Black Spirituality Religion : Wearing Black to Funerals

Greetz Sistah Truetothecause,

I’m not sure of the origin of this tradition of wearing black to funerals and for the mourning period but I would say it is a very Europeanized concept. It is an outward sign that someone close to you has died. I also know that anything the European does not fully understand is shrouded in ‘mystery’. Anything mysterious to the European’s mind equates to ‘darkness/blackness’. As to the present day tradition of wearing black to funerals, Queen Victoria and her reign were very influential in shaping peoples’ ideologies and culture. During Victoria’s reign at least 40 of those years were spent with her wearing black, mourning the loss of her husband. This ‘tradition’ seeped into the consciousness of the people (British Empire & all other colonialists), along with many others, i.e. the Xmas tree, which was introduced by Victoria’s husband Albert and now seems to be a worldwide phenomenon!

As an Afrikan in Britain (I truly cannot say Afrikan British without barfing!! – its sounds like and is, a mistake!! haha) the rituals around death is something (one of the last things) that binds and unites the community. I have grown up with the ritual of ‘nine nights’ and its pretty much accepted amongst my peer group and elders as something which we do. For nine days and nine nights at the home of the deceased (or relative) its open house for people to come and pay their respects to the family and the deceased. The ninth night being the culmination where an all night vigil, prayers, song, drums are dedicated to the deceased. On the day of the burial, the last ‘rite’ given to the deceased is the actual burial. Male members of the deceased family physically carry out this rite. (Grave diggers in UK love Afirkan funerals as they usually don’t have to do any work baring digging the initial hole, for it is Afrikans who do the last ‘covering’, and a collection is given to the gravediggers).

My mother passed 11 years ago. I had the privilege and honour of being there when my mother took her final breath and I say death can be a beautiful experience. There is absolutely no thing to fear. I wont go into the events and circumstances that surrounded my death, save to say, that if there was a moment of ‘spiritual awakening’ for me it was just before and during mama’s passing. I learnt from when mama was ‘travelling’ – a term I use to describe a place in between worlds … Mother was asking all of her children and their wives if anyone was pregnant. Nope, nobody pregnant and nobody planning to be either. Mama squeezed my hand, looked into my eyes and said, oh lawd, its small. She wept and said it will be alright. She spoke to all of her children at some point. Not knowing what to do with this information, one dismisses it and puts it down to the medication …. Little did we know …

EVERYTHING mama told her children has come to pass. Two days after my mother died, my eldest daughter came crying, black sack in hand, saying she is pregnant!! (this from a woman who always said no child of mine could be pregnant in my house and I don’t know!! Haha). I told my daughter she was lucky, ‘cos Nanny already told me . I only knew my daughter was pregnant for about six weeks before she went into premature labour. My first grandchild was born 11 weeks early. Mama’s words rang in my ears! And he is doing fine, big strapping beautiful boy, but imma biased ;)

My father died nine years ago and we travelled to Grenada to bury him. The same nine night ritual process is practiced there. My aunts set up an alter to my father with everything he liked on it. Even his cigarettes and shot of rum. Two goats, chickens and a pig was killed ceremonially – only for the men, women excluded (wanted to go but aunts was cussing haha) my brothers came back quite bloodied. Saw the same practice in the men doing the final rite/covering at the funeral. Some people did wear black, but would say they were in minority, white clothes/headband was more dominant. There was to be a drumming ceremony later that day, heard people mention ‘Big drum’ coming. My aunts had organised this aspect of the day. And it was brilliant!

bigdrum1.jpg



They came, they played they danced and they drummed. A large circle was formed and each of my fathers’ children took turns to dance. Truly those drums can lift you up and put you some place else for when it was my turn, the music took me so far away, I thought I danced with my father …..

I have no fear of death, for it is but a bus stop on our journey. Death only has an effect on those that are left behind ….

As far as the tradition of wearing ‘black’ to funerals goes, I would say it’s a tradition which you can either take or leave, but I would be mindful and respectful of the deceased’ and what they would have wanted. Hot red mini skirts and batty riders are not at all appropriate attire haha

On a metaphysical note, black absorbs, so one can equate death as going back to that basic state of matter. Maybe that’s why you very rarely see young babies dressed in black – from whatever culture…

Anyways, just some thoughts

Love & light
Peace
 
Sister, I'm not shy of death, but honestly, I do not know what the religious or spiritual significance of black at funerals or mourning actually means.

I have my thoughts, but I'm no expert. Perhaps one of our resident scholars will drop the 411 on us.

Blackbird

Greetings Blackbird and Thanks for Sharing!

I'm happy that you initiated the conversation on "death" cause it sure seemed to me that that is a topic many are uncomfortable talking about.
I too am not "shy" about it cause as I overstand...it's something EVERYONE of us WILL experience....one day...

It's all about how and what one THINKS about it(and everything else) that determines our level of "comfort". I KNOW this thing we call "death" is simply a transition.....a Spiritual Vibration, a Divine Transformation.
YES ...we are not able to interact with that Spiritual Energy in the SAME WAY we had grown accustomed to and that represents a CHANGE often time...an UNPLANNED one at that.
I could say much more yet, need to take a break from the computer right now.

I'd love to hear YOUR thoughts if your up to it...BEFORE the 30th that is.

I thank you again for Responding to my call and supporting the discussion with FORWARD movement!


SiS cherryblossom and SeekingMaat!

Thanks for Sharing....I'll be getting back a little later.

SiS SeekingMaat......:terrific::couple: THANK YOU for Sharing your STORY with.....

M.E.
:hearts2:
 
My opinion (not fact) on the wearing of black and mourning, has more to do with the living than with the deceased. When someone dies, it aids in the transition for the living. You go from being used to having a person in your life to them being gone. It takes a minute for the mourners to come to grips with the reality. So that accounts for the period of mourning. It's the time it takes to get used to living without your deceased loved one. The wearing of Black during this period is an outward sign to folks that you are in fact mourning and to back off.

When my husband transitioned, I wore Black every day for a solid year. That let people know where my head was at. As I started to come out of Black, folks started to relate to me differently until someone said, "It's good to see you back." That's when it made sense to me.


Peace
 
.... African-American customs regarding cemeteries and funerals.


One of the most direct and unaltered visual manifestations of African influence on the culture of African-Americans in the United States is found in the social behaviors centered on funerals.

In many rural graveyards across the south and many urban cemeteries in the north and far west, too, Black Americans mark final resting places of loved ones in a distinctive manner. While standard markers or floral arrangements are used, the personal property of the deceased is often placed on top of the grave. This can range from a single emblematic item like a pitcher or vase, to an inventory of the dead person’s household goods. One can find clocks, cups, saucers, toothbrushes, marbles, piggy banks, and more.

Such material collections of honor contrast with the usual contemporary European-American ideal of a burial landscape. Such a collection establishes a connection to customs and practices known not only on southern plantations but also in West and Central Africa.

Negro graves in Georgia were always decorated with the last article used by the departed, according to Documents from 1843. Historians traveling throughout Zaire in 1884 noted that natives mark the final resting places of their friends by decorating graves with such items as old cooking pots, made useless by penetrating them with holes. Another traveler in nearby Gabon observed over or near the graves of the rich are built small huts, where mourners laid the common articles used by them in their life--pieces of cookery, knives, and sometimes a table.

In early American slavery, funeral customs were one of the few areas of Black life into which slave owners tended not to intrude. Despite the massive conversion of Africans to Christian faiths, they retained many of their former rituals associated with the respect of the dead. Placing personal items on graves is more than an emotional gesture. One resident of the Georgia Sea Islands testified, “Spirits need these [things] same as the man. Then the spirit rest and don’t wander.” In addition to personal objects, some African-American graves in the South are decorated with white seashells and pebbles, suggesting the watering environment at the bottom of either the ocean or a lake or river.

Such material items are not associated with the Christian belief of salvation; they are more likely signs of the remembrance of African custom. In South Carolina, nearly 40 percent of all slaves imported between 1733 and 1807 were from the Kongo-speaking region; their world of the dead is known to be underground but under water. This place is the realm of the bakulu, creatures whose white color marks them as deceased. Shells and stones signal the boundary of this realm, which can only be reached by penetrating beneath the two physical barriers. Their whiteness remembers that in Central Africa white, not black, is the color of death.

Also found in Black cemeteries are pipes driven into burial mounds to serve as speaking tubes that may allow communication with the deceased and mirrors that are said to catch the flashing light of the spirit and hold it there. These same customs are found in burial sites in the Bay Area of California. When given the opportunity, any people will carry a heartfelt custom and tradition from place to place as essential cultural property.

Reference:
An Encyclopedia of African American Christian Heritage
by Marvin Andrew McMickle
Judson Press, Copyright 2002
ISBN 0-817014-02-0
 

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