Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

Lament for the dead

lament_for_the_dead

A motif of the Lament, Mourning, and Tragic Recognition family. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

2 occurrences

2 traditions

chaco amerindian (1) · greek (1)


chaco amerindian

  • An Unknown People in an Unknown Land: An Account of the Life and Customs of the Lengua Indians of the Paraguayan Chaco APPENDIX I / APPENDIX I / APPENDIX I / PART I.; lines 12641-12658 confidence: medium

    The wildest night sound is the voice of human inhabitants chanting “a war-song,” “a wild lament for their dead,” or “a night-long incantation, to drive away the evil spirits from their sick ones.”

    The passage states that a wild lament for the dead may be chanted at night.

    read in the book

greek

  • The Iliad THE REDEMPTION OF THE BODY OF HECTOR. / CONCLUDING NOTE. / A. POPE / END OF THE ILIAD; lines 25618-25679 confidence: high

    A note states that Astyanax was thrown from a tower by stern Ulysses when Troy was taken, and Andromache bewailed her infant son.

    Andromache bewails Astyanax, and Helen laments Hector.

    read in the book