
While most societies have different languages, religions, traditions, and cultures, there is one unifying aspect to life that holds true in all societies of the world – death. Over the course of generations, ancient burial rituals and religions have had a serious impact on modern day funerary practices. Some archeologists believe that modern day funerals are rooted in secularism. In archeological funerary terms, the phrase to be secularized means to be devoid from the past. However, it can be proved through analyzing different funeral cultures and customs around the world that funerals are still modeled after age-old traditions. This is important in the everyday lives of society because funerary customs directly affect people of all cultures, ethnicities, and religions. Research like “Hearts Removed from Corpses and Renaissance Mummies Rewrite Europe’s History of Death” by Lea Surugue, the TEDTALK “Life that doesn’t end with death”, and The American Resting Place: four hundred years of history through our cemeteries and burial grounds by Marilyn Yalom are only a few examples challenging the idea that modern day funerals have been secularized. In order to fully comprehend the impact rituals and religions have on modern day funerals, it is important to understand the different roles the past has played molding society into what it is today – a unified world full of funeral practices all stemming from one thing: the past. 

The foundation for the argument that modern day funerals are modeled after ancient traditions and religions is first apparent in the article written by Lea Surugue, “Hearts Removed from Corpses and Renaissance Mummies Rewrite Europe’s History of Death”. This article plays a key role in understanding the difference between people who believe funeral practices have been secularized and those who believe they are still highly religious. She states, “a number of studies backed by historical evidence have previously suggested that funeral rites in Europe evolved from the Middle Ages to the Modern era through a process of gradual secularization” (Surugue). This idea is based off of the funeral patterns of the Middle Ages and how in the past if a heart was extracted or bodies were embalmed that signified a religious practice, but as time went on this religious practice was used throughout all of Europe. While some archeologists perceive this occurrence simply as secularization, the author of the article uses it to prove instead that religion held great influence over funeral practices through time. It is also important to understand the definition of secularization through archeological funeral terms. Normally, secularization would mean modernized; in this case, secularization means to be completely devoid from the past. Surugue battles this idea of secularization in a study in the PLOS ONE journal This idea that religion affects modern day funerals and is not in fact a secularization of past rituals, but a direct representation, helps to affirm and introduce the argument that religion and traditions hold great influence over modern day society. 

The idea that funerals are deeply rooted in past traditions and religious burial practices prove true time and again. Another example that helps to emphasize this idea is seen in the article “Death is not the end: Fascinating Funeral Traditions from Around the Globe” by Kate T. May. This source stands as a perfect example when proving that funeral traditions of the past are still seen in modern day funeral practices. Focusing on many different cultures, May creates the pathway for archeologists to see that funerals have not, in fact, been secularized, but instead merely modernized. She states, “funeral practices are deeply ingrained in culture and around the globe hugely varied traditions reflect a wide spread of beliefs and values” (May).  She represents this idea by talking about several different cultures around the world and their mourning process when it comes to funerals. One example of this is seen in New Orleans. Their jazz funerals represent “a unique balance between joy and grief as mourners are led by a marching band” (May). While not directly religious, this tradition has been passed down for generations and is still impacting funeral practices of society as a whole in the city of New Orleans. 

Another example of how traditions and religious practices have affected modern day funerary practices is seen through sky burials in Mongolia and Tibet. Buddhism reigns supreme in these countries and the belief that spirits can be transmigrated after death is embraced by most people of these cultures. This ritual is represented through the practice of chopping the body into pieces and exposing it to nature. The purpose of this is to essentially return to the earth and allow the body’s spirit to be released. “It’s a practice that’s been done for thousands of years and, according to a recent report, about eighty percent of Tibetans still choose it” (May). This practice is very different to the typical modern funerals found in society among countries like the United States and United Kingdom, however, while different, the practice of sky burials still helps to further prove that traditions and religious funeral practices of the past very much make up the present. 

While these are only two examples taken from “Death is not the end: Fascinating funeral traditions from around the globe” the article emphasizes time and again the idea that funeral rituals are rooted in tradition and ancient religious practices. From New Orleans to Tibet, or Aboriginal funerals in Australia to Filipino death traditions, it is obvious that while different, the world continues to have a common ground concerning the influence that past has on modern day rituals. 

Similar to “Death is not the end: Fascinating funeral traditions from around the globe,” the book The American Resting Place: four hundred years of history through our cemeteries and burial grounds by Marilyn Yalom discusses different religious rituals seen through ancient burial practices. While the article by Kate T. May provides evidence towards this idea through the use of examples in all regions of the world, Yalom focuses solely on American burial traditions of the past and relays them to modern day funerary practices. This is an important perspective because it allows the American people to realize just how much their modern-day funerals are rooted in the past. It allows for the people to understand the depth and significance of something that happens every single day. Written from her perspective, Yalom illustrates past funeral practices by region and culture throughout the United States. Some examples include: early Spanish burials, Native American burials, and early American burials.  While providing specific evidence of religiously based funeral practices in early America, in the conclusion of her book she establishes a correlation between the past and the present (Yalom). The author highlights all of the modern ways to be buried and how they directly relate to past traditions and religious practices. All in all, this book simply helps to reaffirm the idea that no matter the region of the world, culture, or time frame, funerary practices continue to be rooted in religion. Not only that, but through the author’s observation of funerary practices in the United States, as well as the observations of Surugue and May, it is apparent that funerals cannot be secularized, meaning no connection to the past at all, simply because every practice stems from a point of origin. 

The documentary “Homegoings” featured on PBS, the TEDTALK “Life that doesn’t end with death” by Kelli Swazey, and the article “Ancient Americans Mutilated Corpses in Funeral Rituals” by Tia Ghose correlate directly with the research found in both The American Resting Place and “Death is not the end: Fascinating funeral traditions from around the globe”. The documentary “Homegoings” directed by the African American mortician, Isaiah Owens, emphasizes the culture of African American funeral rituals and the history behind them. This documentary was originally a lesson plan designed by PBS, but through analyzing African American burial customs, it is easy to see that it is carried out in modern day funerary rituals. In a multi-clip process, Isaiah Owens provides insight into the practices passed down through generations. One example was in an interview with an old woman planning her own funeral. She speaks about the way in which she wants her body to be preserved – in a red outfit with red dyed hair (Homegoings). The video continues with Isaiah Owens analyzing this request and stating that a huge part of African American funerals throughout history were rooted in the preparation. Looks were almost as important as the ceremony itself. The video also analyzes the importance of celebration in African American funerals. He speaks about the commonality of dressing in many colors, singing, and enjoying each other’s company as a way to commemorate the deceased’s life. For this culture, death is more than moving forward, it is regarded as a life marker and celebrated as such. This is important when analyzing whether or not religion and age old traditions still have hold over modern day funerals. Through the traditions and customs of this culture, it is easy to see that there is still a huge impact taking place. 

This impact is also seen in the TEDTALK by Kelli Swazey. In this talk, Swazey speaks about the funeral rituals in Tana Toraja of eastern Indonesia. While most people regard death as the end of life, this culture has a completely different set of beliefs. For the people of Toraja, death and funerals are a gradual process that can only happen when a family is able to pay homage to the deceased in a way that reflects their life. Sometimes, this means saving for years in order to afford a proper funeral. In that time, the deceased is regarded alive still among this culture, and the family continues to provide for them inside of the home. This burial has been a tradition of the island for hundreds of years, and is still actively practiced today. The people of Toraja provide yet another example of how the past defines the future. 

One of the most important points Swazey makes in her attempt to understand the culture of the Torajan people is the connection she makes with other cultures around the world. She speaks about how in this culture, people look past the medical definition of death and focus on the social definition of the world. When a family member dies, the last thing people are concerned about is the science of it all. Instead, death is more focused on the family and friends who are grieving a loved one. Swazey urges people to focus on the social life of every death, stating it could “change the way we die, but more importantly, it could transform the way we live” (Swazey).  Time and again this is seen through most cultures around the world. Swayze’s description of the Torajan people only helps to emphasize the impact religions and cultural traditions have on modern day funerals. Not only that, but Swazey works to prove, yet again, that modern day funerals are unable to be secularized simply because people live for the traditions passed down through generations. 

While traditions and religious practices of the United States varies greatly from those of the Torajan people or the Tibetans, they all have one thing in common – the celebration of ancient traditions and funeral rituals. This celebration is also seen in South America. The article, “Ancient Americans Mutilated Corpses in Funeral Rituals” written by Tia Ghose analyzes ancient burial rituals of South America. Ghose states that the funeral rituals included body dismemberment and bones being stuffed into skulls. While the culture does not practice such gruesome traditions today, those traditions are still honored and celebrated within the community. Through a historical retelling honoring the ancient traditions, the people of South America Ghose speaks about help to emphasize the idea that modern day funerals – even those that are different from the past – still hold true and honor and revere it. “Traditional roots run deep” (Ghose). 

The last few resources, Body Parts and Bodies Whole, Cemeteries and Funeral Rituals: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, and “The Archeology of Death” help to tie and perhaps even relate the idea that modern day funerals stem from ideas of the past on a personal level. The easiest way to sum this up is a quote from Body Parts and Bodies Whole by Katharina Rebay-Salisbury. She states, “it was found that beliefs were documented to determine variation in mortuary practices more often than any other factors in all types of societies” (Rebay-Salisbury). This statement embodies the idea that funeral practices are based on religious beliefs. Not only that, but it can be backed up by numerous examples like the people of Tibet, who base their funeral practices on ancient religious rituals, or African Americans in the united states, who like the Torajans, still follow the same rituals of their ancestors and regard death as a celebration. This statement is even seen in the people of South America, who time and again honor their ancestors by ensuring that the ancient rituals are made known inside of their modern culture. Regardless of religion, culture, time zone, or even continent, this statement holds true – religious practices were documented more in funeral rituals than any other social construct (Rebay-Salibury). These examples, as well as the foundation Body Parts and Bodies Whole creates allows the idea of secularization as the main concept behind funeral rituals to be cast aside. 

Similar to Body Parts and Bodies Whole the article Cemeteries and Funeral Rituals: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, written by Trina Duke, focuses on modern day funerals as a whole and their impact – and similarities – throughout the world. This article questions why traditions inside of modern day funeral rituals have reigned on. Duke uses this idea to explain how even funerals thought to be secularized still partake in some sort of religious ritual, whether on purpose of unknowingly. Things like green burials, cremation, and even natural burials are all a part of religious and cultural traditions of the past, yet some people consider them to be secular traditions of the present. Duke take this idea of secularization and disputes it through examples of how even though these are modern day funerals, there is still great emphasis on the past (Duke). 

This article goes hand in hand with an article written by Michael Parker Pearson, The Archeology of Death. This scholarly article primarily focuses on how funerary practices are just as much about the dead as they are for the living. While not helping to directly develop the idea that funeral practices are rooted in tradition and religious rituals, in a round-about way, this idea is apparent. It is apparent in the Torajan people – their ancient rituals brought comfort to modern day funeral practices. It is apparent in the people of New Orleans and the African American culture – a celebration of life and moving forward is the center of their entire history of funeral traditions. It is apparent in the Tibetan people – to them, letting their spirit be transmigrated into the air is a way for the people left behind to know their loved ones who have passed on are safe and in a better place. This idea of a better place is exactly why religions reign on in funeral practices. The people left behind, of all different cultures, religious beliefs, and non-religious ones, cling to the idea that their loved ones aren’t actual gone. Whether that means heaven, empty space, or reincarnated into the earth, traditions and religious rituals not only overpower modern day funeral practices, but they embody them and bring comfort to those saying goodbye to their loved ones. 

Time and again evidence can be seen corroborating the idea that modern day funeral practices are rooted in religious and cultural traditions of the past. Whether people are celebrating the life of a loved one, saying goodbye to a loved one through a natural process, honoring their ancestors, or looking for a reason to believe that the people they have said goodbye to are in a better place, all relate back to the idea that religion and cultural beliefs reign on. These sources play a key role in emphasizing the reason society leans so much on religion in modern day burial rituals, and draws connections between societies – even those that believe funerals have been secularized. The idea that funerals have not been secularized, but are still highly based on religious and traditional funeral practices holds significance in society today because it creates a better understanding of where funeral practices come from. Knowing that funeral practices are rooted in these traditions allows people to see the impact of the past through all different cultures and walks of life. This creates an improvement in society not only because it allows understanding and knowledge, but because people are able to reflect on their own beliefs and see the impact something as trivial as a funeral can have. All in all, through the use of these sources the argument stands true: modern day funeral rituals are not secularized in any form, but they are descendants of ancient cultural and religious traditions. 
