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Corpse reflection

  • 13-08-2012 7:22pm
    #1
    Neeson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,909 ✭✭✭


    What's the story with covering mirrors with a corpse in the room? Usually seen at wakes. Why?


Comments

  • #2
    artanevilla
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 10,795 Mod ✭✭✭✭artanevilla


    He's not supposed to see his own reflection! He doesn't know he's a priest!


  • #3
    The Big Red Button
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,390 ✭✭✭The Big Red Button


    Neeson wrote: »
    What's the story with covering mirrors with a corpse in the room? Usually seen at wakes. Why?

    Was I the only one who read this as "covering mirrors with a corpse", and was completely horrified? :o


  • #4
    Super-Rush
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,473 ✭✭✭✭Super-Rush


    Nobody wants to see themselves in that state.


  • #5
    Sir Digby Chicken Caesar
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23,556 ✭✭✭✭Sir Digby Chicken Caesar


    there's probably some mystical/spiritual bull**** too but i'd imagine a lot of it is people just dont want to see the state of themselves when they're busy bawling away all day over the loss of a loved one


  • #6
    Casillas
    Registered Users Posts: 317 ✭✭Casillas


    Neeson wrote: »
    What's the story with covering mirrors with a corpse in the room? Usually seen at wakes. Why?

    Stopping clocks and covering mirrors is a way to prevent the soul getting trapped and the house becoming haunted.

    Was an old superstition way back, not seen much anymore outside a handful of rural localities.

    edit; oh yeah, opening a window to let the soul escape is a must too.


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  • #7
    Fuinseog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,371 ✭✭✭Fuinseog


    Neeson wrote: »
    What's the story with covering mirrors with a corpse in the room? Usually seen at wakes. Why?

    nor sure what you mean, but if you put a small mirror up to the nose you can see if the body or corpse is still breathing.

    I remember if someone died on the road when I was young we were forbidden to play football or make any kind of noise.
    it used to be the norm to close businesses and draw the curtains along the funeral route.


  • #8
    1ZRed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,293 ✭✭✭1ZRed


    chatterpillar wrote: »
    Was I the only one who read this as "covering mirrors with a corpse", and was completely horrified? :o

    No, I read it as covering corpses with mirrors. I was a bit confused.


  • #9
    PseudoFamous
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,514 ✭✭✭PseudoFamous


    Some people remove all photos from the room as well, it's a bit nuts


  • #10
    Where To
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,455 ✭✭✭Where To


    Embalming fluid is very corrosive to glass. You should also go out the same door you came in at a wake or Big Tom will start. . .



  • #11
    Chorcai
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,283 ✭✭✭Chorcai


    PseudoFamous wrote: »
    Some people remove all photos from the room as well, it's a bit nuts

    Both of my Grandmother and Grandfather were waked at home, we removed all the pictures from the walls like paintings and photos. There was no superstition about us doing it other than we didnt want to have any distractions if you get what I mean.


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  • #12
    Fuinseog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,371 ✭✭✭Fuinseog


    PseudoFamous wrote: »
    Some people remove all photos from the room as well, it's a bit nuts

    each to their own.


  • #13
    Archeron
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,334 ✭✭✭Archeron


    Great name for a band.


  • #14
    1ZRed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,293 ✭✭✭1ZRed


    Where To wrote: »
    Embalming fluid is very corrosive to glass. You should also go out the same door you came in at a wake or Big Tom will start. . .


    Wtf do you find these things? :D


  • #15
    Where To
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,455 ✭✭✭Where To


    1ZRed wrote: »
    Wtf do you find these things? :D
    Googletube mostly.


  • #16
    cantdecide
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,465 ✭✭✭✭cantdecide


    ...and after the funeral, you're meant to take an unusual route home in case their spirit would try to return home too.


  • #17
    sam34
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,073 ✭✭✭sam34


    Neeson wrote: »
    What's the story with covering mirrors with a corpse in the room? Usually seen at wakes. Why?


    my grandmother always said it was because funerals/wakes weren't times for vanity.


  • #18
    Neeson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,909 ✭✭✭Neeson


    sam34 wrote: »
    my grandmother always said it was because funerals/wakes weren't times for vanity.

    Yeah, but sure then you'd have to cover all mirrors in the house. What about other reflective surfaces such as a tv.


  • #19
    fullstop
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,500 ✭✭✭✭fullstop


    Neeson wrote: »
    Yeah, but sure then you'd have to cover all mirrors in the house. What about other reflective surfaces such as a tv.

    We didn't have televisions back in my day.


  • #20
    sam34
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,073 ✭✭✭sam34


    Neeson wrote: »
    Yeah, but sure then you'd have to cover all mirrors in the house. What about other reflective surfaces such as a tv.

    we did cover all the mirrors in the house when my grandfather died. and she (grandmother) wouldn't allow us watch tv or listen to the radio til after he was buried. (this was back before we had computers but I'm sure they'd have been banned too if we had them).

    and my grandfather's body wasn't in the house with us, but she still insisted on those actions.


  • #21
    Red Hand
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,986 ✭✭✭Red Hand


    From the thread title, I had an image of a corpse assuming this position:

    http://www.starlight-tower.com/images/starlight_tower/The_Thinker_Rodin-2.jpg


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  • #22
    Mech1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,116 ✭✭✭Mech1


    At my nephews funeral about 2 years ago we found that after the funeral director had left the coffin opened, my nephews corpse could be seen by kids halfway up the stairs!!

    Total fluke as to where the mirrors in the house where, we removed the mirror in the room where he was laid out to solve.

    Maybe thats the reason?


  • #23
    Morag
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,427 ✭✭✭Morag


    Neeson wrote: »
    What's the story with covering mirrors with a corpse in the room? Usually seen at wakes. Why?

    A few reasons and yes they may be seen as superstitious mumbo jumbo.

    1) So that the soul which may be still there near the body and not departed doesn't get trapped in the mirror,

    2)So the recently departed doesn't see that they are dead and become enraged/confused and end up haunting the house and not move on.

    3) that is the soul has departed spirits/demons/entities don't use the mirrors as portals to this plane of existence and try and possess the body.

    This sort of stuff was why the term 'Irish' Catholics gets used, a veneer of christianity was put on what people believed and many of the old superstitions just never died out.


  • #24
    naysayer
    Registered Users Posts: 46 ✭naysayer


    As far as I know, it's so the bereaved don't have to be concerned about their appearance at such a difficult time.


  • #25
    Neeson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,909 ✭✭✭Neeson


    naysayer wrote: »
    As far as I know, it's so the bereaved don't have to be concerned about their appearance at such a difficult time.

    Surely people couldn't care less how they look when someone dies. They're not meant to be looking great and are usually not in the best form of their lives.


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