Behind the bearers, the dark mourning wearers…. The funeral parade as a symbol of regeneration

1. Behind the bearers, the dark mourning wearers….The funeral parade as a symbol of regeneration Judith Simpson School of Design, University of Leeds

2. The argument…. • The funeral procession depicts the perfect individual and the ideal society and through the theatrical presentation of visual symbols turns the deceased into a totem of these societal values. • Bonding around such totems brings communion, transcendence and hope to the bereaved group • Funeral organisers do not “plan” this effect, it happens because of the social dynamics within a bereaved community and the way in which symbols are interpreted.

3. Funeral as theatre: how does it work? Not by transferring an idea from one man’s head to another via action!

4. Funeral as theatre: how does it work? Organisers of funerals want to • Honour the dead • Enhance family reputation • Pass roles and titles to the next generation • Elicit prayers for the dead • Appease the dead • Make the death “good” • Impress, console and satisfy the living • Generate repeat business Observers of funerals are • Experiencing liminality as they move from one role to another • Predisposed to bond • Hungry for meaning • Open to the experience of transcendence Organisers use symbols for these reasons….. Observers read symbols for these reasons…..

5. The sensitisation of the audience • The result is an emotional and disorientated audience hungry for meaning. Meaning, when discerned is experienced as a sense of transcendence.

6. Reading symbols (according to Barthes) I understand that completely: any member of my culture would.. First order signification Signifier + signified What’s that? It makes me think of x, and the time when y happened! My goodness! Why didn’t I realise that before?It’s a revelation! Second order signification (Signifier + signified)  concept Second order signification evokes personal meanings, memories and activates cultural myths….

7. What do funerals signify?

8. Turning the deceased into a totem These processes come together to inscribe shared cultural beliefs on the person of the deceased - making him a totem around whom the bereaved group can unite

9. Funerals of 17th century nobility These illustrations show the funeral of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, in 1601 (left), and Queen Elizabeth I in 1603 (below). • Funerals organised by the College of Heralds featured: • A hierarchical parade • Elaborate hearse and pall • Indicators of lineage and personality • Mourning wear • All potentially “second order” signs.

10. 19th/20th century working class funerals The top parade is from 1860, the lower two from around 1905. Bottom left is for a miner, bottom right for a railway worker (note the railway carriage in the procession)

11. Twenty-first century processions Top left, Margaret Thatcher’s funeral; top right, Jade Goody; left Angel Pitts, a toddler killed in a traffic accident.

12. The endangered procession?

13. Alternative 1: Grave decoration The decorated grave can take the role of hearse and parade in symbolising the “special” nature of the deceased and displaying aspects of their personality and relationships….. it also has the advantage of being a semi-permanent display.

14. Alternative 2: Spontaneous memorials Spontaneous memorials can take over some of the functions of the funeral parade by facilitating the translation of the deceased into a totem of shared values. These have the advantage of being participatory sites…

15. In conclusion • Funeral parades used to enable communities to rebond around shared values and to translate the deceased into a symbol of these values • Funeral parades are becoming rarer for a variety of reasons • New opportunities to celebrate shared values and create totems are being found in grave dressing and memorial building. • All these forms use visual symbols to evoke emotion, memory and activate cultural myth.