Gurung People of Nepal (lecture 2)

Question 1

What myth are the Gurung death rituals based on?

Answer 1

The Gurung death rituals are based on a myth in which a girl from the underworld is sent to marry a man from the living world. The marriage signifies harmony between the living and the dead as well as harmony between the human clans

Question 2

In their death ritual, what must the mother’s side of the family present?

Answer 2

In their death rituals, the mother’s side of the family must provide a white shroud to wrap the body (a dead person cannot find the right path unless the shroud is given)

Question 3

What does the shroud represent?

Answer 3

The shroud represents harmony between the two sides of the family, which like in the myth, represents harmony between the living and the dead

Question 4

What happens after cremation?

Answer 4

After the body is cremated the soul is thought to be in the underworld, from which it must be rescued. In a post-cremation ritual, food is offered to the soul in the underworld, and to say a last goodbye to the family, the soul enters a pigeon that goes from person to person eating out of their hands or sitting on their laps. When the pigeon is released into the sky, the soul is thought to be released from the underworld

Question 5

How and where are souls guided?

Answer 5

Finally, in a trance state, a special type of shaman guides the soul to the land of the ancestors. The entrance to the land of the ancestors is a specific place in the local geography and all the landmarks along the way are familiar to the people. If all these rituals are done correctly, then the soul will reach the dwelling place of the ancestors safely and become an ancestor