Buried in Malta : a glance at history and tradition

Abstract

Through the examination of the manner in which a culture buries and relates to its dead, it is possible to uncover deeply rooted beliefs. In some instances the burials are all that remain of a culture, and when this is the case the burials then become not only proof of existence but also the only gateway into the lives of the people buried there. Changes that occur in burial practices themselves can be indicative of significant events and of resulting shifts in cultural and social values. It is, therefore, important to identify those shifts and examine their causes. This is what I hoped to do on the Island of Gozo, Malta in the summer of 2011. Through interviews, literature and many cemetery visits I tried to determine what aspects of today’s Maltese are a direct result of who they have been in the past and what caused some things to change and others to remain. I found, however, that this is a difficult task to accomplish within a month’s time. What I left with was some historical information concerning burials, as well as a better understanding of some Maltese traditions.