THE FUNERARY SONG THREE SISTERS GATHERING FLOWERS

• Main Author: Loredana-Maria ILIN-GROZOIU
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institutul de Cercetări Socio-Umane „C.S. Nicolăescu-Plopșor” 2016-10-01
• Series: Anuarul Institutului de Cercetări Socio-Umane „C.S. Nicolăescu-Plopşor”
• Subjects: three sisters; sleeping; gathering flowers; This World
• Online Access: http://npissh.ro/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Loredana-Maria-ILIN-GROZOIU.pdf

Since ancient times, in all the civilisations, the antagonistic duality fear versus fascination, which refers to the aspect of the Other-Side World, has induced and maintained numerous funerary rites and rituals in the collective mentality. The fear of death was defeated by the belief in the continuation of life beyond death. In the funerary song Three sisters gathering flowers that accompanies the funerary rites, the passing towards the Other World is presented as a wandering (or falling asleep) while gathering flowers. By analysing the significations of the symbols that are found in this song, we intended to bring back to life the image of the cosmic sacredness, characteristic to the Romanian peasant.