The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

In many olden societies the practice of 'Sineating' was prevalent. This, of course, is where a feast of food is placed on and around a dead body and then consumed by the 'Sineater'! I'm wondering if our present day tradition of eating a large meal at a Wake is possibly an offshoot of that?

I don't know. I've heard of ancient cultures actually consuming the dead ( you are what you eat, as well as who I guess ).

Though I would think that we eat at wakes because we celebrate life.

The only other thing that comes to mind with Sineating is the Aztec goddess Tlazlteotl~ she is the eater of sins.

How would they eat sins by eating food though? What else do you know of it?

i think you on to something there about the wake thing becuase when we had my sisters funeral and wake we served her favorite foods

I'm honestly not sure... What is served at wakes varies from church to church: some churches choose what is served at wakes, while in other churches the food is chosen by the family of the deceased. I was told that the purpose of serving food after a wake is multifold: it's to celebrate the life of the deceased, to bring family and friends together to heal in their sorrow, and actually helps encourage the mourners to eat. (I know I didn't eat much at all the first several days after my brother died, and the little I did eat was because I was told I had to...)

very thought out question..

I am thinking that at a wake were supose to be celebrating the deceased life and the food is to represent?? Life..??

Would think a sin eating ceremony different than, say, an Irish wake. In a wake, you are celebrating the deceased's life, and lots of food is just part of it.

But the eating of the deceased's sins is an old custom, but not sure if done any more.

I found this at google.com

Sin Eaters are a historical phenomenon, where people would symbolically ingest the sins of others, particularly the dead and dying so they could venture forth to the afterlife with their souls unburdened.

sin eating and wakes are very different. as told by others. Wakes are usually festive, with food simply being an accessory. with sin eating form is a sacred tool.

I do not think the sin eating and serving food at wakes have much in common. I think the whole feast after the wake came about because a lot of people find comfort in food.

I seem to remember hearing somewhere that the role of the sin eater was to be a reviled member of a community who's sole purpose was to eat the first morsel of food at a wake, thus purging the deceased soul of sins and allowing the family and friends to then celebrate the life.

Maybe celebrating a sinful life was in itself seen as sinful?

well that is definitely a new perspective on the wake. i have heard of the sineating but never thought about it much, so perhaps the connection is that it has evolved from placing the food around the body and left for the sin eater to being at another place and shared by everyone.

I also don't think they have much in common....I have been to a few wakes and they have been more of a liquid diet...

I thinks it's just a get together to celebrate that persons life..
In my religion we call it a 'shivah' and the food has become more important that the religious significance...lol

Of all the wakes I have been to...there were no trays of food sitting around...nor were there anyone happy.In my family and where I live..when we have a wake...it is to talk about the persons life and family members to be together...no one had food to eat or partied.As for a Sin Eater..they are myths...much like alot of things mentioned on here.

its very possible that that is what is happening.i mean in these days eating food around or on a dead body is very unsanitary.

i dont believe that they are the same the ritual of sin eating is performed by a trained individual and a wake everyone is eating drinking a remembering two different events

its not really the same thing..

as stated many times here Wakes are to get the family, friend and other party's who cared to gether to talk and celebrate the lfe of the one who has passed.. Food happens to be there to feed the masses and help poeple be social.

the Later is more of an offering...

Never heard of this before, but i know at several wakes I have attended there has been a feast on honor of the deceased

Excellent anology. I had heard of sin eating before. Yes I believe it is plausible to relate the practice of sin eating to have a wake and eating for a recently deceased person.

In teh older customs this may be the way they honored the dead. And it has came about to be what we see as a repast now

There was a movie about "Sineating" made a few years ago. I can't remember who was in it or the title but I remember watching it. I will have to check up on that ..but I dont think eating a meal after a funeral is a spin-off of Sineating, I think it is more comforting for family to gather around together and celebrate the living.

It could be possible . I know of one clture tht rub the ashes of the dead on themselves

Isn't it interesting how all cultures have similarities? I think it's possible that the sin-eating could be linked to food at todays wakes. It's also a simple show of hospitality.

Watch the movie "The Order" it IS a Holleywood version, but it gives a good explanation..

watch kept over a dead body, usually during the night preceding burial. Ancient peoples in various parts of the world observed the custom. As an ancient ritual, it was rooted in a concern that no person should be buried alive. After it was adopted by Christians and as it is practiced today, the wake serves the primary purpose of allowing friends and relatives of the deceased an opportunity to adjust collectively to the changed conditions. Typically there are traditional songs and laments. Prayers for the deceased and eating and drinking by the assembled mourners are features of the wake. Wakes may vary from part of one night to three nights in length. Wake

Hers is a link to Funeral Customs

I don't believe the two have any connection, sineating is a sacred ritual whereas the food at a wake is just something to appease the crowd, for a lack of better words.

watch the movie the order with heath ledger did you? Church historians from that Vatican deny its very being.

I've never heard tell of Sineating, but I would like to think that eating at a Wake is not a spin off of such a thing.

Never really thought about it but it is a very good question...I tend to agree with Janelliejuice in that the food at a wake may represent life. But that is just my opinion.

I'm not sure about a connection. Food is a staple for any sort of gathering...whether it be sad or joyous. Eating is one thing we all have in common. It provides the opportunity to hang out and reminisce and what not.

As far as some cannibalistic rituals, didn't they often believe they were taking in some aspect of the dead they were consuming? That would be a completely different thing from eating at a wake, wouldn't you think?

Interesting...

Sounds like there might be a connection