Death is a phenomenon covered with a veil of secrecy. There are many rhetorical questions about death. Psychologists, clairvoyants, philosophers and scientists are looking for answers to them. There are a huge number of rituals and signs associated with the dead. One of these rituals is that the deceased is always carried forward with his feet.
What does religion say?
Religious people believe that even after his death, a person is always accountable to God early. When the memorial service takes place, the coffin with the deceased is brought forward with their feet, so that the face of the deceased should be directed towards the altar. This ritual in some peoples is called nothing else than "the last prayer." The ancient Slavs, for example, associated the door with the entrance to the other world. You can immediately recall another similar sign - you cannot sleep with your feet to the door. This sign is due to the fact that, according to the ancient Slavs, sleep is a state close to death. During sleep, the soul leaves the human body, and returns to awakening. Scientists have proven that you really can't sleep with your feet to the door. In this position, a person feels insecure. As a result, sleep becomes anxious and restless.
Why is it traditionally necessary to carry a dead person feet first?
In ancient times, the dead were not carried through the door. The process of taking out the deceased through a window or a specially made hole in the wall was carried out. After the funeral, the hole was repaired again. According to tradition, it is believed that in this way the soul of the deceased will follow him and will not find his way home. It was believed that otherwise the spirit of the deceased could remain in the house.
The deceased is carried forward with his feet so that the soul knows where it is being directed, but does not remember the way back. Some customs mention that the other world is a kind of “reverse” world. When a person is born, they come out head first. Childbirth with the appearance of a baby feet forward is most often very difficult, and sometimes ends in the death of the child or mother. Hence the custom is taken - to cover the mirrors with a cloth. In many customs it is said that the mirror is the entrance to the other world. It is believed that if the soul sees itself in the mirror, then it can stay.
However, among some peoples, for example, the Crimean Karaites can be attributed to them, there is a custom to carry the deceased head first.
Rational point of view
If we forget about religion and tradition and turn to common sense, then we can understand that they carry a person forward with their feet so that the person carrying the coffin from behind can not look at the face of the deceased. Some people get very nervous when they see the dead. Frightened, many of them may faint.
A living person is always carried forward with his head, as, for example, when rescuing a drowning man, taking a person out of a burning house. This is done so that, looking at the face of the victim, one can find out his condition and, if possible, come to the rescue.
