Śmierć w tradycji ludowej regionu opoczyńskiego i radomskiego

Abstract

The paper shows the way death is understood among the inhabitants of the region of Opoczno and Radom. The sources here are ethnographic field researches conducted by the author among the inhabitants of these regions - situated in central Poland. They were conducted in the years of 1995-2005 and dealt with All Souls’ Day and funeral rites. The author relied also on appropriate literature. The issue has been worked out in three paragraphs. The first deals with death as fate, whereas the second one show the positive aspects of death. The inhabitants of these regions, belonging to Christian confession, the approach to death and afterlife life was shaped by Jewish and Christian religions and ancient philosophy. Death appears to be the inevitability of fate which became man’s part at the moment he committed sin and God spoke against him (as the Bible and some myths of primitive peoples say). Man’s decision to betray God in the beginning of humankind brought about power that traced the course of human events, whose consequence was they left paradise, diseases, misfortunes, and the necessity of death. They understand death as fate when it is sudden and reaches a young man in the most unexpected moment, when neither his family nor he is spiritually not prepared to death. Thinking in positive terms about it, they consider it in the categories of Christ’s death and resurrection. This hope of resurrection for each man and life in another dimension brings optimism for the faithful. They will be introduced in the mystery of eternity. The joy to meet Christ and all those relatives who have died before allows us to look at death not in the perspective of ultimate end, but as the beginning of new life in the community of the saved in heaven. Therefore some, even audaciously, say that they are waiting for this moment when they cross the border of eternal life.