For people, death has always been something special and incomprehensible. Many questions regarding this phenomenon remain unanswered, despite the attempts of psychologists, philosophers, clairvoyants and scientists to lift the veil of secrecy. For a long time, various rituals and signs associated with this appeared and were preserved. mysterious phenomenon, and many of them are inexplicable. So, for example, why the deceased is carried out feet first, and what this custom is connected with, is of interest to many people.
Explanation in religion
According to representatives of many religions, after death a person acquires new life. In Christianity, for example, during a memorial service, the deceased is carried out feet first in order to have his face directed to the altar. It is believed that in this way a person offers the last prayer to God.
But according to the beliefs of the ancient Slavs, the door is the entrance to other world, therefore, by the way, they do not recommend sleeping with their feet to the door. After all, the ancient Slavs believed that sleep is a state akin to death, when the soul leaves the body and returns only at the moment of awakening. Another reason why the dead are taken out feet first is the belief that the living show him the direction in this way. Such a ritual allegedly prevents the soul from finding its way back and disturbing the living. It is also customary to cover all the mirrors in the house with dark fabrics so that the soul of the deceased does not see itself in them and does not remain.
By the way, our ancestors did not carry the dead through the door. During the funeral, a special hole was made in the wall, through which he was escorted to last way. After all the rituals, the hole was closed. It was believed that in this way the deceased would definitely not be able to find the way back and would not disturb his relatives.
rational explanation
There is also a rational explanation for why the deceased is carried out feet first. Several people carry the coffin, and if you put the deceased with their feet towards the exit, then the bearer from behind will not see his face. The fact is that few people can look at the face of a dead person. Therefore, there is a high probability that a person will not hold the coffin or will lose his senses. But when transferring a living person, it is more logical to carry him head first in order to see his condition and, if necessary, come to the rescue in time. That is why the dead are taken out with their feet forward, and the living person is vice versa.
Christian funeral
There are many nuances during the Christian funeral rite. For example, after all the formalities have ended, the priest or close relatives of the deceased should read prayers over him. After that, the deceased is washed, with the simultaneous reading of lines from holy book. Then they put on the deceased pectoral cross, new, clean clothes, and in their hands they put the icon of the Savior or Mother of God, depending on whether the burial is a man or a woman. Close relatives should carry the coffin from home on their last journey.
Of course, it is best to find out about burial and funeral business from the priest of the church where the deceased went, because some details may differ. But in all cases, it is better to place the deceased in the grave facing east. And the first handful of earth on the coffin should be thrown by close relatives and only then by the rest of the mourners.
The cross must be installed at the feet of the deceased so that his gaze looks at him. You can not perform a ceremony on the great Christian holidays. These are the main customs of how Christians are buried.
commemoration
After carrying out all the funeral rites, it is imperative to arrange a commemoration. This is a kind of rite, symbolizing the offerings of the relatives of the deceased for the audience. Moreover, a memorial meal is held repeatedly. The first time it is held immediately after the funeral, usually this is the third day after the death of a relative. Then they gather people on the ninth and fortieth day, when, according to Christians, the soul leaves the earthly world.
Subsequently, according to the rules of the funeral, relatives must regale those who know the deceased in another six months and a year after the death of the latter. Also, the table is set and treated to acquaintances on the name day of the deceased, thus showing that they remember and honor him.
It is forbidden to exhibit alcoholic beverages at the wake, as this is a pagan tradition. And during fasting, you need to treat with appropriate dishes that do not violate tradition.
If the commemoration falls on big church holidays, then they need to be rescheduled for the coming weekend. It is also customary to distribute alms in the name of the deceased in the first forty days after his death. This is the basic information about the burial and funeral business among Christians.
The burial rite of the Tatars
In any nation, birth and death are given special meaning. Among the Tatars, for example, traditions are closely connected with Islam and the beliefs of ancient people. For them, death is the end of earthly life. Therefore, the elders in the family begin preparations for their own death in advance.
Basically, the Tatars simply collect a certain amount of money, which will be required to carry out all the rites and rituals. And we will tell further how the Tatars are buried. There are many nuances here. For example, one should not leave a dying person on his deathbed alone. And be sure to invite the mullah, since it is he who monitors the correctness of all the rituals.
Tatar rituals
After death, the deceased needs to close his eyes and tie his mouth with a clean handkerchief. After that, the body must be transferred to a specially prepared place. Usually for this, a carpet is placed on the ground, on which a mattress and a sheet are placed on top. And white matter completely covers the body of the deceased from above. And a green velvet or silk fabric is placed on top of it. At the same time, the face and head of the deceased should be covered with a scarf, and his relatives should sit at the head of the bed.
According to popular beliefs, pregnant women and children should not be near the deceased. In addition, loud conversations and crying are prohibited, drinking, smoking and eating near the deceased are not allowed.
Ablutions
Before the funeral ceremony begins, a table is prepared in the yard, and a special place is fenced off to the side, where guests will not walk, where the deceased is washed. It is placed in a tub, a special wooden fixture with a hole for draining dirty water. Three towels are used for this. There should also be three washers. While this action is taking place, the old men behind the fence should read prayers. When the deceased has been washed, he must be wrapped in a shroud three times.
After that, the deceased is placed on a stretcher and placed on a special stand so that his head is directed to the west, covered with a green veil and prayers are read at the same time.
Burials
Unlike Christian customs, the grave for the Tatars is dug on the day of death. If death occurs before noon, the burial must take place on the same day, before the sun sets. If after dinner, then they bury it in the morning of the next day. Everyone buries the dead, the first handfuls of earth are thrown by relatives. For this, a shovel is used, which everyone must put face down after use.
After that, everyone should wash their hands and proceed to the memorial meal. They hold a commemoration several times, like Christians - on the third and fortieth day, and then six months and a year after death. But, besides this, the table must be laid on the 7th, 37th and 52nd day after death. Here, in principle, are all the main points of how the Tatars are buried.
Instruction
The moment when the soul of a person parted with the body, according to the ideas of the people, required the strictest observance of special rituals. Otherwise, the soul could not find peace and was doomed to eternal wanderings. Mandatory elements the funeral rite was the farewell of the dying to his relatives, confession, lighting a candle. Death without a candle and without repentance was considered the most terrible punishment for a person. In this case, the deceased could turn into a ghoul.
Believers need to go on the eve of the burial and order a commemoration and funeral service. Inform relatives and friends about the mournful date in advance. People are not invited to the commemoration, people come themselves to pay tribute to the memory. Now many arrange a wake in a cafe so as not to cook at home, especially. If you still decide at home, remember that you can’t cook in an apartment that has died before burial. Reach out to neighbors or friends for help.
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Farewell to a loved one
If you have to give a speech to a girlfriend or friend, more personal memories are appropriate. Do not talk about disagreements and quarrels, do not expose the deceased in an ambiguous light. If you feel strong enough in yourself, you can tell a funny story about the deceased, supplement your speech with light, harmless humor, but you should be careful with this so as not to hurt anyone's feelings.
In a speech to a brother or sister, it is very important to express your readiness to express support for your parents, for them the death of a child is a monstrous loss. Therefore, it is very important to emphasize in your speech that they are not alone, that they have you as a support. Do not hold back your emotions in this case, do not try to joke if you do not find the strength in yourself.
If you are giving a speech at your spouse's funeral, be sure to talk about how you met, what you experienced together, how you coped with difficulties, mention plans that you did not have time to implement. Support his or her parents by speaking from the heart.
At the funeral of any of your parents, in your speech, first of all express your gratitude for everything that they gave you, for life lessons, upbringing, invaluable experience, for all the time that you spent together. Do not try to talk for a long time, no one expects this from you. Don't suppress your emotions.
In any case, at whose funeral you are giving a speech, be sincere. Do not use clichés or overly pretentious constructions, build your speech as simply as possible.
From ancient times, a funeral rite has developed in Rus'. Despite the past centuries, many traditions associated with death, the period of stay of the deceased in the house and the funeral, have survived to this day almost unchanged.
Why is it customary that the coffin with the dead is taken out feet first? There are religious interpretations and worldly sayings about this. Let's try both options: Why are the dead carried out feet first?
Why the dead are carried out feet first - Religious variant
By religious traditions, another world, is nothing but a mirror image of the real! And therefore, if a person is born head first, then he should go to the other world on the contrary - feet first.
There is an interpretation that when the coffin with the deceased is carried feet first - the soul of the deceased follows, as it were, the coffin with the deceased. She sees everything that happens, knows and understands where she is being carried, but at the same time, she does not have the opportunity to remember the way back, which would then return back. Since the coffin with the deceased is carried forward with their feet, then, accordingly, he looks forward. And the human soul simply does not have the ability to remember the way back.
Along with these concepts, it is also required to cover the mirrors with matter. Since it is believed that the mirror is a guide to the other world and the soul of the deceased should not see its mirror image in it, otherwise it may remain in the world of the living.
Why the dead are carried forward with their feet - Worldly variant
According to worldly concepts, the coffin with the body of the deceased is carried feet first - in order to carrying person behind, was unable to look at the face of the deceased. Since for many people, at the sight of the deceased, they can simply lose their nerves and break their mental state.
Since ancient times, it’s been customary to carry the deceased feet first, so let’s stick with you and not violate these traditions!
Pagan archaism in the funeral rite of the Slavs
The Christian funeral rite organically absorbed the features of ancient pagan rituals. On the one hand, a cross is put on the deceased, a chaplet is placed on the head - a ribbon with sacred signs. A permit is put into the hand with a special prayer confirming. that before his death his sins were forgiven.
On the other hand, many elements of the funeral rite resemble pagan rituals and are aimed at averting death from the living. So, in the house where the deceased is located, they close the mirrors (windows to the other world), if the soul “sees itself in the mirror”, it can stay. In many places among the Slavs, on memorial days and on the eve of Christmas, the door was opened or at least left unlocked so that the souls of the dead could come to a joint family dinner. The deceased is taken out of the house feet first, sometimes not even through the door, but through the window, so that he does not see the road and does not find the way home. If this was not observed, then the spirit of the deceased person could remain in the house. For the same purpose, before returning from the cemetery, the horses were necessarily harnessed. During a memorial service in the temple, the coffin with the deceased is carried forward with their feet, and they place it so that its face is directed to the altar. In many cultures, this ritual is called " last prayer". The door was opened to help the soul leave the body, and left open until the relatives returned from the funeral. In a number of regions of Serbia and Montenegro, when carrying out a dead person, it was customary to remove the door from its hinges and turn it over. In the southern Serbian region of Kosovo, when the deceased was carried out, the door was removed and put back in place only after the coffin was taken out of the yard. It was strictly forbidden to bring any from the cemetery; objects or food, because the deceased could come for them and harm the living.
The ancient Slavs believed that the door is a passage to the other world. The door is opposed to the window, which is manifested in the custom to carry out the "unclean" dead person not through the door, but through the window (or a specially made opening in the wall). When Vladimir the Holy died in 1015, people from his inner circle dismantled the platform between two stands in his palace, wrapped the prince in a carpet and, lowering him to the ground with ropes, took him to church. The place disassembled in the platform, of course, was immediately patched up. This is not in order to hide his death, as the chronicler Nestor writes, this is in order not to carry the deceased through the door. As you know: it is impossible to take out a bad dead person through the door, because he can return. And like this, through a hole in the wall, which will be immediately repaired, much more reliable. The dead man can no longer find his way back. Can't go back and harm the living. So it turns out that even the closest people considered Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir a ghoul.
In connection with this, there is another "rule" - do not sleep with your feet to the door. This is due to the fact that during sleep, the state of a person, according to the ideas of the ancient Slavs, is close to death. The soul leaves the body for the duration of sleep and goes to another world, and with awakening it returns. Modern scientists confirm that it is really impossible to sleep with your feet to the door, because during sleep, a person will subconsciously understand that he is less protected and his sleep will be disturbing and restless from this.
In many customs there is an opinion that the other world is “the world in reverse”. A person is born head first. If, for some reason, the child is born feet first, then the birth is either very difficult, or it ends in the death of the child (less often of the mother). In the native rite, opening doors, windows and cabinets was used as a magical means to facilitate childbirth.
But, meanwhile, some nations have a tradition of carrying the dead head first. “As you came into this world, so you will leave.” This tradition is followed, for example, by the Crimean Karaites. This is a small Turkic people who settled in the Crimea.
"Secrets of Russia"
Most of us, when we go to the side, try our best to take care of our comfort. But no matter how comfortable the bed is, and the pajamas are soft, a person will definitely take one more measure - lie down so that his legs are not directed towards the door. Even being at a party and lying down on someone else's bed, which is installed in a completely different way, he would rather rearrange the bed or simply lie down with his feet against its headboard. Why?
This is how they carry the dead
The main reason for the emergence of this superstition is considered to be a funeral rite, during which the deceased is carried out feet first. Therefore, during sleep, many try to lie down with their feet away from the door.
This, of course, explains to some extent the situation associated with sleeping with feet to the door. But the most inquisitive and meticulous may ask one more question - why are the dead carried out in this way? Maybe, simply by changing the tradition, people will be able to sleep peacefully in any position of the bed, without thinking about signs.
Let's look into the past
Almost all superstitions originated long before our time. Ancient people devoted much more time to observing the world around them, they managed to connect objects and events that seem to our contemporaries living in the world modern science, completely incompatible. Thunderstorm (thunder and lightning), according to the ancients, was a heavenly punishment, and cats - the embodiment of dark forces. And all just because at that stage of development, mankind could not find an explanation for the loud noise and bright flashes during a thunderstorm, the eyes of cats glowing in the dark, as well as other phenomena. Among the many prejudices associated with sleep, to this day, it has not lost its influence on people and what.
Let's try to plunge into the past, in order, like "thunderstorm" and "cats", to try to explain the "sleep with feet to the door" with scientific point vision.
Solving the mystery - in the Old Norse myths
The fact that sleeping with your feet to the door is completely unacceptable was argued back in Ancient Scandinavia. Indo-European mythology had its own special understanding of the structure of the world. According to the ancients, the world consists of 3 parts. The first - Midgard was a world of people, surrounded on all sides by the second part - Utgard - a world of terrible monsters, uncertainty and danger. And, of course, there was a third part of the world, which was called the world of the Gods Asgard.
Following this belief, the ancient Indo-Europeans believed that their home was Midgar, which was protected from the surrounding Utgard by walls and doors. That is why the door was associated with an exit to the otherworldly, dangerous world where the souls of the dead found shelter.
If we touch upon the state of sleep itself, then, probably, many people know that in ancient times the concepts of “sleep” and “death” were to some extent identical. People, not understanding how the state of sleep is explained, equated it with short death. It was believed that during sleep the soul is separated from the body and moved to another space. Therefore, people were afraid that when they would sleep with their feet to the door, the soul, leaving the body, would go straight to the exit, namely to the other world, from where it would not be easy for her to return. And the tradition of carrying the body of the deceased feet first was also born thanks to this belief, since it makes no sense for the soul of the deceased to remain in the world of the living.
Modern interpretation of superstition
Of course, the idea of the transition of the soul to the other world during sleep does not seem realistic to our contemporaries. But, no matter how strange it may seem, today both interpretations of old superstitions and completely new prejudices arise, for example, that.
In fact, sleeping with your feet to the door is not recommended for impressionable people. And even then only because they will feel unprotected at the subconscious level in such a position. That is why some people in this position sleep very restlessly, while the dark doorway in the foggy mind of a person draws terrible pictures that can cause nightmares, fatigue and weakness.
Therefore, in which direction to direct your legs during sleep is a personal matter for everyone. For those who sleep soundly at night, this does not matter, and persons suffering from nightmares may be advised not to rush to change the position of the body, but first of all to work on strengthening the nervous system. Believe me, this method will make sleep deep and serene much faster.
