Life after death : mourning and funerals in a parish in Malta

Abstract

This thesis looks at how people actively produce certain elements at funerals based on my fieldwork in Naxxar. The first question I ask is; How are the images of the deceased, and those of the bereaved manufactured during the funeral? This thesis discusses how, by means of their history, memory, and experience of their deceased, the bereaved construct an image of their dead relative, which the other funeral goers will remember. The second question I ask is; What are the sensory elements which contribute to the production of the funeral atmosphere? I will answer this question by going through the sections of the funeral mass, and addressing a number of elements, and themes which help the bereaved mourn the loss of their loved one.