Lanterns at funerals and memorial service

look at this pic of the memorial for Saitou
http://www.aizukanko.com/maturi/autumn/sinsen-
gallery/hajime/pages/h08.htm

there is a lantern there

now, I wondered about this for many months and I read in a book that
the presence of a lantern goes way way back and is connected with
Shinto beliefs on pollution. Bodies were usually buried at night.

In more modern times funerals are held during the day but the lantern
is still present to reflect on this old belief.

I've seen many Chinese films dealing with night burials but the
reasoning may not be the same. Even today in Chinese burials there
are lanterns all over the place at the service.

more on death
There are a couple versions of Toshiyoshi Kawaji's death. But he
isn't the only one, many important people will have different days on
which they supposedly "died". He died on the way home, OR he died 5
days after he got home. Dr. Baelz in his diary mentions during his
treatment of a government official that the family was 100% prepared
for a funeral and they announced that their beloved was DEAD even
though the good doctor said that the man was in a coma state and NOT
DEAD. Simply, deaths are announced when families are PREPARED.
There are more examples going farther back in history as well. Even
in the early 20th century and Empress, I can't remember which one,
passed away while on vacation but she was treated as alive during her
trip back home. Once the body was in the palace...THEN her death was
made public.

if you want more morbid stuff....I read plenty on cremations and how
bodies are prepared........

>
>
>now, I wondered about this for many months and I read in a book that
>the presence of a lantern goes way way back and is connected with
>Shinto beliefs on pollution. Bodies were usually buried at night.

From
"Funerals". Japanese Culture in the Meiji Era Volume 4: Manners and Customs
Published by The Toyo Bunko (The Oriental Libraly) [sic]
Honkomagone 2-chome, 28-21, Bunkyo-ku
Tokyo, Japan
First Impression 1957
Reprint Edition 1969


"In general the idea underlying such customs was,... that the near relatives become for a time special companions of the dead."

As night is the domain of spirits, this makes sense to have night burials.

Also considering that the bodies were considered unclean and there were numerous taboos associated with funerals, wakes, burials -- there may have been many pragmatic reasons for night burials.

Regarding the lantern -> I'd probably analogize this to the mention of fire, which is described as follows (pg 190).

"In some place a fire was built at the house when the casket was being carried out, while in others the leader of the funeral processions or other members thereof carried a flame, and in still others a fire was started at the burial ground before or after interment. The reasons varied. Dependent on the locality, the fire served to guide the way, to fend off devils, to purify the surroundings, to light the funeral pyre, to burn trash, to keep people warm, or to accomplish some combination of these purposes, but in any case fire seems to have been a normal accompaniment to the funeral. A number of dialectical terms suggested that it symbolized the presence of the fire deity. "

S





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