Funeral games

For other uses, see Funeral games (disambiguation).

Funeral games are athletic competitions held in honor of a recently deceased person.[1] The celebration of funeral games was common to a number of ancient civilizations. Athletics and games such as wrestling are depicted on Sumerian statues dating from approximately 2600 BC,[1] and funeral games are depicted in early Greek vases, such as the Francois vase at Florence and the Amphiaraus vase in Berlin.[2] In some accounts, funeral games were not merely held to honor the deceased, but in order to propitiate the spirits of those who had died.[3]

  1. ^ a b David Chiu (1 August 2004). Wrestling: Rules, Tips, Strategy, and Safety. The Rosen Publishing Group. pp. 5–. ISBN 978-1-4042-0187-3. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  2. ^ Gardiner, E. Norman (2002). Athletics In The Ancient World. United Kingdom: Dover Publications. p. 20. ISBN 0-486-42486-3.
  3. ^ Poliakoff, Michael B. (1987). Combat Sports In The Ancient World. Bethany, Connecticut: Yale University Press. pp. 151–157. ISBN 978-0-300-06312-7.