rock- cut chamber or a massive temple complex (Dersin 139). The ancient Egyptian tomb was considered the eternal resting place for the body and funerary goods, both of which were believed vital for rebirth and survival in the afterlife. The most splendid monuments were luxuries that only the king, his family and officials, and the wealthiest members of society could afford (Ghalin, Oakes 421)."
Tags: mummification, pyramid, tomb, kingdom, afterlife, eternal, life
Abstract This paper discusses the exclusionary rule, that is to prevent evidence that is obtained illegally to be used in a case against a defendant in a court of law. The author uses Thomas McInnis' book "The Christian Burial Case" as an example, as the doctrine was established as a result of the particularly horrific case discussed in the book. The paper summarizes the case about the disappearance of a ten-year old girl and the suspect in the case, who was a recently released mental patient residing at the YMCA where the girl was last seen. The paper also analyzes the legal proceedings of the case and argues that there should be exceptions to the exclusionary rule.
From the Paper "In a nation with a more cohesive national system of laws, of course, like France or England, the lag time or change of custody for the suspect when Williams changed hands from one police office to another would have resulted in more uniform interrogation techniques. Williams would have clearly have been in the custody of the law, not in legal limbo, as jurisdiction would not have been an issue. Also, the extensive history of the case would have been shorter, as Europe and England lacks America's extensive bureaucracy of state courts, state appellate courts, as well as the federal and Supreme Court of the land."
Abstract The paper shows how in Robert Frost's poem "Home Burial", the husband and wife respond individually to their infant's death, causing their loss to tear them apart when it should bring them together. The paper highlights the lack of communication that destroys the couple's marriage and concludes that tragedy is difficult enough without the added weight of miscommunication.
From the Paper "Tragedy is generally one of the main ingredients in works of literature in that authors have a point to prove about mankind. Misfortune and miscommunication go hand in hand in Robert Frost's "Home Burial," a poem that focuses on heartbreak and how it not only impacts individuals in different ways but also how it can destroy relationships if neglected. Husband and wife respond individually to their infant's death and face an emotional chasm that becomes almost too difficult to bridge in this narrative poem. Left alone, tragedy can be a dividing force that proves to be destructive. Through setting and language, Frost demonstrates how loss can tear people apart when it should bring them together. Gentle madness results from such an existence. The significance of "Home Burial" is to illustrate the frailty of human relationships and the importance of working to keep them alive."
Abstract This paper focuses upon illustrating the relevance of the obvious emphasis and taboo regarding Greek burial or death rites as it is portrayed in a significant amount of ancient Greek literature. The paper examines how literature has long been a relevant source that historians as well as other scholars can turn to so as to glean at least a marginal understanding regarding the societal norms of the era or culture in particular.
Outline
Introduction
Generalities Regarding Ancient Greek Burial Rites
Relevance of Literary Illustrations Regarding Ancient Greek Perspectives on Death
Burial Rites Within Ancient Greek literature
Conclusion
From the Paper "One of the first things that essentially needs to be taken into consideration is that, as a result of their significantly un-advanced and superstitiously primitive preconceptions and beliefs, that nearly all kinds of ancient literature is tinged, to some degree or another, with elements of the super natural or paranormal. The occult, witches, curses and ghosts, all are things that are mentioned, with varying degree of figurativeness and realism, within ancient British as well as Greek literature. Moreover, there appears to be a particular degree of emphasis upon the relevance and effectuality of such things as oaths and curses, especially in regard to the likes of such being implemented in concern to a particular person's death or burial. This something that is quite strongly portrayed when Euripides? Hippolytus, the protagonist within the play, reasserts his confidence to his father in so much as taking an oath that in death may neither sea nor earth receive my flesh, if I have proved false (Lawson, 1964)."
Abstract The paper explores the central theme of burial and redemption in three of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories: "The Black Cat", "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado". The paper shows how the protagonist in "The Black Cat" falls prey to alcoholism, the young man in "The Tell-Tale Heart" imagines all manner of ills emanating from the evil eye of a man he loves and respects, while the aggrieved in "The Cask of Amontillado" wants vengeance for insults and differences of opinions from a haughty and obnoxious individual. The paper notes differences in the burials of the three victims and in the eventual fate of the killer. The paper maintains that one can see the burial as a metaphor for hell that reflects the darkness and evil in the hearts of the killers as they struggle with their personalities, their weaknesses and their fears.
From the Paper "Popular horror/fantasy writers such as Clive Barker and Stephen King are of the opinion that the inspiration for fear-inducing tales, novellas and novels comes from tapping into the human fear of the unknown. Indeed, for most of us, a walk through a street in the pitch dark of night where shadows seem to be jumping at us is much different than walking through the same street in broad day light. Also, any one who's experienced a visit to a cave and the tour guide switching off the lights to give visitors a sense of real darkness will realize that it is not just the darkness but complete sensory deprivation coupled with a feeling of floating."
A look at the Egyptian burial practices of the Middle and New Kingdom dynasties, emphasizing Joseph's participation in burial rites as described in Bible.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 6 sources, 1992, $ 47.95
From the Paper "Egypt's ancient history is a long and colorful one, contributing many things to antiquity including pyramids, tombs, art work and mummies. Spanning three thousand years, this civilization on the Nile River witnessed thirty different dynastic periods until occupied by the Macedonian Greeks in 332 B.C. While the first six dynasties (3000 B.C. - 2155 B.C.) encompassed the unification of Egypt under a central authority as well as the building of the pyramids, the next fourteen dynasties were a time of turbulence, chaos, regaining of power and eventual decline. It was also during this period that the Egyptian burial practices of embalming were perfected and, in stark contrast to cultural dictates, utilized by select Jewish leaders of the country, specifically the Biblical characters Joseph and his father Jacob. The purpose of this paper will be to describe the..."
Abstract This paper discusses how the area of Shandong holds China's most remarkable archaeological discoveries and, in particular, focuses on the burial assemblages of the Dawenkou site in Shandong Northern China. It revolves around the main idea that these burial sites present convincing evidence of an emerging social complexity. A second focus attempts to provide proof that the Dawenkou culture played a major role in the emerging complexity of the Neolithic Chinese period.
From the Paper "There has been a plethora of evidence accumulated by modern day archaeologists and anthropologists suggesting that the people of the Neolithic era began displaying a completely unique societal complexity as early as 5000 B.C. ?We may assume that since the Neolithic cultures and their remains are distributed over such an expansive region, distinct regional or local differences and different cultural characters are bound to exist, and that at the same time they are most likely to contain many elements of influence that came from primitive cultures in the heartland of the Northeast and the coastal region of the Southeast; they thus reflect the historical lineage of the region and its characteristic of being a place where many different ethnic groups had gathered and settled.? (Guldin) "
Abstract This paper examines how burial rituals or funerary customs in other cultures are as unique and different as the cultures themselves and how, in every culture, when death occurs, the body is usually buried or cremated respectfully to honor the person that passed on. It looks at how different cultures have different beliefs regarding what happens to a person after they die and how, in general, most cultures believe that one's soul leaves the body and goes on to another world or to become another creature. In particular, it shows how a culture's belief of what happens to the soul affects the manner in which the dead are prepared or disposed through analysis of the burial rituals of several different cultures and religions.
Outline
Introduction
Egyptians
Hinduism
Judaism
Islam
Tibetan Buddhists
From the Paper "An Egyptian funeral began at the house of the deceased early in the morning. By the time that the funeral began the person had already been mummified (Taylor 114). The mummification process itself was a very long process that lasted on an average of seventy days or more (Mims 197). The mummification was completed in order to preserve the body so that when it's soul came looking for the body it would be recognizable (Arriaza 123). They would be carried from their house by servants through town and across the Nile in a procession that would end at their tomb (Taylor 115). During the procession food would be handed out and professional mourners were hired to mourn the dead (Taylor 114)."
