My Grandmother's Funeral
Ferry 1
Amy Ferry
Professor Nocito
Composition 1
20 September 2010
My Grandmother’s Funeral: In every culture on our planet Earth, death is a part of life. Whether loved ones and friends of the deceased choose burial through internment, or produce ashes in a crematory, there is always a respectable method in which to dispose of the body and say a last farewell. In history, the Neanderthals were the first hominids to intentionally bury their dead. They did so by using stone tools and animal bones to dig a grave [1]. The purpose of a funeral in today’s society is to pay respect towards the once living person, and for many, aiding them in their journey to another life while sanctifying their previous life. Although all cultures practice funeral rituals for the dead, there are many different kinds. The most popular are internment and cremation. Internment is the act of burying the body in the ground. The body is place inside of a coffin, and then a hole is dug in a cemetery. Cremation, on the other hand, does not involve a casket. Cremation is the process of reducing a body to ashes by fire in a crematory. Scholars conclude that its history began during the Stone Age around 3000 B.C.E. in and around Europe[2]. Other processes include human dismemberment, as Tibetans practice (called Tibetan Sky Burial). Monks essentially mutilate the body and wrap it up in white cloth. They bring it atop a mountain for vultures and other birds; They believe in reincarnation, thus the body is an empty vessel[3]. Along with these, there is also Aboriginal Body Exposure, in which the body is left on a platform covered with Ferry 2 leaves to let the corpse decompose naturally [4]. It is practiced by the Australian Aborigines today. My grandmother’s funeral included cremation of her body.
Amy Ferry
Professor Nocito
Composition 1
20 September 2010
My Grandmother’s Funeral: In every culture on our planet Earth, death is a part of life. Whether loved ones and friends of the deceased choose burial through internment, or produce ashes in a crematory, there is always a respectable method in which to dispose of the body and say a last farewell. In history, the Neanderthals were the first hominids to intentionally bury their dead. They did so by using stone tools and animal bones to dig a grave [1]. The purpose of a funeral in today’s society is to pay respect towards the once living person, and for many, aiding them in their journey to another life while sanctifying their previous life. Although all cultures practice funeral rituals for the dead, there are many different kinds. The most popular are internment and cremation. Internment is the act of burying the body in the ground. The body is place inside of a coffin, and then a hole is dug in a cemetery. Cremation, on the other hand, does not involve a casket. Cremation is the process of reducing a body to ashes by fire in a crematory. Scholars conclude that its history began during the Stone Age around 3000 B.C.E. in and around Europe[2]. Other processes include human dismemberment, as Tibetans practice (called Tibetan Sky Burial). Monks essentially mutilate the body and wrap it up in white cloth. They bring it atop a mountain for vultures and other birds; They believe in reincarnation, thus the body is an empty vessel[3]. Along with these, there is also Aboriginal Body Exposure, in which the body is left on a platform covered with Ferry 2 leaves to let the corpse decompose naturally [4]. It is practiced by the Australian Aborigines today. My grandmother’s funeral included cremation of her body.
Cited: * Harder, Ben. Evolving in Their Graves: Early Burials Hold Clues to Human Origins. Science News. 15 December 2001. CBS Interactive. 2010.<http://www.bnet.com/> * The History of Cremation. Everlife Memorials. Classic Memorials, Inc. 2004. <http://www.everlifememorials.com> * O’Brien, Daniel. Tibetan Buddhist Sky Burial. 25 July 2008. Cracked Entertainment, Inc. 2005-2010. <http://www.cracked.com/> * Knight, David, Aboriginal Body Exposure. 25 July 2008. Cracked Entertainment, Inc. 2005-2010. <http://www.cracked.com/>