Death and Exequies in the Sangam and Post-Sangam Tamil Tradition: Social Norms, Beliefs and Practice

Cultural history is a study of beliefs and ideas in a given time and space. It is important for a cultural historian to determine within that time and space whose voice they are listening to. Generalising values and ideas of a society without paying attention to the social and cultural nuances of each social group within it brings out erroneous values. Study of past societies in their context without passing judgement is imperative to the critical analysis of the cultural history of any specific society. Death and the rituals associated with death, the beliefs, and desires of a society on how they wished to die, bereavement and the social norms expected of the persons who had undergone a sense of loss and the stories of liminality of those who anticipate death brings out the cultural identity of a society.