Essay On Death Taboos

Death, Taboo or not

“What evidence is there that death is taboo for some cultures? How is it apparent that this is the case???

The word “taboo” is derived from the Polynesian term tapu, meaning marked off (Brennan, n.d). It has long since become used to describe an activity, practice or place that is socially prohibited, beyond the standard parameters and socially accepted etiquette of a community, culture, or society.

We live knowing that eventually ourselves and those around us are going to die, death is a fact of life and unfortunately, it is a topic many are unwilling to discuss. For some people and cultures, death is a taboo or unspoken subject, regardless of the fact that it is of universal concern. Our culture and the people around

Death taboos can also be found in certain tribes within American Indian culture, especially among Navajos, who favour bringing the sick into hospitals to die so that death does not pollute the family home. Navajo burial customs reflect the ancient traditions that death itself is not something to be feared. Instead, these people feared that the deceased would return to visit the living (Lovetoknow, 2015). They also believe that that when someone passes over that they go to the underworld, with certain precautions taken during the burial process to ensure they do not return to the world of the living. When death was imminent, the person was taken to a separate place until he or she died. (If a person passes away in their own home, then the dwelling is torn down and destroyed (Lovetoknow, 2015)Close family and the medicine man will stay with the dying person until close to the end, then soon before death, all except for one or two leave, with those who remain being the closest relatives of the dying person, as well as the most willing to expose themselves to evil