Ancient Fear of Death in Funeral Customs and Traditions

           Death has existed even before the rise of civilizations.   Even before man had an organized system of thought that can explain death, man has already experienced death alongside with other natural phenomena such as the birth of another creature, the occurrence of rain, drought, and the rising and setting of the sun. 

            Without a way of explaining natural events, man instinctively feared that which he had no control over.  As means of recompense, man attributed these life events to his innate knowledge of higher beings and a higher power.  Life, death and everything in between were caused by gods and spirits who had command over every event.  Since this power behind events concerning man was invisible to him, man grew and lived in fear of it. 

In the primitive man’s effort to take part in his own destiny, man has invented a way of communicating and appeasing these gods and spirits through:

q       the use of ceremonies,