User:Kmcguiness95/sandbox

Hi Wikipedians! My name is Kayla McGuiness and I am a student at the University of Miami majoring in Health Science and minoring in Psychology and Finance. I recently became a student editor to Wikipedia for a religion class I am taking this semester.

Article Evaluation
Week 3:

For this assignment I chose to evaluate the article Wake (ceremony). This article, although it is not under the category of a stub article, should be due to its lack of information. The article is split into five sections, with only two of them (Intro and Origin) containing information on the topic. The other three sections are See Also, References, and External Links. This article is part of three WikiProjects. They are WikiProject Christianity, WikiProject Death, and WikiProject Ireland.

When reading the Intro I felt that the second paragraph did not belong there and should rather be moved to the Origin section being that it mentions original meanings of the term wake. I also feel that the first sentence of the second paragraph and the first sentence of the Origin section are contradictory. They both mention the original use of the term wake but I think it needs to be clarified in the Origin section that the term had different meanings. It should also be mentioned in what parts of the world and when these meanings were used. This article also has the potential to be expanded to include information about wakes in different countries or religions. This could be its own section with subsections by country or religion, whichever would be the more appropriate way to divide the content. The actual events of what occurs at a wake could be mentioned in this article as well to give the reader a little more insight.

When checking the references and external links they all appeared to be reliable except for the link "A first hand account of a modern Irish Wake". This linked to a blog, where a man tells his a story of going to an Irish wake. Within the article the last two sentences of the Origin section are not properly cited. There are two facts that are stated with no reference to check the facts with so this needs to be fixed.

The talk page informed me quiet a bit about the history of this article. The page used to be much longer with more information on the topic, however over time pieces that people did not feel were well written, did not fit with the topic properly, or were not properly cited have been removed. The page was also merged with the Irish Wake page, which also ended with a lot of the information being removed as well. There has been talk more recently about merging the page with Viewing (funeral) or with Funeral.

Additions to Wake (ceremony)
The wake or the viewing of the body is a prominent part of death rituals in many cultures. This ceremony allows one last interaction with the corpse, providing a time for the living to express their emotions and beliefs about death with the deceased.


 * A great sentence to add. I like your encyclopedic style and tone. Keep up the great work. Alfgarciamora (talk) 15:42, 19 February 2018 (UTC)

Potential Articles to Edit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_mourning
 * only one post on talk page; can research too see if this is a profession in multiple cultures and expand on that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_procession
 * No posts on talk page. Only mentions funeral processions in the US and in Hinduism. Can add other religions and their customs for funeral processions.
 * https://search-proquest-com.access.library.miami.edu/docview/136043602?accountid=14585&rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festival_of_the_Dead
 * Article has had a lot of information deleted from it due to plagiarism from another website. There are several cultures that have a variation of the Festival of the Dead, can expand on the different customs from each religion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake_(ceremony)

Sources and Notes for Funeral Procession
Intro Paragraph Although the intro is supposed to be brief it could be slightly expanded. Currently it seems to be leaning toward Christian customs so it would be beneficial to make the sentences more broad or to include other aspects from other cultures.

United States This section of the article only mentions the rules on the road and not any of the customs within different cultures or religions within the US. Citations need to be added in this section as well as more information about other aspects of funeral processions within the US.
 * Could make a countries section and make the US a subsection. Other countries can be subsections as well where the different practices can be discussed.

Hinduism This section already has one solid paragraph. Can go more in depth about the symbolism behind the different items used during the funeral procession.
 * Can make this a subsection of a Religion section, where other religions and their practices can also be discussed.

History I feel that this article could benefit from a history section. Can research the different customs from the past and discuss what has changed over time and what traditions have been passed down and are still practiced today.
 * http://www.jstor.org.access.library.miami.edu/stable/pdf/10.1525/jsah.2010.69.1.12.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Aed5258828fdb4b3b09aea613f3f63a51
 * http://www.jstor.org.access.library.miami.edu/stable/pdf/3290803.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A1d3c733bbecdddc76cf97c0b0bb52a4e


 * need to decide whether to split up by country or religion. Currently feel that separating by religion would be most organized. Can make subsections within each religion category if the practices vary from country to country for that religion.

Buddism
 * http://www.jstor.org.access.library.miami.edu/stable/pdf/43489803.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A530dafbbf09bb9160d167f34adc04ec2

Islam
 * http://www.jstor.org.access.library.miami.edu/stable/pdf/1596107.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A37ead7f93a17a7241c2ae64da8cdfe9e

Japan
 * http://www.jstor.org.access.library.miami.edu/stable/pdf/30233669.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A5a69c3d49ee5d7c52003f4de251b5f9a

Additions to Funeral Procession
Intro

Original:

A funeral procession is a procession, usually in motor vehicles or by foot, from a funeral home or church or other place of worship to the cemetery or church. The deceased is usually transported in a hearse, while family and friends follow in their vehicles. In earlier times horse-drawn vehicles were used or in poorer societies a group of men would carry the deceased on a bier accompanied by a procession of people.

Revised:

A funeral procession is a procession, usually in motor vehicles or by foot, from a funeral home or place of worship to the cemetery or crematorium. In earlier times the deceased was typically carried by male family members on a bier or in a coffin to the final resting place. This practice has shifted over time toward transporting the deceased in a hearse, while family and friends follow in their vehicles. The transition from the procession by foot to procession by car can be attributed to two main factors; the switch to burying or cremating the body at locations far from the funeral site and mainly the introduction of motorized vehicles and public transportation making processions by foot through the street no longer practical.

Islam

In the Islam religion, the funeral procession is a virtuous act that typically involves a large amount of participation from other Muslims. Traditions that were begun by the Prophet are what urged Muslims to partake in the procession. Muslims believe that by following the funeral procession, praying over the body, and attending the burial one may receive quīrāts (rewards) to put them in good favor with Allah. Funeral processions of prominent figures in the Islamic society would attract large crowds because many people would want to honor the deceased. The number of people attending one's funeral can be considered a mark of social standing being that the more well-known and influential one was, the more likely people were to attend. In some cases, the governor may insist on leading the funeral procession for men of high prominence even if this is against the wishes of the family of the deceased. Muslim funeral processions may also attract people of other religions at times if the deceased is well-known in society. However, Muslims will always be the ones carrying the body on a bedstead, while other religions may follow along side, typically staying in their own groups. Islamic funeral processions have been viewed as similar to those in late antiquity Alexandria, being that the whole city would partake in the procession and lights and incense would be used as well.

Buddhism/Shinto (Japan)

After a person has died the first thing to be done is to choose two people to be in charge of making all of the arrangements for the funeral events to come. The main relatives are in charge of encoffining the body and the female relatives make the death clothes that the deceased will wear. Once the body is prepared the wake occurs. This takes place the night before the procession and lasts through the night. Typically relatives and neighbors attend and food and alcoholic beverages are served. The next morning at 10 A.M. the funeral procession begins. Coolies (laborers) are hired and divided into two groups; the rokushaku group carries the palanquin and coffin and the hirabito group carries the paper and fresh flowers and lanterns. Before departing for the temple the priest will chant sutras. The order in which the procession proceeds is first those carrying the lanterns, then the flowers, then birds which are released to bring merit to the deceased, the incense burners, the memorial tablet, and then the coffin. Male relatives are the only people who carry items in the procession while the women ride in rickshaws following the coffin. The male heir of the deceased carries the memorial tablet, which is covered in thin silk. The men in the procession wear formal clothing with the family crest. Initially, the family and neighbors would walk with the procession all the way to the temple, however during the Taishō era people would drop off from the procession along the way and take a train to the temple to wait for the procession to arrive. The family and close friends of the deceased would stay with the procession the entire way. The procession ends when it reaches the temple where the funeral will be held.

During the Taishō era, funerals began to undergo many changes with one of the biggest ones being the elimination of the funeral procession. Funeral processions were extremely prominent during the Meiji era and part of the reason for ridding of them was to move away from the elaborateness of that time period and into more simplistic practices. Another main reason for elimination of processions was the increase in public transportation and motorized vehicles, making the streets far too congested for large processions to occur. As funeral practices moved away from the procession, kokubetsu-shiki (home farewell ceremonies) began to take their place. These ceremonies could be held at the family home, but sometimes were held at the funeral home or temple to replace the mourning that the funeral procession used to accomplish. These farewell ceremonies also served the purpose of offering condolence toward the grieving family in a social aspect. With there no longer being a procession, the real and paper flowers that were carried began to be used to decorate the alter at the temple. The custom of placing a picture of the deceased on the alter also began during this period. Overall, the funeral procession changes were mainly attributed to "external societal conditions" rather than public opinions.

Notes:

-During Taishō era, funerals underwent many changes

-One change was elimination of funeral processions

-Processions prominent during Meiji era

-Funeral processions eventually replaced by kokubetsu-shiki (home farewell ceremonies) which typically took place in families home before the main funeral

-Changes to funeral practices made in effort to move away from elaborateness during Meiji era and toward more simplistic practice

-Funeral procession changes attributed to "external societal conditions" rather than public opinions

-Main reason for change was public transportation and motorized vehicles congesting street making large processions no longer possible

-Kokubetsu-shiki sometimes would be held at funeral home or temple to replace public mourning that funeral procession used to accomplish

-Procession shifted toward farewell ceremony for condolence toward family in social aspect

-Occurred around time of improvement cremation, making the process and remains less gruesome and a more preferable way of disposing of deceased rather than burial

-Rather than carrying flowers (paper and real) in procession they began to be used to decorate alter at temple, custom of picture of deceased being placed on alter also began during this period

Hinduism

Original:

A funeral procession in Hinduism normally takes place from the house of the deceased to the cremation ground and is normally an all-male affair. The eldest son leads the procession followed by others. Contrary to western traditions, the procession leaves as soon as possible after death and mourners chant the name of god en route to the crematorium. The body itself is bathed and wrapped in a white sheet, carried to the cremation ground on a bamboo stretcher. The son leading the procession carries a fire pot when he leaves the house, which is used to light the funeral pyre.

Revised:

The Indian city of Banāras is knowns as the Great Cremation Ground because it contains Manikarnikā, the location where Hindu's bring the deceased for cremation. Manikarnikā is located in the center of the city along the Ganges River. The funeral procession normally takes place from the house of the deceased to the cremation ground and is normally an all-male affair. The eldest son leads the procession followed by others. Contrary to western traditions, the procession leaves as soon as possible after death and mourners chant the name of god en route to the crematorium. The body itself is bathed and wrapped in a white sheet, carried to the cremation ground on a bamboo litter. The son leading the procession carries a fire pot when he leaves the house, which is used to light the funeral pyre. The procession ends at Manikarnikā, where the body is dipped in the Ganges River, then sprinkled with sandalwood oil and covered with garlands of flowers before being cremated.

In more modern times and places outside of India, the domestic traditions of decorating the body, circumambulating, and offering rice balls occurs at the family home or funeral home instead of at the cremation site. No large procession takes place, but rather the male family members carry the coffin from the home to the hearse and then follow in cars to the crematorium. The coffin is again carried by the men from the hearse into the chapel at the crematorium. The chief mourner and male family members will flip the switch to light the cremator after the funeral ceremony takes place. In some cases, the family will travel farther to spread the ashes of the deceased in a holy river. However if they choose not to do so, the ashes will be spread in the sea or a river nearby.

Judaism

According to Jewish law, the deceased is to be buried as soon as possible so the time between death and burial is short. Burial cannot occur on the Sabbath or any Jewish holiday. The funeral service is brief and typically takes place at a funeral home, but sometimes is held at the synagogue or cemetery. The funeral procession route goes from the funeral home or synagogue to the burial site and the pallbearers are the male family members and friends of the deceased. It is traditional to stop seven times along the procession route at meaningful places to recite psalms. Psalm 91:1, "O thous that dwellest in the cover of the Most High" is a very common psalm to recite. The practice of pausing seven times during the procession is derived from the funeral procession of the patriarch Jacob. During his funeral procession from Egypt to Canaan (Palestine), the group stopped for seven days to cross the Jordan River into the "Promised Land". These pauses along the way also serve to give the mourners a chance to stop at the different places to reflect on the life of the deceased.

Christianity

In the Christian religion, the funeral procession was originally from the home of the deceased to the church because this was the only procession associated with burial. This is because the burial took place on the church property so there was no procession that occurred after the funeral service. Later on, as the deceased began to be buried in cemeteries that were not at the church, the main funeral procession was now considered to be from the church to the place of burial. This switch was mainly due to the monastic influence over time. When the place of burial was at the church or nearby, the body was carried to the grave/tomb. Those carrying the coffin were led by others carrying wax candles and incense. The incense signify a sign of honor for the deceased. Psalms and antiphons were also sung along the way. One antiphon that has been used in funeral processions for a very long time is called In Paradisum:

May the angels lead you into paradise

may the martyrs come to welcome you

and take you to the holy city,

the new and eternal Jerusalem.

In the modern day, the funeral procession is no longer common or practiced in the same way. Now a hearse is used to transport the body to the gravesite. The procession consists of carrying the casket from the church to the hearse and then from the hearse to the gravesite once at the cemetery. The male family members and friends are typically the ones who carry the coffin.

Peer Review
Hi Kayla, you have a really good topic here. I think the best way to handle it would be how you said, by religion just because most funeral processions are based off of how the religion traditionally does it, and if there is variation between country it would be worth noting in a subsection underneath that religion. One way you could format these religion sections is by talking about the sequence of events that occur as soon as somebody who practices that religion passes away. Also I feel like it would be a little difficult to talk about JUST the procession in different cultures without bringing up at least a little bit of how the body is prepared for the procession. You probably already know this but make sure to include the time it takes from death to burial, and if the family take care of the body or do they just give it to a funeral home who does all the work for them? If the family does take care of the body, how do they do it and why do they do it? Another thing that you could look at is if and how funeral processions have changed over time. Maybe cover how it was in the history section, and then add a modern funeral processions section in which you talk about if there are any changes. It's all in the minute details that you add. I like what you've written about Islamic funeral processions. Some stuff you could add to that is: what happens at the burial site, how the body is prepared, and how it's actually carried to the site. Again these are all just food for thought that you could potentially add, but I feel like you have a pretty good grip on everything that you have so far! Good luck! - Saad


 * Thanks for the advice! This is all very helpful and you mentioned some points to add that I didn't think of. Definitely going to look into the preparation of the body before the procession as well as the time between death and burial and what occurs during this period. Thanks again! Kmcguiness95 (talk) 16:15, 24 March 2018 (UTC)

Comments
Week 5 Lots of people will be looking at professional mourning, so why not consider the funeral procession or festival of the dead pages? I think funeral procession would be the best one. Lots to work off of there. Did you look at any academic literature on these topics? Also, wake is clearly a good one to add to. Alfgarciamora (talk) 22:59, 26 February 2018 (UTC)

Week 6 Great work here. On whether to split up by religion or by country, that will be a decision once you learn more about the topic. For Hinduism, look up Diana Eck and other works by Stephen Prothero (although Prothero mainly worked on Hinduism in the US). Take a look at the bibliography of that book we read on cremation - there could be useful sources there. And make sure you try reverse-citation on those sources. I think you're off to a great start with the materials, however. Alfgarciamora (talk) 22:42, 5 March 2018 (UTC)