“What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?”(Loy) The answer to the sphinx’s riddle is a man. We as people crawl on four legs, walk on two feet, and then walk with a cane. Birth. Life. Death. These are the three stages we as humans go through. We are born into this world, live it to the fullest and then die of old age. Death is inevitable. We try so hard to prolong and avoid death but eventually we all die and rot away. Depending on time, culture, and religion death has a different meaning. In some places death is seen as the end of life and is feared, while in other places death is a new beginning and is welcomed with open arms. Death has journeyed far to what it means today. I would …show more content…

The family would have a wooden casket prepared for the body and would encase the mummified body. The casket was important because it protected the body from intruders and the elements. (Herodotus, p 127)
After mummification a priest would perform the opening of the mouth ceremony. This was done so the body would be able to breathe and speak in the afterlife. In addition, various spells were cast to help them navigate through the underworld. These mummies were also entombed with various burial goods. These consisted of everyday objects to jewelry. These objects would serve function to them in the afterlife. So objects like food and bowls were entombed with the bodies. The wealthy would also shabti figures in the tombs because they believed the figures would come to life in the afterlife and do the work of the deceased like a slave would of done. (Ancient) The Greeks, like the Egyptians, had burial rituals that would help them through their journey in the underworld after death. A proper burial was important because the Greeks believed if a burial was not performed for the person in question, their soul would end up wandering for eternity by the river Styx. After death, the body was washed and covered with oils. Then the bodies went through three processes, the prosthesis, the ekphora, and the interment stage. In the first stage, prosthesis, relatives and friends were allowed to mourn for the