Emotion, Identity, and Death in the Greek Tradition and Beyond

NULLEmotion, Identity, and Death in the Greek Tradition and Beyond

E.J. Haland.

The article examines emotion and identity in the Greek death cult to clarify certain contemporary political phenomena in the Mediterranean where the cult of the dead is a common cultural pattern. Why is this cult so persistent? What is the death cult and how does it manifest itself? The article delves into its importance in Greece, where the author has had several periods of fi eldwork. To illustrate the persistence of this cultural pattern, its characteristic aspects are discussed. Festivals which are dedicated to deceased persons and domestic death rituals are compared with ancient sources. Based on this, a survey of the relationship between the death cult dedicated to deceased mediators, as it is manifested through laments, burials and the ensuing memorial rituals is made. Modern domestic rituals infl uence offi cial rituals, and vice versa. A study of modern cult practices reveals many parallels with the offi cial cult of the ancients, and suggests ways in which modern rituals can illuminate ancient rituals. The article seeks to demonstrate how new ideologies must be adjusted to older rituals and beliefs and how public and domestic rituals are connected. The article fi nally suggests how these similarities might represent a common way of expression within a larger geographical context.

Keywords: Greece, modern, ancient, death cult, death rituals, gender, laments, burials, gifts, communication.