Funeral is one of the most difficult rituals, which is accompanied by a huge number of superstitions and other rituals. So, in particular, at a funeral, it is customary to throw a handful of earth on a coffin, lowered into the grave. Everyone performs this ritual, but most people have no idea about its original background. So why throw earth on a coffin that is lowered into the ground?
Earth and the dead
Since ancient times, the earth has embodied the reproductive power of nature, so people compared it to a woman who gives life. The earth, fertilized by rain, gave rich harvests, nourished mankind and allowed him to continue the race. Traces of her deification are reflected in ancient burial rituals, where the dead, whose skeletons were later found by archaeologists, were laid in the grave in the pose of a newborn. Thus, we can safely say that the funeral symbolized the transition of the deceased into the bosom of mother earth, where he can be reborn after death in a completely new quality.
Echoes of the funeral rite are preserved in the tradition of putting on clean linen before death or imminent danger.
The earth that received the dead was considered miraculous, so people who came to the funeral considered it necessary to put their hand to it, clearing themselves of future possible misfortunes. Today, from this protective pagan ritual, the tradition of throwing clods on the coffin from the excavated grave earth has remained. This tradition is preceded by the performance of lithium in the cemetery - a prayer service performed by a priest, who then sprinkles the coffin with fragrant incense from a censer. After lowering the coffin into the grave, the priest is the first to throw a handful of earth on it, overshadowing the coffin with a cross, so that the deceased would not be disturbed by evil forces.
Modern rite
Over time, the magical meaning of the above rituals has practically disappeared, and the superstitions associated with them are gradually lost in the frantic rhythm of modern civilization. From the ancient ritual of cleansing those present at the funeral, only the tradition of throwing handfuls of earth on the coffin with the deceased remained. However, it is no longer perceived in the way in which it was perceived in ancient times - then, together with the deceased, the earth took upon itself all kinds of filth that was on a person.
Another lost ritual is the sealing of the grave with a cross, drawn on top of it by a priest using a shovel.
Also, throwing earth on the coffin is designed to restore the connection of the deceased with already deceased relatives who await him in another world. From there, the clan sends help to the relatives left on earth, and expects to be reunited with them. In ancient times, it was customary to end the funeral rite with a funeral rite, which took place right at the burial site. Today it is not so popular, but the tradition of leaving a glass of vodka and a slice of bread on the grave for the deceased has survived to this day.
