This from Bill:
November 1st
is the day when Peru celebrates “the Day of the Dead.” I never gave a great
deal of thought to the Day of the Dead in the states. In the past, I often went
to cemeteries to pray--because they are peaceful and beautifully landscaped. As
such, the idea of going to a cemetery for a picnic lunch, remembering your past
loved one(s), seemed morbid, but not that far out of the possibility range.
But, in Peru, the idea takes on a much different meaning than merely
remembering your past loved ones—it is a partial reenactment of their ancient
pagan ceremonies. Prior to the Spanish conquest of Peru, the Incas worshipped their
ancestors by setting the mummies in a prominent place and then having lunch
with them. Clairvoyants were employed to receive messages from the
dead. The people would set out food and pour out beer in the mummy's
presence, so that the mummy could enjoy them and, in return, pass on blessings
to the living. The beer was (and continues to be) a big part of the
celebration. I envision the clairvoyant’s conversation going something like
this:
"Your great
grandfather is here and he thanks you for the ham sandwiches and the corn-nuts,
but he will not give you his blessing."
"Why will he
not bestow on us the blessing?"
"Because
you're stingy with the beer and you’re only serving him the cheap stuff!"
The Incas were not
stingy with the dead. When the Spanish conquered Peru, one third of the country’s
food was being offered to the dead, which resulted in starvation among the tribes
the Incas had conquered. In the pagan ceremonies where they partied with their
ancestors, the Incas poured out so much beer (for the dead), that it ran out of
fountains and through channels that lined the streets of Cusco. Because of the
influence of Catholicism, most Peruvians do not offer meals to the dead
directly, anymore; but they do continue the practice of eating and drinking in
the presence of the deceased. And the beer continues to flow—though nowadays, it
does not flow through the streets; rather, it flows through the family members
who use this day as an excuse to get drunk and attach some kind of generally
religious notion to it.
The pictures below are from an NBC news photoblog, detailing the
practices of some of the families in Lima. The photos are beautiful and serve
as reminders of the need for the Gospel in this stark and barren land.
No comments:
Post a Comment