Special Pathways for the Dead
Winding Roadway Superstitions
It was believed that the spirits of the deceased always moved along
special routes over various landscapes to reach the cemetery. Many thought they preferred straight
paths because they were easy to navigate.
Superstition has it that non-linear roads (ones that zig-zagged like a maze or labyrinth) could hinder the
movement of spirits. The winding nature of the pathway was believed to help to deter them from reaching the graveyard where loved ones had been laid to rest.
On the other hand, for those who wanted the spirits to follow the dead and not linger with the living, it was also believed that a
straight path that connected two places (free of walls, buildings and
structures) would make it easier for the spirits to find the graveyard. To make sure they did not come back to haunt the family members of the deceased, different routes would be used for the return back from the church after the burial.
It’s also interesting to note that the corpse roads in many
cases did not cover farm land as it was thought that the spirits could hinder
good crop yields. And yet, in other places the funeral pathways were bridges or
stepping stones over water that reflected the idea that spirits could not
travel across water.
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