Why is the body kept for three days after death?

Let me tell you a true story first. What a friend of mine swore to tell us again is absolutely true. She said that a little girl died in her village more than ten years ago. She was only fifteen or sixteen years old. Because she was underage, there would be no funeral. People with white hair would send people with black hair. The village was afraid that her parents would be too sad and something would happen. Fortunately, her mother had already fainted from crying, so she was buried as early as possible without much mortuary. The burial object was her favorite mobile phone during her lifetime. As a result, her mother suddenly saw several missed calls on her mobile phone and opened it to see that it was her daughter's number! First he was surprised, then he was frightened, and then he shouted wildly and called all the old and young men in the village. Everyone took shovels and hoes and rushed to the place where her daughter was buried, and quickly opened the coffin! That scene made everyone heartbroken, and the relatives were heartbroken! I saw the little girl bowing, her mouth open, and her right hand holding the phone. The phone was out of battery! I hit a big bump on my head, my fingernails were worn away, and my fingers were bloody and bloody. Unfortunately, my body was stiff and I couldn't breathe!

So there is a reason for the mortuary:

People's death is sometimes caused by suspended animation, or shock. Therefore, it can lead to misjudgment. The family of the deceased is only concerned about grief and does not know these circumstances, plus some customs and habits, so they bury the deceased hastily. The patient wakes up and calls Tiantian for help, and finally has to die completely.

1. The origin of the custom of mortuary

Not to mention the ancient people, the medical conditions were so backward. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the prince of the Guo Kingdom suddenly died suddenly, and the monarch of the Guo Kingdom was extremely sad. Jue was preparing to lay his son to rest. It happened that the miracle doctor Bian Que came here after traveling around the world. He heard people said that the prince was very young... Based on experience, Bian Que judged that the prince was probably a "corpse" who suddenly fainted and became unconscious. "disease. It's important to save people. He immediately went to the palace to check the prince's pulse, and found that the prince's breathing was weak and his body was warm. He immediately gave the prince acupuncture, pricking the Baihui point, and assisted with medicine. The prince actually sat up, just like an ordinary person. After a few days of recuperation, he was as before. Just as lively and energetic. After that, Bian Que warned the people there not to bury people immediately after death! Gradually evolved into the later mortuary and then burial.

It is said that in ancient times, there was a Zhao Xiucai who married the Ku family, and his wife gave him three sons. Unexpectedly, Zhao Xiucai died young, leaving them four orphans and a widowed mother. Ms. Ming worked hard to raise her three sons. One day, the egg-laying hen among the more than 20 chickens she raised was lost. She searched for it for a long time but could not find it. She was so anxious that she found it. The three sons left their mother to rest. As a result, the old lady lived and died of suffocation in the grave. The three sons had uneasy consciences and all hung themselves from the trees in front of the grave. The news spread among the neighbors, and everyone learned a lesson from this bloody incident. In the future, no matter who died, they would be kept alive for a few days, or even more than ten days. So this gradually evolved into today's funeral custom of keeping the corpse for three days, and some people even put yellow paper on the face of the deceased.

2. The origin of yellow paper

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the King of Wu captured Gou Jian and prepared to kill him. However, a minister suggested that he be let go. The King of Wu listened to the minister's words. , but Wu Zixu resolutely stopped him, so the King of Wu convicted Wu Zixu of "disturbing the people's hearts" and was executed. Before he died, he shouted: King Wu will definitely be defeated by Gou Jian.

Sure enough, Wu was defeated by Gou Jian, and the king of Wu was completely defeated. He felt that he was ashamed of his loyal ministers and had no face to see the dead Wu Zixu, so the king of Wu asked his servants to cover his face with a yellow cloth after his death. , to show guilt. It spread among the common people and believed that everyone made mistakes during their lifetime! The face needs to be covered after death to show repentance. So later it evolved into sticking yellow paper on the face of the deceased.

Of course, the main reason is to more conveniently and directly observe whether the dead person is awake, so yellow paper is pasted on his or her face. The paper is very light and will move easily if there is breathing. Another reason for pasting yellow paper is human psychological factors. First, the relatives of the deceased feel that the living person has suddenly left, and they will be even more sad when they see the face of the deceased. The second is to prevent the living from being scared when they see the face of the deceased. Over time, there will be spots on the body, so to show respect to the deceased, cover it with paper.

This is also a tradition. Relatives far away are reluctant to leave. They only have this last chance to see each other, otherwise they will be farewell forever.

In ancient times, due to limited medical conditions, imaginary phenomena often occurred. In order to avoid being buried alive due to suspended animation, the ancients stipulated that "the body should be quiescent for three days after death." This custom continues to this day. It is both a belief and a practice, and it has a scientific basis.

First of all, it is related to the beliefs of the ancients. In the past, a person's body would be kept in morgue for seven days after death. The ancients believed that people can be "reincarnated" seven or forty-nine days after death. The seventh day is the "Night of Soul Resurrection". The deceased will go home for a visit on this day. The first seven days are spent preparing for the funeral, and the deceased wants to see family harmony. Only then can you leave with peace of mind. Needless to say, this is an obvious feudal superstition and cannot be believed. After the founding of New China, it was changed to three days, and this custom is still retained today.

Secondly, there is some scientific reason. This originated from the famous doctor Bian Que during the Spring and Autumn Period, who traveled far and wide and visited various countries. Passing through Guo State, he rescued the buried prince who had faked his death. Bian Que believed that the patient was not dead, but just entered a state of suspended animation. Especially in ancient times, the level of medical treatment was very low. Most people could not tell the difference between suspended animation and some people were buried in a state of starvation, fainting or shock due to blood loss. People's definition of death is that breathing and heart have stopped. Later, it was discovered that people who stop breathing and heartbeat will come back to life after a few days. Modern medicine calls this phenomenon suspended animation. Such things have also happened in modern times, and Xi Jinping still kept his body in morgue for at least three days.

Furthermore, it is a kind of particularity. Afterwards, people have to notify their family members to come to pay their respects and attend the funeral. They also have to dig graves, pay homage to relatives and friends, and entertain neighbors for several days. It is also convenient for relatives in distant places to rush back for funerals; after all, the deceased is the oldest, and it is customary for relatives to keep vigil for the deceased for three consecutive nights. At the same time, there is enough time left for relatives to remember and mourn the deceased.

That's why "the corpse must be kept in morgue for three days". Having relatives carefully guarding the deceased can also prevent fake death; it can also allow every relative to see the deceased for the last time.

Let’s talk about ancient funeral customs. We have always felt that it is feudal superstition for the older generation to engage in such complicated funeral rituals. Actually, no. Every funeral custom has its own rationale. Below, I will explain them one by one.

1. After death, burial should be carried out as soon as possible. This is to prevent rats and other animals from chewing the remains.

2. The corpse must be enshrined for more than 7 days (now it is changed to 3 days for the sake of economy). There are three reasons for this: First, ancient medical skills were not developed, and occasionally people in shock were regarded as dead. Therefore, the body should be kept in morgue for a few days to see if there is a misjudgment. Second, give the family enough time to prepare for the funeral. Third, (this is a bit superstitious), the reason why the corpse is kept in morgue for 7 days is because the ancients believed that the first seven nights were the night of soul rebirth. The deceased will come back to check on the situation at home so that he can be reincarnated with peace of mind.

3. Arrange a wake for relatives. This is done to prevent rats and other animals from biting the remains. Second, if a person who faked his death is resurrected, his family members should rescue him as soon as possible.

4. Hang a bright lamp in front of the soul. This is to wake up the waker and prevent him from falling asleep.

5. The body’s face is covered with paper. First, if a person is suspended from death, they will breathe weakly. The moisture from this respiration will wet the paper. This is to verify whether the deceased is still breathing weakly. Second, the face will collapse and deform after death, which is very scary.

6. Burn paper money. According to superstition, money is burned to the deceased. In fact, it may have been used to set fire to the remains of the deceased.

7. Raising white flags is to express the identity of relatives. In this way, the funeral procession will not be separated.

8. Sometimes pregnant women and children are also asked to avoid it. This is because there are bacteria in the body and there is a fear of infection.

9. A filial son throws a basin. This is the signal to raise the coffin and represents the beginning of the funeral. Moreover, breaking the pot also shows everyone the family inheritance relationship. The person who breaks the basin is the closest relative of the deceased and will inherit most of the deceased's property during his lifetime.

10. A funeral banquet is held mainly to thank friends for their help.

11. During weddings and funerals, relatives and friends must "offer sacrifices". This is actually to "raise money" for the host family. Because, in ancient times, everyone was poor. It costs a lot of money for any family to organize a red or white event.

In ancient times, an ordinary family could not afford this. So we all made an agreement over wine that if any family encounters this kind of thing, everyone will pool their money together.

(Article | Yongzhan Wang talks about history)

1. It is a custom and tradition to bury the corpse for three days, some for seven days. In the past, funerals had procedures and etiquette. Descendants need to pay homage to the deceased. If the funeral ends hastily, it is disrespectful to the deceased. When an old man dies, the younger generation must observe filial piety, otherwise they will be looked down upon by neighbors and relatives. Generally, it is appropriate to complete the funeral in three days. 2. In the past, due to limited medical skills, many things could not be explained. It was not impossible for miracles to occur. For example, people may have symptoms such as suspended animation and shock. The corpse was kept in morgue for three days for fear of a miracle happening. If it was buried immediately, it would be possible if it was not done well. It has happened in history that the person involved was buried alive. To put it bluntly, it was to make the deceased 100% sure that he was dead before burying him.

3. A three-day morgue allows relatives from far away to rush back for the funeral. Some relatives may be far away in other places, and a three-day delay in burial allows relatives to rush back to see each other for the last time.

It is a traditional custom to bury the body for three days after death. Of course, it also has practical implications. Since ancient medicine was not very developed, three days of morgue can also prevent the phenomenon of suspended animation.

Chinese traditional funeral culture involves many complex processes. With the development of modern society, especially some mysterious phenomena that could not be explained in the past, the powers that the ancients attributed to gods and ghosts have now been found. Scientific explanation, so many feudal superstitions in traditional culture have been removed. Today's funeral culture is very simple, but it was very complicated in the past.

The traditional funeral process:

The first death - summoning the soul

After a person dies, the relatives at home must first go to the roof or the pavement outside the house. Or the coat of the messenger is flying towards the place where the ancestors originated, which represents summoning the soul and calling him to come back quickly. In some places, a hole is poked in the roof to facilitate the soul of the deceased to come back through the hole.

Rich people even set up special levels to summon spirits. After the soul-calling is over, put a silk scarf or something like that on Shizi's mouth and nose. If there is no movement, but there is no pulse when you touch the deceased's chest, it means he is truly dead, and you can officially start the funeral.

In the past, people had to cover their faces with a piece of paper after death, which was called a covering paper. This was because the person’s face might not look good after death, and some people were more afraid. On the one hand, this was to cut off the dead To communicate with the living, it also prevents the living from being frightened. If you have a good relationship with the deceased, you will uncover the covering paper, and some people will even kiss the forehead to express their closeness to the deceased.

Entombment

In the concept of ancient people, after death, a person does not really die, but a kind of eternal life, or to live in another world (the underworld or the underworld) Heaven), so the dead usually have to bathe, wash their hair, have their hair cut, change their clothes, shave, cut their nails, etc. If the person who dies is a man, then the man will do it; if the person who dies is a woman, then the woman will do it. Of course, some of them are now Children or partners do these things. After the deceased has been cleaned and changed, the coffin can be placed. This is called encoffining.

It is said in "Book of Rites. Asking about the Mourning": Those who are buried after three days are waiting for their lives. If they are not born after three days, they will not be born, and the heart of filial piety will also be weakened. The plans for the family and the clothes and equipment have been completed. Relatives who are far away can also come. Therefore, the sage made a decision and made three days a ritual." From this, we can also see that eating light for three days is to prevent the deceased from pretending to die. In addition, it can also be seen as the children's memory of their elders and their hope for them. He could come back to life, but he really didn't come back after waiting for three days. In his heart, he already knew that the old man was really dead.

When he was buried, the clothes were specially made, such as a shroud and a hat. There is a ritual called "Fan Han". Rice means putting rice, shells, and han in the mouth of the messenger. It is also called 瀀. It means putting pearls and jade in the mouth of the dead. This is called rice han, or mouth. I remember one In a movie about Cixi, a tomb robber took out a pearl from her mouth, which probably served this purpose.

Funeral: "Shuowen" says, "Funeral" means death in a coffin, and the coffin will be moved to be buried by guests. The dead person is already a person in another world, so he should be treated with courtesy.

In traditional etiquette, relatives must first put on mourning clothes. Relatives and friends wear different mourning clothes according to their relationship with the deceased. There is a saying that "the clothes are completed in three days", "New Book of Tang Dynasty. Etiquette" "Le Yue" says: "It takes three days to complete the service, and everyone inside and outside will cry... Starting from Bin, you can choose a cemetery for the deceased at home."

During the funeral, some entertainment activities will also be held, such as inviting people to sing, play, play, and play, or inviting monks and Taoists to do the dojo. The bigger the occasion, the more respectable it is. A mourning hall should also be set up for relatives, friends and neighbors to come to express their condolences.

Some other funeral customs:

Going to the funeral usually involves relatives in other places rushing home to handle the funeral. This is an act of filial piety. This custom has been passed down from ancient times to the present. Of course, sometimes the blood relationship is not particularly good. Some distant relatives do not go home for funerals in modern social life. After all, the distance is It's too far away, and the relationship isn't very good. In addition, it's not easy to ask for leave from some workplaces, but as long as the immediate family members are there, they will usually go home for the funeral.

Condolences, also known as condolences, generally refer to the relatives, friends, neighbors, etc. of the deceased. After the person dies, the relatives at home will notify all relatives, friends, and neighbors that someone of their own has died. A relative has died, and I have the opportunity to be friends with the deceased, so I come to express condolences and express my condolences.

From the above introduction to our country’s traditional funeral culture, we can also see that the three-day burial is not only to prevent suspended animation, but also to allow close relatives at home to have time to travel from afar. When you come back for the funeral, you can see the envoy for the last time before he is placed in the coffin, which is the remains of the deceased.

From ancient times to the present, birth, old age, illness and death are unavoidable for everyone. The deceased is the most important person, and as a deceased relative, it is necessary to start to deal with the posthumous affairs. Whether in ancient times or in rural areas today, it is common for deceased people to stay in the morgue for three days, which has become a funeral tradition in our country.

So why not bury the deceased immediately instead of leaving the corpse at home for three days? Is there any scientific basis for this? In fact, many of the customs and habits passed down from ancient times are not based on feudal superstition, but are lessons learned from the summary of life. Keeping corpses at home for three days is the ancient people's experience and methods of dealing with deceased relatives.

1. The purpose of keeping corpses in morgue for three days is to prevent suspended animation

In ancient times, due to the incomplete understanding of nature and the underdeveloped medicine, it was often difficult to treat diseases in the vast countryside. You can only rely on your own experience or seek diagnosis from a doctor. The diagnosis of the patient is sometimes very biased. When a person is in a state of shock and temporarily loses vital signs, it is called suspended animation. In this way, it is easy for the doctor or relatives to think that he is dead. , people who pretend to be dead are often buried and suffocated to death.

The author once watched a TV program: Archaeological experts excavated an ancient tomb. What was very shocking was that they found that the body of the female tomb owner was connected to the placenta, and there were many clear nail scratches on the walls of the coffin. . Through reasonable analysis, archaeological experts believe that the female tomb owner was in labor and faked her death due to dystocia. The relatives of the female tomb owner believed that the woman was dead and buried the woman. But sadly, the woman woke up in the tomb and found She lay in the coffin, grabbing at the walls of the coffin in fear and wailing. Due to the woman's exertion, the placenta slipped out of her body. Her relatives outside the tomb could no longer hear the woman's wails and screams. In the end, the woman despaired. He died of suffocation in the small coffin.

People have learned from past experience that the relatives of the deceased usually leave the deceased at home for three days to prevent the deceased from being buried and suffocated in order to fake his death. At the same time, the relatives of the deceased It is also hoped that the deceased can be miraculously resurrected within three days of morgue.

2. The purpose of burying the corpse for three days is to allow enough time for relatives to pay respects to the remains.

In the eyes of ordinary people in ancient times, there were only two important things in life. It is the time of birth and the time of death. People attach great importance to the death of their relatives and hope to send them on their last journey. In ancient times, the concept of clan was very strong, and the clansmen lived scattered in various places. The relatives of the deceased sent people to report the funeral to relatives and friends one by one. After receiving the funeral report, the relatives and friends of the deceased went to the deceased's home to pay respects to the remains. It took a certain amount of time to stop the deceased. The corpse was kept at home for three days without being buried to ensure the time for the arrival of relatives and friends.

3. The purpose of burying the corpse for three days is to allow enough time to prepare for the funeral.

In ancient Chinese tradition, the deceased is considered to be the most important person. No matter whether he is rich or not, the family of the deceased will not kill him. Bury immediately, but arrange a funeral for the deceased. This is not only the dignity given to the deceased, but also a courtesy to other relatives and friends. The production of coffins, customization of mourning robes, selection and excavation of the cemetery, notification of relatives and friends of the deceased, and preparation of funeral meals all require a lot of time and energy to prepare. Three days of morgue just guarantees the time for funeral preparations.

This article is only an explanation of the funeral customs and traditions in ancient my country. It is not disrespectful. We apologize for any offence.

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There are many things to do after a person passes away, and the funeral affairs cannot be dealt with in a short time, so the mourning period will usually be suspended for 3-15 days God, there are longer ones too.

Taking our hometown as an example, it usually takes 7-15 days. If the three-day dojo is too late, there are also around 20 days.

On the day of death, paper printing, tablet writing, elegiac couplets, placing the deceased in the coffin, filial piety hall decoration, etc., if it is not a special day, then the Taoist priests will clear the way that night and then go around the coffin.

There are three halls and five halls for circling the coffin. Three halls are three days, and five halls are five days. If you choose the day for burial, the Taoist priest will first set up the altar, open the altar the next day, and bury the body on the third day. , it usually takes 7-15 days.

I heard from the old man that there is another reason why we stopped mourning for a few days, to prevent suspended animation. In the past, transportation was not developed. After the death of a loved one, if you were outside, it would take a long time to rush home. Only then could I get home to see the deceased for the last time. All in all, I had to stop for a few days.

I think on the one hand, I am afraid that the dead person will fake his death and keep the corpse for three days to observe. At the same time, I also hope that if the person fakes his death, the person can come back to life. On the other hand, it also gives the relatives and friends of the deceased a long final time, so that the relatives and friends can take a few more glances.

In fact, this is also a belief passed down by our ancestors. Everyone knows that ancient times belonged to a feudal society. At that time, people believed that people need to be "reincarnated" after death, and their souls are also for their families and relatives. Reluctant to leave, they will leave only after seven days.

Welcome to the historical treasure.

It was a cautious move by the ancients.

Because the ancients did not have a lot of common sense about modern medicine, they could not judge whether a person was really dead.

So the method of burying a corpse for three days was invented.

After all, it was difficult for the ancients to distinguish what was shock, what was temporary coma, and what was real death.

If a person is buried hastily while he is still in a coma, wouldn’t that be a big mistake?

In ancient times, there were often legends of corpse fraud.

That is to say, a person was about to be buried, but suddenly came back to life. The ancients didn't understand what happened, so they thought that the corpse had resurrected. Therefore, there is the term "hoax corpse", which actually means that the corpse has been resurrected. Without actually dying, they were treated as dead, and ended up being buried alive.

Such legends are spread in the legends of the miracle doctor Sun Simiao and others. It shouldn't be groundless.

The custom of keeping corpses in morgue for three days is to prevent this situation.