Emily Chan
In Rome, they were present as displays of the deceased’s wealth and power. They would wail loudly, scratch their faces, and rip out their hair to show their grief. Men were not allowed to be professional mourners, as it was inappropriate for them to cry in public.
Ancient Egypt practiced similar funerary customs. Only childless women without hair on their bodies could be professional mourners.
It was also required that they had the names of the goddesses Isis and Nephthys tattooed on their shoulders.
Funerary rituals could not be completed without the presence of at least two mourners to play the roles of Isis and Nephthys. The women had to stand at opposite ends of the body and could not be related to the dead.
In Greece, the ancient practice of professional mourning still exists today. The tradition goes all the way back to at least the 8th century B.C.
The rituals involved displaying the deceased’s body on a bed. Family members surrounded the body and tore their hair out in grief.
The modern practitioners of professional mourning in Greece are known as “moirologists.” They behaved similarly to their ancestors.
They are still exclusively women and sing songs to help families say goodbye to their loved ones. They also make offerings to the dead, including locks of hair, oil, perfume, wine, honey, and garlands.
The tradition is likely to disappear within a few years since the last moirologists are nearly 100 years old now and will depart from the world themselves soon enough.
