Death allows deep cognition of cultural practices and worldviews of a given community. Through death and the activities and beliefs surrounding this event we can learn much about the ideals and cultures of the living. While biologically death is an end to a physical life, this break is not quite so apparent in mental and spiritual aspects. Indeed, the influence of the dead over the living is sometimes much greater than before a death. This volume takes a multi-disciplinary approach and incorporates archaeology, history, literature, religion and anthropology in an effort to provide a fuller understanding of the historic and contemporary practices linked with a physical passing. By approaching this topic from various disciplines, the volume will be an important resource for scholars and students in a variety of fields. As the volume covers both premodern and modern Korea, the work will be of use for cross-cultural and comparative studies on death.

Takes a multidisciplinary approach in an effort to provide a fuller understanding of both historic and contemporary practices linked with death in Korea. Contributors from Korea and the West incorporate the approaches of archaeology, history, literature, religion, and anthropology in addressing a number of topics organised around issues of the body, disposal of remains, ancestor worship and rites, and the afterlife.