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We have seen that the rituals, and as far as we can determine from the archaeology, the belief structures that surround death have developed and changed over the years as the society that people live in develops and changes. Sometimes that change has been gradual and evolutionary but sometimes it has been sudden and revolutionary.
It started in the Upper Paleolithic when the people of the time buried their dead, often covered with red Ochre and sometimes with simple grave goods. Whether this was anything more than simple respect for the dead we will never know but it is the first time we see evidence that death was actually recognized as being something different and worthy of note. During the Mesolithic period, despite the lack of archaeological remains in the UK, we see the continuation of the dead being treated with respect and accompanied with grave goods and even 'rock art'. The fact that the burial rituals seem to have remained largely the same, despite the radical change in technology and one assumes the society of the time, does indicate that perhaps this was something more than a simple mark of respect. Perhaps even the start of a belief in the other world. During the Neolithic we see the first 'revolution' in how the dead were treated. The Neolithic people buried their dead in communal monuments that were grouped into 'communities' of the dead. These monuments were, and still are, skilled and complex buildings. Often there are astrological alignments present as well as abstract rock art that are simply not seen in any of the 'secular' buildings of the time. Indeed the 'secular' buildings seem to have been predominantly made from perishable materials rather than the rock and stone of the sacred monuments. Clearly the Neolithic peoples saw the dead as much part of the world as the living and that they still had a very important part to play in every day life. During the Bronze age we see another change, here to individual inhumations with little display of ostentation but with the grave goods hidden from site. The old sacred landscapes were largely abandoned with cremation becoming more common as the Bronze Age progressed but continuing the practice of individual burial rather than a community of the dead. However during the late Bronze Age we see the first examples of ritual death and with the other land being associated with water as a gateway or portal. Obviously the belief structure had developed from a simple community of the dead to there being 'something', a God or Goddess, that required the dead be sent on their way in a certain manner in certain circumstances. This may have been linked to the rapid change in the climate and increasing population pressure, at the very least the late Bronze Age was a troubled time The Iron Age continues the individualistic view of the other world with inhumations again becoming more common for the 'important' people and excarnation for the ordinary peoples. However the association between water and ritual death remains. What we do see here however is a further development of the idea of individualism in the other lands in that now social and gender differences seem to be reflected in the grave goods and therefore, we assume, the roles that these people have in the afterlife. |
The Roman invasion seemed to have little impact on the burial customs or belief structures of the people with the Iron Age practices continuing. The coming of Christianity later in the Roman rule brought the now familiar Christian East / West inhumation with no grave goods but this seems to have been generally as an addition to the existing belief rather that a wholesale replacement.
Saxon Britain at first saw the continuation of the Pagan inhumations with lavish grave goods but by the late Saxon Christianity had largely overcome the Pagan beliefs with burials typically being east / west inhumations with no grave goods. This seems to have been the case even within the Danelaw suggesting at the very least an acceptance of the prevailing Christian burial rites if not a wholesale conversion to Christianity. The Medieval saw Britain totally Christianized with 'standard' Christian burials and belief structures. The only departure from the standard is seen in the burial of the Christian hierarchy where priests were buried with their 'tools' - a chalice and platen. However this is likely to be of a symbolic nature rather than the idea of grave goods as understood by the earlier Pagan peoples. The church at the time, however, was happy to see some groups within society interred in locations that reflected their earthly status and others not buried according to Christian rites at all. From this we can possibly infer that the afterlife was seen as in some way reflecting the stratification found in the world of the living. The Post medieval period saw the general rise of Christian burial rites and beliefs with, in recent times, a gradual decline. Since 1885 cremation has risen year on year to become the most popular burial method but typically within a 'generally' Christian belief framework. We have seen that burial practice and belief developed from a simple acceptance of death being something important, to a community of the dead with the dead being very much part of the living world and subsequently to an individual experience with the otherworld being very much like that of the living. The coming of Christianity changed many of the burial rites and practices but generally held onto the individualistic nature of the afterlife. How the otherworld, or afterlife, was perceived by these people we will never know in detail but we can infer a progression from the dead being a community and a real part of the living world to an individual experience where the otherworld was separate from the world of the living, but generally was seen as being very similar in nature. Christianity brought the concepts of heaven and hell, perhaps a return to a community concept of death, but with only limited interaction with the world of the living, through the saints in one direction or prayer in the other. Some of these developments can be seen as a reflection of the prevailing society but others seem to be much deeper and survive massive changes in society and life styles. The idea of there being a community of the dead seems to be one such concept with the interaction between the worlds being perhaps another. |
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