Cult of the Dead

The Cult of the Ancestors (significant dead) was a practice common through all Europe, Egypt and Near Orient, based on the belief of the sanctity of the deceased.

Orkney Island’s repertory
It served as a starting point further developed in several layers of other believes, accumulated and evolving to religions (here including the Christian), as in a “conglomerate”, where new models do not substitute the previous, but provoke coalescent synthesis. This cumulative nature of religion turns possible now to uncover some ancient patterns, regimented in practices and assimilated to contemporary believes.

Orkney Island’s repertory
Detailing these believes about the deceased nature are the Egyptians’ habits. They thought the deceased would continue carrying for their families, being able to propitiate them good, as well as bad, illnesses and bad luck, in the same way of good luck and happiness.

Religious sculpture XVI cent., Angra, Terceira
A study from Amis Kamal, from the University of Liverpool, about the content of letters addressed by the Egyptians to their deceased reveals this believes, which has remained active for thousands of years, through several dynasties, until the last period, when the letters became addressed to the Gods.

Anubis, Egyptian God of Dead, represented with dog’s head
Similar characteristics of this believe seam to be present in aras, steles and other funerary monuments, as well as in plaques, which sometimes were left accompanying the deceased inside the tombs, in the Spanish and Portuguese territories, or in the former Lusitania.

Funerary lamp, (National Museum of Archaeology, Lisbon)
Another sign of the developing process of this belief is evident when proceeding to the heroization of the dead. They then are represented accompanied by gods, joining positions with Diane, Jupiter, etc.

Triptolemus (a mortal) between Persephone and Demeter
Leite de Vasconcelos, a famous Portuguese researcher, commenting the nature of these believes, said:
“The dead may return to the living world with several intentions, like advising the living ones, attract them, or for taking actions of revenge, due specially to the lack of respect - deprivation of grave, lack of funerary rituals, etc. In consequence, the fear of the dead is very common among various populations, who take efforts to honour them and to ease them by different means: erecting tombs, distributing offers, sacrifices, funerary rituals, celebrations, etc. But the deified dead may yet receive cult, in order to look for the living, helping them.” (Vol.I, p.201)

In the Iberic Peninsula, believes related to the place where the dead were supposed to go, are inscribed in ancient sepulchre stones, indicating the skies. The Moon and the Sun or other stars seam to specify the destiny of the voyage, after crossing the “doors to the other world”.

Steles found in Portuguese territory (National Museum of Archaeology)
A profusion of astrolatic symbols, shown in tombs’ inscriptions, indicates the vitality of this belief among the Portuguese. The symbols are frequently complemented with vegetal (plants and flowers) and zoological imagery (usually sacrificial animals).

Steles found in Portuguese territory (National Museum of Archaeology)
The belief in the sanctity of the dead is also reflected on the attention placed on their graves.
For the poor, as well as for the isolated persons, without family, some Brotherhoods or Fraternities are in charged of the funeral rituals, in the absence of other responsible persons.

Several of the actual celebrations have their origin in this cult. We will approach here some of the most significant:
1. Souls Bread
2. St. Martins
3. Killing the Pig