Andrea Mantegna paintings

Andrea Mantegna paintings
Arthur Hughes paintings
Albert Bierstadt paintings
appeared to be pure, uncontrolled rage. The dead man's granddaughter yelled over and over, "How could you do this to me? How could you go and die? You didn't really love me! I'll never forgive you!" Other relatives and descendants ranted at the dead man for not caring that they loved him, for abandoning them, running away when they needed him, living so long and then dying after all. Many of these accusations and upbraidings were clearly ritual and traditional, but they were delivered with unmistakable anger. People wept, tore off their belts and ornaments and hurled them cursing into the fire, tore at the hair of their head and arms, rubbed dirt and soot on their faces and bodies. Whenever the fire began to burn low they ran for more fuel and piled it on furiously. Children who cried were impatiently given a handful of dried fruit and told, "Shut up! Eat your teeth! Grandfather is not listening! Grandfather has deserted you! You are worthless orphans now!"