Abstract

Masses for the souls, prayers, the funeral procession, the burial: the funeral rites were lived in and by the community in the XIX th century. Taking part in these public rites used to help the community to deal with the crisis that was drawn from the departure of one of its members to beyond. However, the preparation for death was initiated in the moribund’s house, even before his departure. This paper intends to analyze how the imminence of death used to transform the sick’s house, an usually domestic and profane environment, to a heterotopic place where specific rites built an atmosphere of exception. There, the boundaries between the sacred and the profane, the public and the private, were confused; the physical imminence of death meant death itself, transforming its disintegrating character into an expectation of transcendence which, tied to the belief of a good death, reconciled the community with itself and with God.

Highlights

  • Masses for the souls, prayers, the funeral procession, the burial: the funeral rites were lived in and by the community in the XIXth century. Taking part in these public rites used to help the community to deal with the crisis that was drawn from the departure of one of its members to beyond

  • This paper intends to analyze how the imminence of death used to transform the sick’s house, an usually domestic and profane environment, to a heterotopic place where specific rites built an atmosphere of exception

  • Por trás dos grandes vestígios sensíveis da paisagem, os artefatos ou as máquinas, por trás dos escritos aparentemente mais insípidos e as instituições aparentemente mais desligadas daqueles que as criaram, são os homens que a história quer capturar

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Masses for the souls, prayers, the funeral procession, the burial: the funeral rites were lived in and by the community in the XIXth century. Mesmo quando ocorriam em ambientes privados (o salão da casa grande, o pátio da fazenda, a capela particular), não havia uma delimitação muito clara da privacidade dos anfitriões, de modo que a apropriação ritual desses espaços pela comunidade era quase total.

Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call