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Sentence | Li-chi-hsien
Edit | Chestnut Hat
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Death is an eternal subject that human beings must face, so people attach great importance to "afterlife" in ancient and modern times.
Even because of this, some funeral culture and customs of different styles have been slowly formed, which have been passed down.
There are many aspects that seem very reasonable even today.
For example, in most areas, relatives will gently cover the face of the deceased with a covering, which is a very necessary measure.
So what's the point?
Why do people cover their faces with cloth when they die?
As early as ancient times, covering the dead has become a Xi funeral ritual.
As for why people do this, there are probably three reasons.
First of all, the most important reason for this funeral custom is also the most scientific and reasonable explanation.
That is to prevent "wrongful conviction of death".
In ancient times, due to the lack of medical development, people's definition of death was also superficial.
It is widely believed by many that if a seriously ill person suddenly loses the sound of his or her breathing or heartbeat, he or she is dead.
In fact, it is possible that he is also in a state of near-death but not dead.
Although the signs of life are almost completely gone, there are still cases of survival if the rescue is timely.
At this time, if he is hastily buried, it is tantamount to isolating his last vitality.
Therefore, the ancients, out of the psychology of repeated confirmation, would use a fluttering cloth to put on the body of a person suspected of death.
If he is out of a near-death state, has weak breathing, or is able to move his limbs.
No matter how inconspicuous these movements are, the thin cloth will shake very noticeably.
The people around him will be able to find out in time, and then pull him back from the ghost gate.
As the saying goes, "human life is paramount", this is a responsible practice, which reflects the value that people have valued since ancient times.
As for the second reason, it is mainly for the sake of the living.
After death, the body decays rapidly, and the entire face can easily become unrecognizable and terrifying.
Even if the remains are tidied up, the deceased's face may be dark and blue that cannot be covered, and it looks very terrifying to onlookers.
Instead of doing psychological construction to pay homage to the remains, it is better not to look at them, which can take care of the psychological tolerance of all the people who come to the funeral.
From these two reasons, it can be seen that the deceased is effectively "protected".
This is not only a courtesy and respect for the deceased, a consideration for the deceased, but also a friendly gesture to the living.
At the same time, if the deceased dies of a contagious disease or plague, the virus may not dissipate after his death.
At this time, covering the corpse with a barrier can play a role in physical isolation.
Effectively preventing the further transmission of the disease before complete isolation is the same as wearing a mask.
The last reason is that this is to give the deceased the greatest respect.
As the saying goes, "A man lives a face, a tree lives a skin", and face and dignity are equally precious even to the dead.
As we all know, not everyone who dies dies naturally with a smile.
If they die from some disaster or accident, they may have many bloody wounds on their faces.
If someone sees these wounds, they may have some speculation and discussion about the cause of death of the deceased in their minds.
This is really a great frivolity for the deceased.
Therefore, cover the body of the deceased with objects.
It can prevent their remains from being exposed to the public, and allow the deceased to maintain the last peace.
As the so-called "the deceased is gone", a shallow action, but it shows infinite politeness and kindness to the deceased, which is indeed very necessary.
And, as you know.
A professional mortuary will tidy up the remains and even makeup of the deceased, just to let the deceased retain the last dignity.
But the funeral process is long.
If the deceased is exposed to the air all the time, it may cause the prepared remains to be infected by the external environment.
If the face is lightly covered with an object, the integrity of the deceased's facial makeup can be maintained without damaging it.
In fact, in the thousands of years of history of the mainland, the funeral rites gradually formed by people are not limited to this.
Just like the "Analects" also mentioned: "Be cautious and chase the distance, and the people's morality will be restored."
The meaning of "prudent death" here is that the deceased must pay attention to the aftermath of the deceased, and cannot be rash and sloppy.
So, what other aspects of mulberry burial in ancient China were there?
The three major funeral rites that have been handed down to this day
With the improvement of people's scientific understanding, many unreasonable funeral customs have been abolished in time.
In this way, the dead can be buried in the ground as soon as possible, and the living can be less burdened.
However, there are also many funeral traditions and rituals that have been handed down in ancient times.
Even today, they still shine with their wisdom and value.
First of all, the first type of funeral rite that has been handed down to this day is to dress the deceased in a shroud.
A seemingly ordinary shroud is actually very particular in terms of material, style, number and other aspects.
For example, in the material of shroud, people are more inclined to choose silk cotton.
There are many benefits of silk cotton, such as it is not easy to deform, it looks neat and elegant, and so on.
Moreover, "silk" is also homophonic with "dependent", and "cotton" is homophonic to "cotton".
It can be seen that using silk cloth to make shrouds can express the affection and reluctance of relatives to the deceased.
At the same time, the living also hope that the deceased elders will continue to pass on the blessings to the family.
In addition, there is also a saying about the number of shrouds worn.
As the saying goes, "people are rare in their seventies", if people leave the world without illness or disaster when they are old, it is a joy and mourning.
At this time, you can wear a few more longevity clothes for the deceased, which is taken from the meaning of "happiness and longevity".
In addition to wearing shrouds, the ancients would tie the legs of the dead and bury them.
The reason why the legs of the deceased are fixed is only because the body loses the support of strength after the death of the person.
It is also difficult for the legs to be as straight as they were before death, and sometimes they even become crooked.
Such a state is obviously not in line with the solemn and solemn atmosphere of the funeral.
At this time, it is necessary to apply an external force and use a rope to "shape" it, which can make the deceased look more dignified.
Finally, there is the common funeral custom, which is to put a steel shovel in the mouth of the deceased and let it be held until burial.
In fact, this Xi has also been around for a long time, as early as in the "Zhou Li".
However, at that time, the items placed in the population of the dead were not fixed, and the things placed by the deceased in the upper and lower classes were also very different.
For example, if the Son of Heaven died, people would put pearls in his mouth;
When the princes die, they are holding jade;
After the death of a person with a lower status, it may be a copper coin or even a crop.
As this ritual continued to evolve and change, the practice of putting the deceased in their mouths became more and more common.
People also gave the coin the name "Mouth Money".
The reason for this is not only to highlight the rich status of the deceased during his lifetime.
It can also avoid the obvious atrophy of the shape of the deceased's face, so that the deceased can retain a dignified appearance.
epilogue
Some people say, "Funerals are for the living," but this is not the whole story.
From these funeral rituals handed down in ancient times on the mainland, it is not difficult to see that since ancient times, Chinese have also had a heartfelt respect for the deceased.
This reverence for life is embodied in every detail, and has become a valuable part of traditional Chinese culture.