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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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