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Archiver > MONMOUTHSHIRE > 2007-05 > 1178141782


From: John Hopkins <>
Subject: Re: [MON] Burial Traditions
Date: Thu, 03 May 2007 09:36:22 +1200
In-Reply-To: <20070502190257.SMWN26699.aamtaout03-winn.ispmail.ntl.com@smtp.ntlworld.com>


Hi Ian

The comment below from your post is very interesting, because some iwi Maori
(Maori 'tribes') do (or did) that here in Aotearoa New Zealand - the coffin
is passed out through the window of the meeting house on the marae where the
tangihanga ('funeral wake') has been taking place, when the deceased is
being taken to the burial place.

There is a specific Maori belief system that underlies this, to do with the
door being 'worldly' and safe, whereas the window side of the house (and
hence the window) is tapu (usually translated as being 'sacred', though
there is no easy way of translating that into English and I am not competent
to do so).

Do you know what the beliefs are that lead to the coffin being passed out
through the window in South Wales? I wondered whether missionaries brought
the practice here, but that would seem doubtful given some of the factors
around where the practice takes place here, and who the missionaries were
who gained dominance in those places.

John

-----Original Message-----
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Sent: Thursday, 3 May 2007 7:03 a.m.
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Subject: [MON] Burial Traditions

(snip) On the day of the funeral thecoffin was passed out through the front
room window into the waiting hearse. (snip)


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