article

The power of the dead: changes in the construction and care of graves and family vaults on a small Greek island

Journal of Mediterranean studies • 1 (1) • Published In 1991 • Pages: 101-119

By: Kenna, Margaret E..

Abstract

Kenna describes changes in ritual practices associated with death and mourning over a period of three decades in a Greek Orthodox Christian community on the island of Nisos (a pseudonym) and discusses these changes '… in the light of a particular pattern of obligations by heirs to perform funerary and other rituals for those from whom property was inherited. A number of changes in ritual practies within the community result from migration and return, and from improved communications between the island and mainland which have brought in tourists and tourist-related enterprises. A particular case, of violent and tragic death, is examined in detail and an analysis made of the construction, decoration and care of the graves of the victims by various categories of relative' (p. 101).

HRAF PubDate

2003

Region

Europe

Sub Region

Southeastern Europe

Document Type

article

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

John Beierle ; 2002

Field Date

1966-1967, 1973, 1987-1988

Coverage Date

1960s-1980s

Coverage Place

Island of Nisos (a pseudonym), Greece

Notes

Margaret E. Kenna

Includes bibliographical references (p. 118-119)

LCCN

93641917

LCSH

Greece