Jul
23
Professional mourners
From wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral#Mutes_and_professional_mourners
“The professional mourner, generally a woman, would shriek and wail (often while clawing her face and tearing at her clothing), to encourage others to weep. These people are mentioned in ancient Greek plays, and were employed throughout Europe, but the practice largely died out in the nineteenth century. They continue to exist in Africa and the Middle East.”
More information here: http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1521963
I think Colin and I were interested in this because of the idea of being ‘beside oneself’ or an experience being disassociated from an experience because an other person has assumed your role or position.
