Death is one of the most mysterious and significant events in the lives of every living being. Humans have different approaches to this cyclical event. Each culture and religion has developed its interpretation of death and its meaning over time, influencing rituals, beliefs, and collective behavior.
In ancient Egyptian culture for example, death was accompanied by painstaking rituals such as mummification, an essential practice to preserve bodies and prepare them for the journey to the Afterlife with the help of the Book of the Dead. The Egyptians believed that death was not the end, but rather a further adventure, a thoughtful and certainly strenuous journey, with challenges to weigh the value of the heart and soul, but still a kind of second chance.
In general, ancient cultures follow this line of belief, namely that death is precisely not just death but rather a parallel path that exists and thrives along with life. On this journey, pilgrims are weighed off perhaps higher. The Greeks believed that the soul of the deceased had to cross the River Styx to reach the underworld ruled by Hades. An obolus was placed under the tongue of the deceased as payment to Charon, the ferryman. Hades was a place of rest but with differences: virtuous souls enjoyed the Elysian Fields, while the wicked suffered punishment in Tartarus.
Later in Europe during and before the Middle Ages, the various peoples inhabiting the continent developed different traditions for honoring the dead. The Celts believed in a continuous cycle of death and rebirth, and celebrated Samhain, during which the dead were thought to return to visit the living. Germanic peoples practiced cremation, believing that smoke carried souls to the gods. Viking graves often contained weapons, food, and valuable goods to accompany the deceased into the afterlife.
Then there are the modern religions, those in which much of the earth’s population believes, popularizes, and professes. Certainly, these religions have different traits from one another, but they have a common belief, that ultimately life and death are intersecting journeys.
I find very intriguing the view that many indigenous cultures have about death, as a transformation, in which the soul continues to exist in the spiritual world, connected to the ancestors. Today, death is an often avoided topic, especially in Western societies, where medicalization has removed the concept of death from everyday life. However, there is a growing awareness of the importance of addressing this issue, thanks to movements such as “death positivity”, which was born to break the cultural taboo surrounding death, encouraging an open and conscious conversation on this inevitable topic. It is a movement founded by Caitlin Doughty, an expert in funeral rites, and it aims to promote awareness of death through education, acceptance, and alternative rituals.
One of the founding principles of this movement, which I would like to share with you readers, is the dissemination of psychological well-being linked to the awareness of one’s mortality. That is, we will all die sooner or later, not only is it necessary to accept this to live fully but also choosing a different narrative to give to the concept of death could help us in moments when we feel like we have hit rock bottom.
Death remains an enigma, but the beliefs and rituals associated with it demonstrate how humans have always sought to give it meaning. Whether it is a transition to another existence, a rebirth, or simply the end of individuality, death continues to influence human culture, philosophy, and spirituality. We are hopelessly fascinated by it. Not knowing what it is really like, because we have no certain proof, allows us to use our imagination, to believe in a specific religion or not to believe in anything, to indulge in existentialist philosophy or science. Is it that we have such a desire to live that we project this desire beyond life itself?
I don’t know. But that’s okay.
