As with births and marriages the traditions and customs surrounding death
have changed and most have die out completely.
Here is a small example of the customs practised in Scotland.
Some of the customs are slightly different depending on area
I have taken a selection from all over rather then one area
It was very common all over the country to interpret
signs and events as omens of death
One myth that was widespread was "deid-drap".
This noise similar to a dropping tap or trickling water,
was heard in houses usually in an empty room or sickroom.
It was most likely wood worm or something similar but due to the quietness of
the house and sickroom the sound was more noticeable then normal.
A vision of someone that is ill was a sure indication that they would soon pass.
Another sign was ringing in the ears, anyone that had this was sure
to hear the news of a death.
Death candles or lights were seen around the house of someone soon to die.
These bluish lights would move just above the ground.
Dogs were considered to be sensitive to an impending death.
A dog howling or barking at night was a sure sign of someone's death.
The birds behaviour was also interpreted as signs.
A hen that crowed like a cock, a cock that crowed at night,
or a bird tapping on a window were bad signs.
especially if there was an ill person in the house.
A raven or heron could also be signs of death.
Swallows were also significant, to destroy a swallow's nest meant
bring death on the family within 18 months,
to have them nest in the house was a sign of good luck.
Even doing normal things could bring doom to a household.
For example putting shoes on the table or a vase of red and white flowers
Even after the reformation, it was still possible to find in Scotland the belief of the Celtic tradition
that the soul needed a passage cleared to help it pass to heaven
Two ways to help was firstly to lay a seriously ill person on the floor,
this was said to ease the souls departure and secondly to unlock all the doors and windows
so there was no barriers to hinder the soul
To protect the soul from evil forces all curtains and blinds would be closed
and all clocks would be stopped at the time of death.
Also all mirrors and pictures would be turned to the wall or covered
so the soul could not be trapped behind the glass.
A main part of Scottish ritual following a death was the ringing of the "dead-bell"
This was done by a friend a member of the family or the local bell ringer.
This was done to spread the news of the death before the times of newspapers.
It was also said that the ringing of the bell scared away evil spirits trying to capture a soul.
After the death many customs had to be observed.
The eyes of the body had to be closed for fear the deceased would see someone
to take with them. Coins were sometimes placed over the eyes to keep them closed
But this is probably an echo of the pre-Christian ritual of taking
items and possessions into the afterlife.
A dish of salt was placed on the chest of the deceased this was said to stop the body from swelling.
Salt was used in many Scottish customs as a symbol of good fortune and is may have served a similar purpose here.
The body was washed and dressed in a winding sheet,
one of the first jobs as a new bride was to make two of these shrouds one for herself and one for her husband.
They would have been stored away until needed and occasionally taken out to be laundered
so they were always ready to use.
A custom also found in other countries was the sin-eater.
This was a person hired to sit with the body and eat symbolic food (bread or cheese),
to represent the sins of the deceased. This would mean the soul would
go straight to heaven rather then doing penance in purgatory for any sins committed in their lifetime.
The wake took place the night before the funeral and was to celebrate the life of the deceased and
the passing of the soul to a better place.
the family and close friends would sit with the body all night no leaving it alone for one minute
because this was the time the soul was most at risk from the evil eye
Not just a somber affair whiskey was drunk and stories where told.
The lid of the coffin would be left open until the last possible moment before the funeral
so people could pay their last respects by seeing and touching the body.
Touching the body was important it would stop the ghost of the deceased from haunting
anyone that looked at the it
It was not just the deceased who was dressed in special clothes, pre Victorian time mourners
would dress in their best clothes as a mark of respect.
Following the example set by Queen Victoria after the death of Prince Albert
black was considered the colour of mourning.
In the highlands walking funerals were customary. The coffin was not placed on a cart
but carried by mourners to the burial ground.
The weather on this journey was believed to be a sign of the soul passage.
Fine sunny or a slight shower meant the soul would pass easily.
But a storm was considered a bad sign.
A custom still practised today is the meal after the funeral.
Attend by family and close friends this was a way to show support for the
grieving family and respect for the deceased.
If a family was left short of money sometimes the mourners would
donate money to help cover the cost of the funeral, similar to a penny wedding
any money left over would go to the deceased's spouse.
Most of the customs and rituals were to protect the deceased against evil.
But in the 19th century the bereaved family in some part of the country had other threats
to worry about this was the body snatchers Burke and Hare being the most infamous.
more about Burke and Hare later.
The new science of anatomy was advancing but students of the subject needed access to bodies.
The lawful supply was executed criminals and paupers but this was not enough.
In the 1820s a lucrative trade in corpses began
There was public revulsion at the idea of the bodies of their loved ones being desecrated
So precautions were taken in many graveyards to guard against the body snatchers.
Watchhouses where build this was a small stone building with a good view over the graveyard
It was manned by local men that wanted to protect their loved ones bodies
or by watchmen hired to do the job some of which used to get so drunk
(maybe because of the spooky location or weather)
that they had bodies snatched from under their noses while they slept
Mortsafes were developed to protect against the body snatchers.
A heavy iron cage that was placed over the grave and embedded into the ground.
This would stay in place over the grave until the body was no longer
any good to the Doctors. Then it was hoisted up and moved until it was needed again.
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