10: Rituals of Death - Part Two

In Part Two of our funeral superstitions series, we explore the eerie traditions and strange rituals people have used across history to keep the dead from rising — and protect the living from what might return.

We cover:

• Revenants in Slavic folklore and how communities fought back with stakes, decapitation, and fire

• Victorian safety coffins and the real fear of premature burial

• Superstitions about burial direction, mirrors, coins, and thresholds

• The chilling story of Rosângela Almeida dos Santos, a modern-day case in Brazil where a woman may have been buried alive

• Folklore from the Amazon, where families hold vigils and sleep beside the dead to guide the soul safely on

• The symbolism behind nails, ropes, and weights in burial rituals meant to hold spirits down

• Why some graves include broken tools, upside-down shoes, or iron keys

Sources & References:

• Neplach’s Chronicle (14th Century) – Account of Myslata of Blov, a revenant in Bohemia

• “The Fear of Premature Burial” – Jan Bondeson, 2001

• JSTOR – Ethnographic studies on Brazilian funeral customs

• Folklore Society archives – Burial superstitions and corpse-control practices in Eastern Europe

• News reports: Case of Rosângela Almeida dos Santos (Brazil, 2018)

• “Revenants and the Boundaries of Death” – Paul Barber, 1988

Smithsonian Magazine – “Victorian Era’s Obsession with Avoiding Premature Burial”

• “Sleeping with the Dead: Vigil and Transition Rituals in Amazonian Tribes” – Ethnos, 2014

Listener Tip:

Superstitions weren’t just fear-based — they were survival stories. Whether it was disease prevention or spiritual defense, many of these practices were born out of lived experiences and local lore.

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