The death wail is a keening, mourning lament, generally performed in ritual fashion soon after the death of a member of a family or tribe. Examples of death wails have been found in numerous societies, including among the Celts and various indigenous peoples of Asia and Africa, and is associated with Indigenous Australian peoples. This article focuses on the death wail among Indigenous Australians.
Read more about Death Wail: Early Accounts, Modern Account, Death Wail in Literature, Recording
Famous quotes containing the words death and/or wail:
“At noon, you walk across a river. It is dry, with not this much water: it is just stones and pebbles. But it rains cats and dogs in the mountains, and towards afternoon, the water descends wildly and she ravages all in its path, the madwoman. That is how death comes. Without our expecting it, and we cannot do a thing against it, brothers.”
—Jacques Roumain (1907–1945)
“Wise men ne’er sit and wail their woes,
But presently prevent the ways to wail.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)