Eternal Remains: World Mummification and the Beliefs that make it Necessary provides an overview of mummification, but it concentrates on the reasons behind the act. It investigates the justification for preserving dead bodies, and in so doing, probes the true nature of both life and death. Many think of these as two distinct concepts, like day and night, but they are not distinct. Day fades into night, and night then returns to day. There are realms in which night and day merge, such as dusk and dawn. Perhaps the relationship between life and death is similar. After explaining the natural processes of decay and how they are halted, various mummies in different parts of the world are introduced. In the Americas, these include snow- and ice-preserved bodies in Montana and Alaska, and some controversial finds in other states. The Guanajuato mummies in Mexico and the strangely-preserved bodies in San Bernardo, Columbia are also introduced, alongside new translations of modern reactions to such bodies. The mummification techniques of cultures in Central and South America are also delineated, including Incan sacrificial ceremonies and the preservation of Incan kings. Unusual preservations in South America include the Chancay practice of turning the deceased into drums, which were played during special ceremonies, and the Jívaro method of shrinking heads. In addition, Eternal Remains introduces to the English-speaking world the recently discovered world's smallest mummy, Ichiknuna. Chapters about European mummies cover the so-called Frankenstein mummies of Cladh Hallan and fantastically preserved bog bodies, which provide evidence of ancient murders and superstitious customs. The mummies in Ferentillo, a small town north of Rome in the region of Umbria, were strangely preserved by the soil's chemical composition. Eternal Remains contains many pictures of these mummies, which have not been previously published. It also provides new information about what happened to King Tutankhamen's body after it had been embalmed and placed into a sarcophagus, and it explains the amazing discovery of cocaine, nicotine, and hashish in nine different 7,000-year-old Egyptian mummies. Since mainstream historical understanding holds that these substances only existed in the Americas at the time, the discovery is forcing some scholars to consider the possibility of cross-oceanic trade, which would force a historical rewrite. Other controversial finds are likewise presented in this text, including the discovery of advanced, ancient Caucasian bodies in China. This book is one of few in English to cover Buddhist mummification in Tibet and China, and the amazingly self-mummified monks in Japan. Newly translated information about some of these monks, never before published in English, is included in this book, alongside pictures of the monks who engaged in this suicidal practice. Eternal Remains also explains modern methods of conservation. The reasons behind the worldwide desire to mummify are similar, and by investigating the techniques and the underlying beliefs that necessitated the practice, one can more clearly see just what makes us human. This study forces readers to reflect upon the true nature of life and death, and connections are made between the spiritual portion of each individual and other natural phenomena. They are led to ponder the ultimate significance of it all. The final conclusions formed are sure to inspire all, providing a new way to consider death and its relationship to life. Eternal Remains combines a study of mummification with comparative religions, and an analysis of worldwide beliefs about the nature of death. It will open one's eyes to new possibilities concerning human advancement, anomalous archaeological discoveries, and the greatest mysteries of both life and death.

This book documents hundreds of customs and traditions practiced in countries outside of the United States, showcasing the diversity of birth, coming-of-age, and death celebrations worldwide. From the beginning of our lives to the end, all of humanity celebrates life's milestones through traditions and unique customs. In the United States, we have specific events like baby showers, rites of passage such as Bat and Bar Mitzvahs and "sweet 16" birthday parties, and sober end-of-life traditions like obituaries and funeral services that honor those who have died. But what kinds of customs and traditions are practiced in other countries? How do people in other cultures welcome babies, prepare to enter into adulthood, and commemorate the end of the lives of loved ones? This three-volume encyclopedia covers more than 300 birth, life, and death customs, with the books' content organized chronologically by life stage. Volume 1 focuses on birth and childhood customs, Volume 2 documents adolescent and early-adulthood customs, and Volume 3 looks at aging and death customs. The entries in the first volume examine pre-birth traditions, such as baby showers and other gift-giving events, and post-birth customs, such as naming ceremonies, child-rearing practices, and traditions performed to ward off evil or promote good health. The second volume contains information about rites of passage as children become adults, including indigenous initiations, marriage customs, and religious ceremonies. The final volume concludes with coverage on customs associated with aging and death, such as retirement celebrations, elaborate funeral processions, and the creation of fantasy coffins. The set features beautiful color inserts that illustrate examples of celebrations and ceremonies and includes an appendix of excerpts from primary documents that include legislation on government-accepted names, wedding vows, and maternity/paternity leave regulations.

This book seeks to offer a collection of relevant essays dealing with different aspects of dark tourism sites in the Iberian Peninsula, delving into issues related to shared attitudes in the face of death and suffering. Thus, all the chapters explore the ideological readings that may turn dark sites into places of dissonant heritage, and therefore make them meaningful elements in the formation of collective identities. Illustrating the multidisciplinary potential of dark tourism studies, the contributors come from different fields of study, including historiography, literary studies, sociology. This collection reflects on how tourism managers, researchers, academics, policy makers and local communities can mobilize, transition and adapt to cultural tourism fluctuations, as well as mitigate the negative impacts of global crises. It also provides examples of tourist practices which, despite their local scope, have a strong potential impact on collective and social levels, as well as on business and multiple fields of study, research and education.

A number of Taiwanese scholars gate-kept, filtered, selected, and strategized to transfer Luce Irigaray’s, Hélène Cixous’s, and Julia Kristeva’s French feminist theories into their own national context by exerting their cross-lingual and cross-cultural academic power in the 1990s. They also reshaped, localized, acculturated, marketed, and Taiwanized these French feminist theories, which was essential for Taiwanese academia. According to French feminist literary theories, écriture féminine (“feminine writing”) refers to women’s own written self-expression used to escape from the patriarchal language system. Beginning with a description of the acculturation of French feminist literary theories, this book highlights how women’s own spoken voices or autobiographical written expressions appear in Taiwanese cinematic works when the camera is compared to the cinematic pen. It analytically digest the écriture féminine of parler-femme in the Taiwanese films The Butcher’s Wife, Taste of Life, Sex Appeal, and Ghosted.

This book highlights the diversity and richness of non-Mainland China and Taiwan-oriented gender issues from a unique Taiwanese perspective, in contrast to previous studies that have often placed Taiwanese gender issues under the huge umbrella of Mainland Chinese, Communist Chinese, or P.R.C. women’s and gender studies. In a follow-up dialogue to and with Liu’s, Karl’s, and Ko’s The Birth of Chinese Feminism, this book looks at the various metaphorical details of that “birth” and the different dimensions of Mainland Chinese versus Taiwanese feminism and gender issues. Although Chinese-heritage people share similar traditions, different gender problems have occurred in and challenged various local conditions of Chinese-speaking areas. Taiwan’s gender issues have reflected Taiwan’s unique historical, sociocultural, economic, political, (post)colonial, military, and diplomatic backgrounds, in ways unfamiliar to the many people with a Chinese background who are not Taiwanese. This volume gives a historical outline of the people and events that paved the way for the rise of Taiwanese feminism, and includes portraits of famous feminists, gender issues in institutions, and a variety of gender concerns.

Perfect for school and public libraries, this is the only reference book to combine pop culture with science to uncover the mystery behind mummies and the mummification phenomena. Mortality and death have always fascinated humankind. Civilizations from all over the world have practiced mummification as a means of preserving life after death—a ritual which captures the imagination of scientists, artists, and laypeople alike. This comprehensive encyclopedia focuses on all aspects of mummies: their ancient and modern history; their scientific study; their occurrence around the world; the religious and cultural beliefs surrounding them; and their roles in literary and cinematic entertainment. Author and horror guru Matt Cardin brings together 130 original articles written by an international roster of leading scientists and scholars to examine the art, science, and religious rituals of mummification throughout history. Through a combination of factual articles and topical essays, this book reviews cultural beliefs about death; the afterlife; and the interment, entombment, and cremation of human corpses in places like Egypt, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. Additionally, the book covers the phenomenon of natural mummification where environmental conditions result in the spontaneous preservation of human and animal remains.

Of all the ancient peoples, the Egyptians are perhaps best known for the fascinating ways in which they grappled with the mysteries of death and the afterlife. This beautifully illustrated book draws on the British Museum's world-famous collection of mummies and other funerary evidence to offer an accessible account of Egyptian beliefs in an afterlife and examine the ways in which Egyptian society responded materially to the challenges these beliefs imposed. The author describes in detail the numerous provisions made for the dead and the intricate rituals carried out on their behalf. He considers embalming, coffins and sarcophagi, shabti figures, magic and ritual, and amulets and papyri, as well as the mummification of sacred animals, which were buried by the millions in vast labyrinthine catacombs. The text also reflects recent developments in the interpretation of Egyptian burial practices, and incorporates the results of much new scientific research. Newly acquired information derives from a range of sophisticated applications, such as the use of noninvasive imaging techniques to look inside the wrappings of a mummy, and the chemical analysis of materials used in the embalming process. Authoritative, concise, and lucidly written, Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt illuminates aspects of this complex, vibrant culture that still perplex us more than 3,000 years later.