Emily Chan
Did you know that people can be paid to cry at someone’s funeral? This occupation is known as a professional mourner, and it dates back to ancient times. The practice is even mentioned in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
One modern-day example of a professional mourner is Hu Xinglian, who is known as Dragonfly. She is famous for her dramatic performances at funerals, which consist of crying, crawling, and shouting to honor the loss. She is one of the most sought-after mourners in China.
Her role is essentially the same as the duties of the “wailing women” in the Christian Bible. References to the female mourners can be found in the Book of Amos and the Book of Jeremiah.
They are the opposite of somber and reserved. Instead, they were described as making a scene with loud screams.
“Thus said the Lord of hosts, Consider you, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come” (Jeremiah 9:17).
The professional mourners in the Bible are more similar to the ones from Rome than Egypt. The best-documented cases of professional mourning in ancient times come from Rome.
Like most other cultures, Roman funerals were rites of passage that represented the transition between life and death.
Deceased individuals of high status and wealth would have noisier and flashier processions with mimes and musicians.
People from lower classes may have only had a few flute players at their funerals. Professional mourners were also an important part of funeral processions, and they were exclusively women.
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