This study focuses on the rituals and rites, customs and beliefs associated with dying, death, mourning, burial and integration among the Zulu people of KwaZulu-Natal at the turn of the millenium. These have been examined from the perspectives of • the traditional or rural view; • The urban view; • The view of the youth in the townships. / Thesis (M.A.) - University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

The central theme of this study was to test the application of mortuary customs in the development of ethnic identities between historic and prehistoric manifestations. Two manifestations with a previously theorized relationship were selected as the sample cases: the archaeologically defined Fort Ancient Tradition, and the historic Shawnee Indians. Utilization of mortuary customs as the analytic agent required the formation of a common denominator to allow comparison of ethnographic and archaeological data. Recent studies have documented that mortuary customs when submitted to a form of componential analysis could be manipulated to yield significant data on social organization. These newly generated statements could then be plugged into a simple cross cultural analysis with the ethnographic data, returning a statistically measurable relationship. The degree of correlation is quite variable depending on available data. In this test it was determined that a relationship did exist, but a determination based solely on the evidence of social organization was not strong enough to formulate a solid conclusion. However, when coupled with recent ethnohistoric data an extremely strong case is presented, substantiating the proposed relationship and methodology.

This thesis is an analysis of the mortuary practices at the Chucalissa site. This site is located in the southwest corner of Tennessee and is radiocarbon dated from AD 1080 to AD 1490. It is a Mississippian Tradition site with components of the Ensley, Mitchell, Boxtown and Walls Phases.The 176 burials recovered are individually described in order to answer the following questions: (1) What level of socio-cultural intergration is characteristic of the site?(2) What is the nature of any change through time having taken place at the site?(3) What factors determine the social position of an individual?(4) What are the symbols of social position utilized in connection with the mortuary practices?(5) Can any historically recorded Indian society be related to Chucalissa?

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-83). / xi, 83 leaves, bound 29 cm

This study examines the similarities and differences between the historical background and the current performance of Hindu and Zulu funerals and associated ceremonies. After presenting an account of the historical development of the Hindu and Zulu communities in South Africa, a chronological account of the performance of each of these funeral ceremonies are presented. This account includes a detailed description of the rituals performed when a person is on his/her death bed, the actual funeral ceremonies and the post death rituals and ceremonies associated with ancestor veneration. The incidence and significance of The Anthropology of Geste and Rhythm in each of these ceremonies are demonstrated according to the theory of Marcel Jousse. The Hindu and Zulu ceremonies are then analysed and interpreted to demonstrate an individuals life crises which Van Gennep called the "Rites of Passage" and distinguishes three phases: separation, transition, and incorporation. The discussion accounts for the transmission of traditions over generations, and which demonstrate the anthropological and psychobiological nature of memory, understanding and expression as evident in the performance of Hindu and Zulu funerals and ceremonies and the manner in which the ancestors are venerated in South Africa. The research was undertaken mainly in Kwa-Zulu Natal. However to fill research gaps in the Hindu investigation a study was undertaken in some parts ofIndia as part of the Ford Foundation International Fellowship Programme. / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.

No description available.

No description available.

This study investigates prehistoric West Mexican mortuary activities as technological systems. That is, the production, distribution, and use of mortuary ceramics are considered within a social context. Changes in technology are related to social and ideational changes in the society. In the past, interest in West Mexico has been stimulated by the large number of Pre-columbian ceramic figurines found in museums and private collections worldwide. Lacking more specific information, the art world created a "cult of the dead" to describe the people who made these figurines. Today, evidence on mortuary behavior and lifeways clearly demonstrates that these people were involved in many kinds of activities. This study aims to define mortuary activity within a context of technological, social, and ideational structures. Within this framework, technological changes occurring between the late Formative and the Classic period (200 B.C. to A.D. 700) at two small sites in the Valley of Atemajac were compared to changes occurring at the center of the region, 50 kilometers away. Technical analysis of the artifacts using optical, electron optical, and x-ray techniques was carried out. When combined with grosser archaeological categories regarding the treatment of the interred, and the distribution of artifacts within and between tombs, this resulted in a technological reconstruction of the production, distribution, and use of the mortuary ceramics. This technological reconstruction was placed within a regional context, based on inferences built from settlement pattern and architectural data as well as ethnohistoric records. Technological reconstruction resulted in the unconditional conclusion that the technical, social and ideational changes seen in the Valley of Atemajac could only be due to a discontinuity in site occupation, and later resettlement by outsiders.

在香港，若逝世者生前沒有宗教信仰或指定的喪葬儀式，家人通常都會為他舉行道教葬禮。黎志添教授認為道教葬儀在香港已經習俗化。事實上，在一般情況下，進行道教葬儀根本不能反映死者生前信奉的宗教信仰。為何道教葬儀在香港會成為大部份香港人的習俗？我認為，道教葬儀音樂已成為香港人不言而喻的一種身份。 / 港人一般不會關心葬儀，就算舉辦也不會深究儀式內容。但他們卻認為儀式中的音樂代表了他們的身份。在實地考察中，我發現道教葬儀音樂包含了不少廣東音樂的元素，曲牌《一錠金》就是其中的例子；事實上，採用道教儀式是香港人認同本土中國人身份的表現。 / 在實地考察中，我發現研究道教殯儀音樂可有多個視角，其音樂及宗教元素更蘊含多層意義。本文以樂師的活動為切入點，以政治身份角力的角度，研究香港道教殯儀音樂。 / In Hong Kong, a Taoist funeral is usually held for a deceased person by his or her family if the deceased did not have any religious belief or preference. In most cases, a Taoist funeral is a mere convention rather than a reflection of choice or religious affiliation of the deceased. To explore the reason of this ritual popularized in this particular region, I would like to suggest that the music played in a Taoist funeral is part of Hong Kong people’s identities. / Most Hong Kong people, in fact, would avoid the idea of death, not to mention death rituals. When they do, they usually have little knowledge of the Taoist ritual. Most, however, consider the music to be an essential part of the ritual, which reflects to a great extent, their identity. They do, however, consider that the music played represent their identity. / During the fieldwork for this thesis, I identified a number of traditional Cantonese music pieces in the ritual. For example, the Cantonese tune “Yi-ding jin“一錠金has been playing a significant role. Ordinary Chinese people, as a matter of fact, accept that the music in Taoist funeral rituals represent their identity. / I have come to understand that there are many layers in a Taoist funeral. The musicians, the ritual, and the Taoist philosophy are part and parcel of the funeral other than the music. Through extensive fieldwork and interviews, I attempt to draw a clear picture of Taoist funeral music activities in the Hong Kong community and explore the entwined relationship between politics and identity dynamics within Hong Kong Taoist funeral music. For a long time, perhaps even today, the identity of the Hong Kong people has remained a controversial issue, given that Hong Kong was a British colony before the return of its sovereignty to China. My research, however, shows that the Hong Kong people are keen to adopt a death ritual that demonstrates their Chinese identity. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Chan, Chi Chun. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-108). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Acknowledgements --- p.v / Table of Contents --- p.ix / List of Figures --- p.x / Romanization and Translation --- p.xi / A Note on Photography --- p.xii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- : Introduction / Introduction and Background --- p.1 / Literature Review --- p.5 / Methodology and Approaches --- p.8 / Organization of the thesis --- p.13 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- : Funeral Music in Hong Kong / An Introduction to Funeral Parlours in Hong Kong --- p.15 / The Quanzhen School and the Zhengyi School in Hong Kong Funeral Parlours --- p.26 / Funeral Music in Hong Kong Society --- p.30 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- : Musical Practice of the Zhengyi School / Introduction --- p.38 / Musical Instruments in the Zhengyi school --- p.38 / Transmission --- p.49 / Changes? The Debate Between the Local Jiaoshi and the Non-local Jiaosh --- p.51 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- : Identity beyond the “Dead“ and the Hybridity of the Ritual / Introduction --- p.67 / Influence of Commercialization --- p.67 / Hybridity of Different Elements in Funeral Rituals --- p.75 / Chinese Identity of the Relatives and the Diseased --- p.78 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- : Conclusions --- p.83 / Appendices --- p.92 / Appendices A --- p.92 / Appendices B --- p.98 / Appendices C --- p.99 / Appendices D --- p.100 / References --- p.101

Thesis (M.Ed.) --University of Limpopo, 2009