Deck 3: Perspectives on Death: Historical and Cultural

Question 1

A charnel house was a

A)public gathering place for grieving wives.
B)private location for immediate family to pray.
C)private tomb sealed to prevent escape of spirits.
D)gallery for bones entrusted to the church.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Humanity received its name from the Latin root word humare,which means to

A)stand upright.
B)bury.
C)think.
D)socialize.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In many traditional societies communication with the dead is facilitated by a

A)medicine man.
B)soothsayer.
C)shaman.
D)necroman.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

According to historian Philippe Ariès,during the period of "tamed death," death was viewed as

A)an ordinary human experience.
B)something to be hidden from view.
C)an experience to be excluded from social life.
D)important to occur quietly in a hospital setting.

Question 5

Human concern for the dead

A)is a social and funeral industry phenomenon.
B)predates written history.
C)began during the Lower Paleolithic period.
D)was first recognized by Luba of Africa.

Question 6

What can be defined as "all that in human society which is socially rather than biologically transmitted"?

A)Social structure
B)Symbolic interactionism
C)Institutional systems
D)Culture

Question 7

The structure containing the bones and skulls of the dead and typically found within or near a church is called a

A)charnel house.
B)bone house.
C)cemetery.
D)sanctuary.

Question 8

Until the nineteenth century,the customary deathbed scene

A)excluded children.
B)was solitary and quiet.
C)was raucous and noisy.
D)included family.

Question 9

What is the fallacy of making judgments about others in terms of one's own cultural assumptions and ideas?

A)Social mishaps
B)Antiestablishment
C)Denial
D)Ethnocentrism

Question 10

According to Kellehear's description and social history of dying,the meaning of death

A)remains stable amongst western cultures.
B)is lucky for the community and unlucky for the individual.
C)has changed over time.
D)is unknown and misunderstood as a collective fate.

Question 11

What phrase best defines how death is a mirror in which a dying person could discover his/her destiny by taking a moral balance sheet of his/her life?

A)Memento mori
B)Speculum mortis
C)Muerto nuevo
D)Secular plan

Question 12

Which was a turning point in the "medicalization" of death and dying?

A)The Challenger disaster
B)WWI
C)WWII
D)The speculum mortis

Question 13

Referring to a deceased individual as "that one" is an example of

A)medieval tradition.
B)name avoidance.
C)necromancy.
D)ultimate respect in primitive cultures.

Question 14

In traditional societies,whether grief is expressed by loud wails or quiet tears,there is a common tendency to

A)shun the dead.
B)never speak about the deceased.
C)avoid prescribed funeral rites.
D)have a deep respect for the soul of the dead.

Question 15

The rural cemetery movement began in the United States

A)in the 1830s.
B)in the early 1900s.
C)during the Spanish American War.
D)during the Civil War.

Question 16

The Dance of Death

A)is a recent artistic expression of loss.
B)reflects ideas about the inevitability of death.
C)conveys the notion that death comes to evil persons.
D)excludes any erotic connotation.

Question 17

A death mask was created

A)as a prop in the Danse Macabre.
B)to provide a memento for bereaved survivors.
C)as a teaching tool for early morticians.
D)to distance grievers from the message of death.

Question 18

Around the twelfth century,simple grave markers began to appear as did elaborate effigies.This was as part of increasing emphasis on

A)humanitarianism.
B)secularism.
C)individualism.
D)spiritualism.

Question 19

When did burials begin to take place in cemeteries not associated with churches?

A)About the twelfth century
B)After the Civil War
C)About the time of the Renaissance
D)After the Great Plague

Question 20

The danse macabre was originally a reaction to fear of death caused by an epidemic of

A)tuberculosis.
B)cholera.
C)plague.
D)leprosy.

Question 21

In traditional Hindu households,death is ________

A)a communal affair.
B)not discussed openly and last rites are not generally given.
C)acknowledged and the females prepare all bodies for burial.
D)sacred and the dead are cremated after a weeklong funeral ritual.

Question 22

Which of the following Native American practices serves the purpose of separating the dead from the living?

A)Ohlone avoidance of deceased's name
B)Nez Percé respect for ancestral dead
C)Cocopa "Dance of the Gods" to seek a good afterlife
D)Sioux battle cry,"It's a good day to die!"

Question 23

In general,Native Americans view death as

A)a normal part of the life cycle.
B)the first step to the Island of the Dead.
C)something that terminates one's existence.
D)a time to say a final goodbye,as the dead are powerless.

Question 24

Chinese mourning garments have a symbolic purpose similar to

A)Ohlone funeral pyre beads.
B)Geisha face painting.
C)Hopi mourning booties.
D)LoDagaa mourning restraints.

Question 25

Which of the following activities are associated with the Cocopa process of dealing with death and dying?

A)Burning clothes,food,and other articles with the body of the deceased
B)Grieving silently to help the deceased pass peacefully to the afterlife
C)Performing rituals to keep death at a distance because it is considered unwelcome
D)Welcoming spirits back into the earthly realm to serve as guardians

Question 26

In Japanese ancestral rites,where are the ashes of family members interred?

A)Ch'ing ming
B)In the ocean
C)In a spirit tablet
D)In the haka

Question 27

In Celtic traditions,what is the term for the breach in time when supernatural communication with gods as well as the dead could take place?

A)Valhalla
B)Samhain
C)Novembris
D)Druidism

Question 28

One aspect of an "invisible death" is that death is

A)less part of common experience.
B)more devoted to elaborate mourning customs.
C)managed in ways inappropriate for common culture.
D)dominated by efforts to control the timing of death.

Question 29

In Japanese funeral rituals,all of the following rites are held EXCEPT the

A)family invites Buddhist priests to the home and prayers are said.
B)belongings of the deceased are buried with the body.
C)body is cremated and the ashes are placed in an urn.
D)deceased receives a special "Buddhist name."

Question 30

As part of Día de los Muertos,families go to the panteon to ________

A)grieve in private.
B)cleanse themselves to prepare for a welcoming ritual.
C)prepare for the return of their dead.
D)pray to the Virgin de Guadelupe.

Question 31

All of the following are aspects of LoDagaa funeral customs EXCEPT

A)funeral ceremonies can last six months to several years.
B)there are five distinct,successive phases.
C)one purpose of the ceremonies is to separate the dead from the bereaved family and from the community.
D)the rainy season plays a role.

Question 32

The ofrenda,found in Mexican culture,can be likened to the

A)Vietnamese thiêng.
B)Japanese butsudan.
C)Chinese fêng-shui.
D)Hawaiian 'aina.

Question 33

Día de los Muertos is

A)an occasion for remembering the dead.
B)an all-day celebration honoring fallen soldiers.
C)a solemn community ritual.
D)an event celebrated on January 1.

Question 34

In Celtic societies,the intermediary between the world of humankind and the domain of the supernatural was a

A)Valhalla.
B)haka.
C)druid.
D)Valkyrie.

Question 35

Día de los Muertos,the Mexican Day of the Dead,blends Catholic,Spanish,and Indian rituals.This celebration exemplifies an attitude toward death that

A)perceives death as the final chapter of a person's existence.
B)perceives death as an incomprehensible phenomenon.
C)views death in an open,humorous,ironic manner.
D)views death as the ultimate test.

Question 36

What term is best used to describe African customs such as prayer,sacrifice or libation,and other acts of respect shown to deceased members of the community?

A)Spirit worship
B)Elder reverence
C)Community continuance
D)Ancestor worship

Question 37

LoDagaa use of "mourning restraints"

A)prevents mourners from engaging in acts of suicidal behavior.
B)indicates degree of relationship of the bereaved to the deceased.
C)holds the family together during the funeral.
D)are placed on funeral markers after a designated period.

Question 38

Death songs of Native Americans are

A)used in rituals to worship ancestors.
B)sung in an effort to bargain with the gods in order to avoid death.
C)a summary of a person's life.
D)a transitional tool used to integrate the dead into the community in their new role.

Question 39

In Japanese homes,an altar for honoring deceased relatives and ancestors is called a

A)haka.
B)sosen.
C)kaimyo.
D)butsudan.

Question 40

The traditional African attitude towards death is essentially

A)positive because the afterworld is a paradise.
B)positive because it is part of the totality of life.
C)negative because the separation of the soul of the body leads to permanent separation from family members.
D)negative because death is an evil force and engenders fear.

Question 41

Nomadic hunting and gathering tribes,such as the Sioux and Apache,generally express more fear of the dead than do sedentary tribes,such as the Pueblo and Navajo.

Question 42

Historically,the Celts practiced burial and cremation.

Question 43

In the early Middles Ages,it was a disadvantage to be buried near the grave of a martyr because it was considered shameful.

Question 44

Both Cocopa and Hopi strive to keep death at a distance.

Question 45

In many cultures worldwide,the final place to spread ashes and worldly goods of the deceased is called the "Island of the Dead."

Question 46

Kaddish,the Jewish mourner's prayer,is said in absolute privacy within seven days of the death.

Question 47

Which of the following are common in the practice of the traditional form of recuerdo?
1)Tells the story of a person's life in a heroic manner
2)Is presented as a written narrative or ballad
3)Funeral is referred to as a "home-going" or "adios" ceremony honoring the spirit of the deceased
4)Gathering at the gravesite to bid godspeed to the deceased

A)1 and 2
B)3 and 4
C)1 and 3
D)2 and 4

Question 48

The Lakota battle cry "It is a good day to die" expresses the belief that one lives with purpose,grateful for life's blessings,with awareness it could all end abruptly.

Question 49

Mexican culture exhibits few symbols of death.

Question 50

The ofrenda is the gathering place where friends meet following a Mexican funeral.

Question 51

For the Japanese,it is quite ordinary to talk to their dead ancestors.

Question 52

Anatomy dissections historically have been an activity attended only by surgeons and medical students.

Question 53

Currently,across the United States,there are fewer than 500 federally recognized Native American nations,few of which share a common set of values,beliefs,and traditions.

Question 54

Obituaries are used only in American and European societies.

Question 55

Hopi funeral rituals are attended by few people and held privately.

Question 56

In Nordic and Celtic traditions,what is the place of heavenly honor and glory called where fallen heroes are welcomed?

A)Valkyries
B)Valhalla
C)Otherworld
D)Uilleann

Question 57

In funerals within the Hawaiian culture,children were traditionally

A)absent.
B)present but forbidden to speak.
C)an important part of the family gathering.
D)allowed to observe but kept away from the funeral procession.

Question 58

The LoDagaa hold a ceremony for redistributing the dead person's property.

Question 59

The tomb of a Celtic chieftain contained enough bronze dishes and drinking horns to accommodate nine people,a number considered ideal for a drinking party.

Question 60

Charnel houses were not opened for fear of spirits escaping.

Question 61

Islam calls for the burial of the deceased as soon as possible.

Question 62

Hawaiian identity is spoken of in terms of connectedness to lands,language,and family.

Question 63

Mourning rituals are intended not to help cope with one's own mortality,but rather to cope with the deaths of others.

Question 64

Uilleann pipes are included in funeral processions held for firefighters killed in the line of duty.