Tag Archives: Cremation burial

After the Psyche Escapes

A look at burial customs in Ancient Greece

Ancient Greeks believed that at the moment of death, the psyche, or human spirit, left the body with the final exhalation. With this last little breath, the soul separated from the body, but lived on, unencumbered by its mortal form. In Plato’s … Continue reading

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Tolkotin Native Americans: Rituals for the End of Life and Burial

Why Native American traditions for death and dying captivated early explorers.

North America, circa 1831: Irishman Ross Cox had long braved his emigration to America and finally published Adventures on the Columbia River. The early explorer’s book is integral to our understanding of the era, and not just because it informs … Continue reading

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