AW: homa and cremation

[Axel Michaels]

In Newar funery rituals, three unfired bricks serve as the hearth in which a fire of three small bamboo sticks is lit in order to pacify the deceased. Thhis is called pretaZAntihoma or in Nevari: kulehoma. For details and photos see N. Gutschow and A. Michaels, Handling Death. The Dynamics of Death and Ancestor Rituals among the Newars of Bhaktapur, Nepal. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2005, pp. 88-96.
Best,
Axel Michaels
------------------------------
Prof. Dr. Axel Michaels
Acting Director Excellence Cluster "Asia and Europe in a Global Context", Sprecher des SFB 619 ("Ritualdynamik")

Universität Heidelberg, Südasien-Institut, Im Neuenheimer Feld 330, D-69120 Heidelberg
Tel. +49-6221-548917 / Fax +49-6221-546338
http://www.asia-europe.uni-heidelberg.de/ -- www.ritualdynamik.uni-hd.de -- http://www.sai.uni-heidelberg.de/abt/IND/index.html
Emails: sek-michaels at uni-heidelberg.de (SAI office) -- Axel.Michaels at urz.uni-heidelberg.de (official and personal) -- michaels at asia-europe.uni-heidelberg.de (Cluster mail)




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Von: "mkapstei at UCHICAGO.EDU" <mkapstei at UCHICAGO.EDU>
An: INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk
Gesendet: Mittwoch, den 28. April 2010, 9:34:18 Uhr
Betreff: homa and cremation

While Brahmanical funerary rituals in some
contexts stipulate the performance of homa
in connection with final rites, does it occur that
the cremation itself comes to be considered as
a homa? This does occur in some Tibetan rituals
that I am working on, and I wish to ascertain whether
or not this was a novel innovation, or if there was
in fact a basis for this development in earlier
Indian tradition.

with thanks for your responses,

Matthew T. Kapstein
Numata Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies
The University of Chicago Divinity School

Directeur d'études
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris