That Cloudy Place Where Stars Are Born: How the K’Iche’ Maya Construct Meaning From Death Rituals

Abstract

Death and the related beliefs and customs associated with death have become removed from the daily lives of many modern societies. Today, people die in hospitals, their bodies prepared for cremation or burial by paid professionals, leaving those close to the deceased physically and emotionally separated from family and community. This disconnection among certain members of society has, in part, led to a growing fear and anxiety around death. Humanity must seek better approaches to coping with this. One such approach is to understand and appreciate how Indigenous peoples reckon with death. This research seeks to document Indigenous beliefs, rituals, and customs related to death as practiced by some K’iche’ Mayan communities near Quetzaltenango (Xela), Guatemala, with a particular focus on examining syncretic practices that bring meaning to those at the time of bereavement. The study adopted an ethnographic qualitative approach based on fieldwork in Guatemala, including participant observation, interviews with Aj Q’ijab’, and secondary materials. The findings are examined from a decolonial perspective, acknowledging the influences of the Spanish invaders and the Catholic Church. Based on the findings, K’iche’ funerary practices vary widely but have common elements that provide comfort, care, and, crucially, meaning to both the deceased and the bereaved. Based on this research, further examination of Indigenous funerary practices will provide a source of valuable information that can contribute to a counternarrative to the idea that death rituals are better off left to the modern funeral industry.

First Advisor

Diana Fox

Date of Award

1-1-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

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