Heaven and Hell : And Other Worlds of the Dead

What goods did our ancestors give the dead to make for a better afterlife? What were the beliefs and traditions behind cannibalism, mummification, cremation and the Viking burials? Heaven and Hell looks at mankind's almost universal belief in immortality, the existence the dead are supposed to take on, and the practices of mediators like shamans or priests. From Hindu and Sikh cremation, to scaffold and tree burials, to spirit guide dogs, to Whithorn bishops's graves, to Jewish and Muslim burial clothes, to Kwakiutl thunderbird masks, to Tibetan Buddhist temple paintings -- this is a journey through unknown time and cultures. Forty-nine contributors are specialists in archaeology, anthropology, social history, religion and the arts. (National Museums of Scotland)