Respecting The Dead
When someone passes on, those they leave behind want to honor them and respect the memories they hold close.
If you have to plan a funeral, funeral homes in Westwego, LA will explain how to honor the dead and what practices were in place before you knew what to do. For instance, each age of time had things they did for the dead that others didn't, and many of those practices inspired the funerals that we see today. That being said, come with us on a journey through time to see what funeral services used to look like.
A Giant Fanfare
Put in your earplugs for this one. The ancient Romans would wear black togas and celebrate funerals with a large amount of fanfare. People would be hired to go to the funeral, and hundreds of people would be there. The noise would be loud, and the body would be paraded through the streets. The people believed that the more people at your funeral, the more important you were when you were alive.
The Bronze Age
The Bronze Age respected the dead as well. It is common for the signs of respect to still be visible in some areas today. For instance, ancestral monuments such as Stonehenge are still around today and were created to honor the dead. When the Anglo-Saxons arrived in Britain, they would often bury their dead around these monuments because they believed this to be the right thing. However, sometimes they dug into the older headstones and reused them to bury their dead, which some people only sometimes liked when that information became knowledge.
A Murderer Was Used To Heal People
Another practice that makes people pause is that people used to touch murderers that were going to be hanged, thinking that it could cure diseases and other issues. The afflicted person would feel the dying person and hope for a stroke of death that would heal them. Many people thought this practice was highly dreadful, and you'd find that. As a result, people didn't like the idea of doing this, and it didn't last too long.
The Middle Iron Age
In this period, funerals that offered spears were a big deal. Spears were thrown or placed in the graves of men, and sometimes, they would pierce the body. They didn't feel anything because they were dead, but families probably didn't appreciate that part. It is unclear why this practice was done, but it was assumed that it would be similar to the gun salutes that we have today to honor fallen military members. Thankfully, no one gets pierced in today's times, and you'll find that funerals are calmer now than they were in the past.
Funerals Are Not The Same Now
Funeral homes in Westwego, LA now have changed into a far different avenue than in the past. You'll find that people have other ideas of what should and shouldn't be done. The funeral home director will have years of experience, and it can truly be a help to take their advice. They can explain etiquette and modern practices and help you obtain the necessary services and additions.
