From this week’s discussion, my group and I discussed two different topics. The first was the various myths from different traditions that correlate with death and disease. And secondly, the examination of the statement “Body practices as an extension of mythic narratives” for a belief system in Africa. Therefore, some of the discussion included perspective of death from an Islamic and Sikhism perspective, death and disease in a mythological view, and body practices within a belief system including a current real-life situation that is taking place around the world.
Death from an Islamic and Sikhism view
Death was examined through two different approaches, the first is in an Islamic point of view and the second through a Sikhism. From an Islamic perspective, there is an intermediary stage between death and the resurrection on the day of judgment known as the “punishment of the grave”. During this stage, the souls of the “unrighteous” are punished by two angles, whereas the souls of the “righteous” are blessed and are at peace. Every person is to be interrogated about their own faith as the Messenger of Allah counsels his people by saying, “My brothers! Prepare yourself for this day!”[3] After burying the deceased, he would say, “Ask for forgiveness and firmness for your brother, because he is now being questioned.”[4]
In a hadith, it is said that after the burial, the soul is interrogated by two angels named Munkar and Nakir. The interrogation will consist of various questions that will be revolved around the Messenger. Answering the questions correctly will result in an individual to enter paradise whereas, the disbelievers will suffer an intense heat and inhale its poisonous fume. Also, the grave will constrict and compress around an individual so much that their ribs interlock, the punishment of the disbeliever will continue until Allah resurrects them. The most striking symbolism that was used to portray the impact was the immediate punishment after the death as that causes a powerful effect on the believer of the faith. It represents that the souls do not have the luxury of waiting for the day of judgment to repent for their sins rather an individual is given all the time in their worldly life. So, the process beginnings right after the burial which accounts for their good and bad deeds. This ensures that every individual is constantly reminded of their weakness to god and to maintain a soul that is purified from any sin in order to be of those who are blessed in the afterlife.
In Sikhism, it is believed that after an individual dies there will be a reincarnated. Reincarnation is the rebirth of a person’s soul multiple times before merging with a higher power which can be in some sort of living thing. That could be in form of a human, plant, or animal. Sikhs take advantage of their worldly life to perform good deeds as one’s actions on earth will determine what or who will reincarnate into if they reach the ultimate goal which is unity with God. Its important for Sikhs to remember god in their heart and soul as these actions and many others accumulate as good karma in order to reunite with God in the afterlife. Some of the things that Sikhs were told to perform or wear by a spiritual leader that are considered as good karma are:
• Kesh, or long hair. Sikhs should not remove any body hair but must accept themselves as they are.
• Kachera, or cotton undershorts. They are a symbol of purity.
• Kangha, or comb. All Sikhs must wash and comb themselves to practice self-care.
• Kara, or bracelet. It’s a sign to remember God and always practice restraint in all actions.
• Kirpan, or sword. Not for self-defence, the kirpan is a symbol of bravery and fighting against injustice.
Through daily meditations, chants, and service to others ensures that Sikhs keep one God in their heart. It is believed that through prayer, an individual allows for the releasing of the ego and the feelings of value of ones self in order to recognize that god is within. Therefore, a Sikh is able to surpass their ego as soon as they dedicate their life to follow on God’s path. The symbolism that most stood out to me from this is that living as certain life forms is used as a punishment while others are used as a reward and being one step closer to god. The kinds of life forms looked down upon in this in mythology are those that are often associated with being dirty and dark, for example, spiders and other insects. Also, another symbol that stood out is the idea that death is not seen as a sad occasion and its forbidden to cry. For Sikhs living a life while performing and doing good ensures that god is constantly within. Therefore, life is seen as securement for the reincarnation and when one dies, they start another life solely on their actions. Also, it is believed that the soul never dies which is mainly the reason for the no mourning at the death of Sikhs.
Often times, individuals question the reasoning behind death and disease within a religion and if there is a specific meaning that is intended to be portrayed. The main message is intended to represent a universal feature of the human life in a way that demonstrates that death and disease describe suffering and the afterlife. A myth that I have personally found that intensely represents the concept of death is a story of the Torah which is the first five books of the Old Testament which is called the “Death of the Firstborn Egyptian”. This is also referred to as the Passover from the Biblical book of Exodus. Its expressed that as God passes through the land of Egypt, the firstborn son of every household is attacked. Therefore, the Jews were told to mark their doorframes with the blood of a lamb that they have sacrificed as a way to symbolise that the angel of death will “pass over” their homes. They were also told not to go out that door until the morning.
“On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgement against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord! But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt”
This reminds the Jews that in the bible it teaches that there will always be a certain amount of chosen people that will survive. During the Egyptian civilization, society viewed the firstborn to be in absolute power within the family unit. Its proven that having god in control of life and death for every individual including Pharaoh, shows that all humans are equal and under control of a higher being. This belief in religion is a representation of what the afterlife entails in the minds of religious followers and directed them in a path to do good in their temporary life in order to avoid the evils in their afterlife. Also, individuals are under God’s care and protection as a reward for believing in him and following his guidance. The sacrificing of the lamb and using its blood on the doorframes on the houses is for people to protect their families from death. This was the biggest symbiology that represented the impact that death portrayed in this myth. It symbolises God’s mercy for his people as he would pass over all the Jewish houses but only protect the ones that obeyed.
Death and the afterlife are viewed differently in various cultures. For Vikings, there were many other worlds where the dead were thought to end up. In the Norse mythology, there was a belief that there were many different afterlives depending on how someone lived their worldly life. For example, it was known that the Vikings who died in a battle would live in eternal peace called Valhalla. It is the most famous spiritual world that translates to “the hall of the fallen”, and its where the god Odin resides. The god Odin was associated with death and wisdom and he is the one that chooses who lives in Valhalla in the afterlife. The fallen warrior would be led by Odin into the foreseen battle of Ragnarök to fight the giants. However, the majority of deceased Vikings were to go to Helheim. It is the world beneath the ground, and its ruled by a goddess named Hel. In summary, this is how the afterlife was based on depending on how an individual lived or died in the Viking society:
• Warriors who died in battle: The greatest warriors who died on the battlefield go to either Folkvangr or Valhalla, depending on the god that chooses them.
• Sailors who died at sea: Viking life centered around seafaring. As such, those who die at sea find their afterlife below the depths with the giantess called Ran.
• Vikings who died outside of battle: For those who die in a “normal” way outside of a battle or at sea, they rest in Helheim over the watchful eye of the goddess Hel.
So, for individuals that die in a battle, they face an afterlife of glory and celebration whereas, everyone else gets a less intriguing afterlife. The most striking symbolism is that the place of rest was not eternal. This cataclysmic event, where all warriors are to perish in battle is unique in how it justified the need to explore and leave the comfort of the home because of their belief that humanity was not permeant or all powerful on earth.
Body practices within a belief system
In the statement “Body practices as an extension of mythic narratives” from the belief systems in Africa examines an extension of mythic narratives through body practices. The Kikuyu people believed in a monotheistic god, Ngai, who created the universe including everything within it. Ngai possesses everything that he created as invisible, inner spiritual force that connects object with him. This force can increase or decrease with variety of methods, which could affect an individual’s health. Body practices such as, piercing, painting the body, and wearing specific animal skins explains the increasing in force with the use of some items as everything we see contains this force which connects it to Ngai. Therefore, it demonstrated that the Kikuyu people body practices are an extension of mythic narratives. Another example is “Dancing Dead” which is a ritual among the Kapsiki people. The body practice of kinsmen carrying and dancing with a decorated corpse represents the idea that after death, an individual’s spirit is still alive. This also links to the idea of body practices through the concept of piercing and painting the body, relate to a re-enactment of mythological episodes connected with Ngai. In order to heal the wounded/diseased often times ancient rituals are administered by female community healers. It is believed that many diseases are attributed to mythical beings or spirts attacking and inhabiting the body.
Many myths about death in Indian culture justify the need for body practices as they “purify the body” and cleanse the soul by preparing it for a peaceful afterlife. By capitalizing on the care that one has for their loved ones, these myths make it impossible not to take part in body practices, through both fear of what the afterlife for their loved ones might look like and the societal shame. Furthermore, the current society is developing a way to enhance the way death is seen by doing formal funerals to a further extent of turning loved ones into plants or diamonds. These are marketed as a way to remember and celebrate the life of a loved one but also incorporating rituals from cultures myths and beliefs in how the body is intended to be treated. In some African cultures, it is important to follow the correct post-death procedures to ensure that the deceased soul take its place among the souls at peace and to prevent the soul from “haunting” those who have been left behind. Some bodily rituals include removing the body from the place of death through a hole in the wall, so that the soul can not recognize where to come back from. Taking a zigzag path to the burial place, as to confuse the soul of the path back to the house. Throwing obstacles in the way such as rocks and thorns, to make it difficult for the soul to find its way back. Although there appears to be a clear distinction between the human and spiritual realms, there is support for bodily practices as being extensions of mythical narratives in the realm beyond.
Female infanticide
Currently, in places like china , Bangladesh, and India, a similar case is occurring that resembles the “Death of the Firstborn Egyptians”. Its known as female infanticide, where families deliberately kill newborn females as they are gender-selective for various reasons. The main causes include that women are perceived as subservient because they are primarily seen as homemakers while men ensure the family’s social and economic stability. Another reason includes financial reasons within the family for example, in India, the number one reason for female infanticide is from the dowry system. In Indian society, it is tradition for the bride’s parents to give a dowry to the groom and his family and the dowry usually consists of large amount of money and valuable goods. For families with several females in the household, the dowry can hold a financial burden. Furthermore, many parents depend on their children to take care of them as they get older, but a girl usually leaves her family and joins her husband’s family when she marries. However, when the males marry the parents gain extra resources as they grow older in age. Overall, its seen that females are considered a drain on family resources during their childhood without bringing any economic benefits to the parents as they grow older. In a news article from 2017, it proves that in a 2006 study roughly 93 percent of Bangladeshi families preferred a son and it was views as a blessing to the home and country. It also mentions that a father in Narayanganj burned his nine-month-old female infant alive since he wanted a son and was enraged at the birth of his daughter. I found this similar to the narrative of “Death of the Firstborn Egyptian” as they both infer that there is someone superior. In the narrative, it was seen that God is the decision maker of who lives and dies whereas, in the current situation of female infanticide there is a bias dominance from the parents whether the female in the family survives or not.
In conclusion, death and disease is inevitable. As humans we have always been fascinated with death and the idea of coming back to life. Our attitudes towards life is shaped by beliefs about death and disease. Death is a brutal part of most people’s everyday lifestyle. In many traditions and cultures that the fate of a person’s soul is determined by the behaviour in life and body practices are seen differently in different traditions.
Reference:
Beek, W. V. (2015). Forge and the funeral: The smith in Kapsiki/Higi culture. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press.
Ethics – Abortion: Female infanticide. (2014). Retrieved August 06, 2020, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/medical/infanticide_1.shtml
Female infanticide. (2020, July 09). Retrieved August 01, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_infanticide
Huda, T. (2017, August 18). On sexism, son preference and female infanticide in Bangladesh. Retrieved August 04, 2020, from https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/society/sexism-son-preference-and-female-infanticide-bangladesh-1450642
Shafi, S. (2019, May 11). Interrogation in the Grave. Retrieved August 05, 2020, from https://www.islam21c.com/islamic-thought/interrogation-in-the-grave/
Stream, C. (2015). Bible Gateway passage: Exodus 11-20 – New International Version. Retrieved August 01, 2020, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+11-29
Tetrault Writer, S. (2020, March 20). What’s the Norse, or Viking, Afterlife Supposed to Be Like? Retrieved August 05, 2020, from https://www.joincake.com/blog/norse-afterlife/
Images:
Ezrach Man Is Born At Passover. (2020, April 12). Retrieved August 05, 2020, from https://rymcovenant.net/ezrach-man-is-born-at-passover/
John, M. (2019, July 29). India: Female Infanticide is not Abortion, it is MURDER. Retrieved August 05, 2020, from https://rinj.press/fpmag/july-2019/india-female-infanticide-is-not-abortion-it-is-murder/
Odin. (2019, August 21). Retrieved August 05, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin
Punam, S., Malik, R., & Pawar, S. (2018, August 01). Figure 2. In British India, during the 18 th and 19 th centuries,… Retrieved August 05, 2020, from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/In-British-India-during-the-18-th-and-19-th-centuries-female-infanticide-was-practiced_fig2_301197957
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