Funeral Practices in Old Kingdom Egypt
As opined by Baker, religion has formed an integral part of the lives of the human beings since the traditional times and to a great extent their actions are determined by the religion that they follow or practice. Seiler and Rühli are of the viewpoint that the individuals often try to base their daily routine actions or behavior on the basis of the religion and its practices to which they subscribe. More importantly, one of the important practices in which the role of religion becomes most evident is the funeral practice followed by the individuals related to different cultures since the traditional times. In this regard, mention needs to be made of the Old Kingdom Egypt and the Qin Dynasty of China of the Ancient Age and the funeral practices that the people of these two civilizations followed. Religious connections with death are both present in the ancient worlds of Egypt and China as both have similar ways of how they acknowledge death and the afterlife. Whether it be people of higher or lower status, some sort of religious significance play a part in their funerary practices. This essay will discuss the religious significance of the funeral practices followed by the people related to the Old Kingdom Egypt and the Qin Dynasty of China.
The Old Kingdom Egypt (c. 2686–2181 BC) is commonly called by the names of the “Age of the Pyramids” and “Age of the Pyramid Builders” because of the numerous pyramids which were constructed during this age. Osypi?ski and Osypi?ska are of the viewpoint that these pyramids were primarily constructed during the reigns of King Sneferu, Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure and others. More importantly, it was during this age that the famous pyramids of Giza and others were constructed. In addition to the construction of these pyramids the age is also memorable for the religious practices that the people of this age followed. For example, it was seen that idol worship and also images were popular during this age and this is perhaps one of the major reasons for the numerous relics of temples which have been excavated at the site of this civilization. Furthermore, it was seen that unlike the people belonging to the other forms of religion, who feared death, the people of this civilization thought of death as a medium through which they need to pass so as to gain communion with God. This is one of the major reasons for the elaborate as well as intricate funeral practices and rites followed by the people of this civilization.
According to Budge, the notion of immortality formed an integral part of the religion followed by the Ancient Egyptians and many of their religious practices were dictated by this notion. As opined by Willerslev and Christensen, these people believed in the fact that death was just a temporary stoppage and a vehicle through which they need to pass in order to attain rebirth and thereby union with God. The net result of this aspect was the fact that the dead bodies of the individuals in the various pyramids like Giza and others were mummified and buried in the various pyramids along with various materials like food, cloths, wine and others. These materials were buried along with the dead bodies so as to offer these individuals with the necessary sustenance which will help them to pass with ease through the journey between death and after life. More importantly, towards the end of this civilization it was seen that several of these rituals like magic rites, grave rituals and others were discarded yet the some of the most basic ones were retained by the people. For example, the pyramids which were constructed in the latter part of the civilization still show traces of important materials buried with the dead yet the other intricacies and decorations are missing. Furthermore, manuscripts reveal that these burials or funeral rites were accompanied by various kinds of magic rites, funeral sessions, elaborate rituals and others which rather than mourning the loss of a loved one celebrated it since the person was inching closer towards his or her communion with the Almighty.
Religion and Death in Old Kingdom Egypt
The Qin Dynasty of China (221 to 206 BC) has been named after the central location of the Dynasty, namely, the “Qin state (modern Gansu and Shaanxi)” which formed the cruix of the dynasty under discussion here. Wu and Long are of the viewpoint that the major contribution of the dynasty under discussion is reflected in the legislative developments which were undertaken by the rulers of this dynasty. For example, it is seen that the legislative framework developed by the rulers of Qin Dynasty were followed by the rulers of the Shang Yang in the fourth century BC, the Warring States period and also Zhou dynasty. In addition to these, legislative reforms the period under discussion here is also famous for the religious practices or the rituals which were followed by the people of this period. As opined by Wu, the central lacuna of the religious practices followed by the people of the concerned time period were based on the “shen (roughly translating to ‘spirits’ or ‘gods’), yin (‘shadows’), and the realm they were said to live in”. In addition to this, it was seen that animal sacrifices were made by the people of this age so as to appease the spirits of the entities which lived in the other world. More importantly, the other world was considered to almost equivalent to the Paradise to which the individuals believed they went after their death. Furthermore, it was seen that idol worship formed an integral part of their religious practice and this is evident from the numerous shrines which have been excavated at the site of this dynasty.
Excavations at the site of the Qin Dynasty reveal the presence of various kinds of tombs which were used to bury the dead people during this age. One of the most notable ones among these tombs is “Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor”. More importantly, just like the pyramids of Egypt these burials sites also contain various kinds of valuable materials like silk, food, alcohol and others. Furthermore, just like the people of Egypt, the Chinese also believed that death was just a passage through which the individuals need to pass so as to gain communion with God. Moreover, it also needs to be said that the kind of religious rituals which formed an integral part of these funeral practices depended on the age as well as the gender of the dead individuals. For example, it was seen that for the older people the rituals were much more intricate than the younger people and also the sizes of these tombs varied as per the age and the gender.
A comparison of the funeral rites or customs followed by the people of Qin Dynasty and Ancient Egypt clearly reveals that religion plays a significant role in the process. However, at the same time, it needs to be said that there are some inherent differences between the practices followed by these two different sets of people. In this regard, mention needs to be made of the belief of the Chinese people of the fact that the tombs of the dead people were a sacred place and thereby shrines or temples were constructed near them. In addition to this, it was seen that the Chinese people believed in the fact that these dead people actually blessed the land and thus agricultural and other kinds of activities were done near these sites. It is pertinent to note that this is something which is not found in the funeral customs or practices of the Egyptian people. However, the major similarity between the two can be said to be fact that religion and religious rituals played a pivotal role in the same.
Funeral Practices in Qin Dynasty China
To conclude, the machinery of religion has dominated the lives of the individuals since the ancient times and it has been seen that the activities of the individuals depend to a great extent on the religion that they follow. Funeral rites or customs followed by different people since the ancient times is one such activity which has been shaped to a great extent by religion. In this regard, mention needs to be made of the funeral practices followed by the people of Old Kingdom Egypt and the Qin Dynasty of China. It is pertinent to note that the people of both of these time periods believed in the burial system and the notion of afterlife. More importantly, it was seen that regardless of the economic status or the gender to which these people religion played an important role in these funeral rites. The net result of this is the fact that although there are some inherent differences between the funeral rites or customs followed by the two people yet the role played by religion remains the same.
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