Death

Ancient Civilizations: Fifth Century B.C.E. to Fifth Century C.E.

In ancient Egypt, there was a complex and detailed belief in the afterlife. The monuments, inscriptions, artifacts, and pyramids all show a history of belief in the body and soul continuing after death. Music was an essential aspect of religious worship in Egypt and was often integral in the afterlife ceremonies, pyramids, and tombs. Many tombs, paintings, and scenic drawings depict performances of music and dance, and inscriptions in tombs dictate mortuary offerings through song and chant.

In ancient Greece and Rome, music also played an important role in funeral processions and death rituals. Apollo, a Greek god whose many attributes include music, is associated with medicine and healing, and yet Apollo was also seen as a god who could bring ill health and deadly plague. Apollo is an example of a Greek god who demonstrates the connection between death, healing, and music. Orpheus was another prominent Greek figure who played music so “magically” that he could soothe wild beasts.

Music has been associated with medicine since Paleolithic times. In ancient Greece, philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras was linked with connecting music and healing. Sixth-century philosopher and theologian Boethius claimed that harmony provided a balancing effect for different parts of the body and the soul. In other ancient civilizations, similar trends are seen making a connection between music and death. When a death was announced in ancient India, drummers were hired to send out a distinctive rhythm that would spread throughout the village and beyond. The Tibetan Book of the Dead examines the use of chanting for the purpose of assisting the person who has died as he/she begins their afterlife. It is clear that music was an essential part of the dying process dating back to many centuries B.C.E. and that people viewed music in relation to the spirit.

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