You must have seen that make-up is applied to deceased people in the movies or TV series you watch. While these scenes may seem a bit chilling to us, the deceased in many faiths continue to prepare for burial in an open coffin.
As you know, recently Queen II. Elizabeth passed away. According to the traditions in the United Kingdom, the body of the deceased king or queen is taken to many regions and circulated for days. So how is it that funerals don’t smell and look beautiful during long-running ceremonies?
It’s a profession and even an art.
People who apply make-up to the deceased and prepare them for funerals are referred to as ‘morgue make-up artists’ or mortician. We often see this being done, especially in TV series and movies shot in the USA. Some of the methods in this application called ‘funeral make-up’ are quite surprising.
Moreover, artists do not wear ordinary make-up, and in fact, it is much more difficult than putting make-up on a living person. They don’t just apply blush or lipstick on the faces of the deceased. So what are they doing?
Let’s start with how they ensure that dead bodies do not stink and do not rot.
After we die, our body starts to throw out the liquids and gases that remain inside. In these funeral procedures, which are held with an open coffin, these liquids and gases are primarily focused on. The mouth, nose, anus and (if female) vagina of the deceased are covered with various tools. Then, the step that we can call a kind of mummification process is started.
But, of course, we are not talking about a process such as the mummification of Egyptian pharaohs. All the blood in the body is withdrawn and a chemical liquid is injected in its place. The blended liquid, known as embalming or embalming liquid, helps the skin look firmer and smoother. The most commonly used substance in these liquids is formaldehyde. However, in order to apply this method, also known as embalming, it should be noted that artists in many countries must have an extra document.
Let’s get to the makeup part…
The face in the image does not belong to a real person.
Sometimes there may be various burns or wounds on the bodies of the deceased. Make-up artists first prepare the skin for make-up by closing these small wounds. While doing this, we can see that some artists resort to interesting materials such as toilet paper and denture adhesive. When faced with yellowing and bruises that cannot be covered with make-up, the skin color can be neutralized with the help of various liquid injections.
In the make-up applied to the skin, brighter materials are used to show ‘live’. Concealers such as foundation are usually applied with the help of a spray brush. The reason for this is that the skin is very tight due to the injected liquids and the materials applied by spraying look more natural to the skin appearance. On the lips, on the other hand, materials such as wax can be applied when necessary so that the collapse experienced after death is not visible.
Of course, that’s not all.
In many funerals, a flower or other object can be placed in the hands of the deceased and photographed. For this reason, make-up artists do a little maintenance on their hands and feet by doing manicures and pedicures.
If an autopsy has been performed on the person, traces of this procedure may remain on the skull. Wigs can be used for this from time to time.
So, which beliefs have funeral ceremonies held with an open coffin?
As many of you may have guessed, holding a funeral with an open coffin and putting make-up on the deceased is generally seen in Christianity. The most common regions are the USA and Canada. A similar practice is also present in Japanese culture. However, these applications are completely optional, so there is no obligation.
Islam, which is the common belief of our country, strictly forbids such funeral ceremonies. We do not see funeral ceremonies held with open coffins in beliefs such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism where the dead are cremated. Although Orthodox Jews strictly prohibit this, we can say that it is not really necessary in funeral ceremonies where the dead are cremated.
II. Elizabeth’s body has been in a closed coffin for days.
Of course, it is not difficult to guess that the embalming method was also used to prevent the queen’s funeral from spoiling. Because people who have died in the royal family for generations have been embalmed to keep their bodies intact.
II. At Elizabeth’s funeral, the situation is a little different. Because the coffin Elizabeth is in is a wooden coffin, completely covered with lead. In this way, the queen’s body does not receive air in any way, and therefore its decay is slowed down. II. Elizabeth’s body will be able to remain intact for about 1 more year with all these processes.
Although the deceased is remembered fondly for the last time by his relatives, we think such funeral rites are quite creepy. So what do you think about this? Do you think it’s scary or a good thing?
Sources: Ranker 1, Ranker 2, Vox, Refinery29, OregonFuneral, Express
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