Professional Mourners: Who are they and What is their history?
There are documented cases of professional mourners from all over the world including Rome, Greece, Egypt, etc
Funerals are a very sad and emotionally heavy occasions which can be too much for some people to bear who are overwhelmed by loss and sorrow they have faced. Therefore, some wealthy people used to hire people and especially women to come and cry at their funerals. However, this is not something that is new. This practise dates back to ancient times where customarily rich people hired professional mourners and there documented cases from all over the world including places such as Rome, Greece, Egypt, Middle East, etc.
Documented case of professional mourners
The most well documented case of professional mourners comes from Rome, where funeral is a passage of rite that marked the deceased’s shift from the state of life to death. This tradition included a parade and the commotion that was caused was very notable. The flashier the parade with as many mimes and musicians, the richer and famous was the person who died. Meanwhile, the poorer folks only had a few flute musicians.
Meanwhile, this practise of professional mourning has been in existence in Greece since the eighth century BC and is being practised even today. This burial rite began with the deceased’s family and friends improvising laments during the prothesis, which was when the body was left out for public inspection on the second day. It is also claimed that it is this practise which inspired the Greeks, after all as some people say, ‘Romans love to imitate the Greeks’.
This practise is also found closer to home in India where women in black clothes sobbed and beat their chests on the ground in front of the Thakurs. These women are called Rudalis who stand there grieving and mourning the death and do not even bother to wipe the tears off the face. They are usually from a lower caste, and society forbids them from having children as they the mourners cannot have any happiness. Upper-caste women, you see, are not allowed to show their feelings in public. They are typically kept under veils and within havelis.
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