The Tradition of Death

This is the time of year where people are most interested in the topic of death, which in today’s society is taboo to talk about. That wasn’t always the case. In the Victorian-era they embrace it, celebrated it, built around it and of course feared it. The traditions and superstitions of death in the mid-late 19th centuries, to me, are simply fascinating.
Most people died in their home surrounded by loved ones. Funeral homes were uncommon and the body of the deceased was generally prepared, viewed and removed from the home only for burial. Burial was usually in a family plot on the property, cemeteries were primarily in cities and larger towns. Though there were few funeral homes, preparation of the body was still necessary. Each house at the time had a specific door that was labeled “death’s door” or the “dead door,” that a dying or recently deceased family member would be placed on the move them with ease to the parlor for preparation. This is where the saying “on death’s door” originated.
Before the body was moved, all the mirrors in the house were turned towards the wall or covered with black fabric. If the image of the deceased was reflected in a mirror it was believed that their soul would become trapped inside it. A related superstition to this says that the first living person to then look into that mirror would be the next to die.
People believed that the soul remained in with the body even after death, at least for a short time, anywhere between 24 hours and three days. The family took turns “sitting up” with the dead to guard the body and protect the soul from being carried off by the devil before it could complete the journey to the afterlife.
Flowers are sent to a funeral today as a sign of respect for the family, but more than a century ago they served a much different purpose. The room that the deceased was laid in was filled with flowers and candles to mask the odor of the slowly decomposing corpse as the final preparations for the funeral were made. Coins were placed on the eyes of the deceased to not only keep the eyelids from opening, but to also provide tokens to pay the ferry master Charon to take their soul across the River Styx.
As I said before most people died in their home, the bodies were prepared at home and the funerals were held there as well. For this reason some homes, especially in the South, had two front doors. One door was for every day use and visitors. The second door was used for funerals. It was wider that the other door in order to accommodate the casket when it was removed for burial. And it also led directly to the parlor. Those paying their respects came through the first door and exited out the “funeral door.” When the time came to bury the body, the casket would be removed feet first so that the spirit could bot look back in to the house and call to family members to follow them to the afterlife.
In older families some of these traditions and superstitions are still followed. As we have moved to more modern funerary methods, video montages and online memorials, the connection with the deceased through the death process is lost. These traditions paid a deep respect to the dead and ensured that their memory and spirit would never be lost.