Shaping the Pain: Ancient Greek Lament and Its Therapeutic Aspect
Shaping the Pain: Ancient Greek Lament and Its Therapeutic Aspect

Summary/Abstract: In this paper, which is the first part of a wider research, I focus on different aspects of ancient Greek lament. One of its most important aspects is the therapeutic aspect: by verbalizing, revealing the pain and by sharing it with others, the pain itself is becoming more bearable both for the woman that laments and for the bereaved family. Related to this therapeutic is the creative aspect of lament: the woman that mourns has to lament in order to make it easier for herself and others; but while lamenting, she is creating something. In spite of this constructive, let us call it creative-therapeutic potential, the lament carries in itself a different, rather dark and gloomy potential, if it calls for vengeance, not reconciling with the fact of someone dear’s death. Deeply rooted in funeral ritual, a lament respects certain ritual rules, and yet it is a spontaneous expression of pain. Examining these mutually dependent aspects of lament, I will turn attention to the position of lament in Greek rites and tragedy, that summit Greek art and literature. Ritual lament within ancient tragedy is, as always when it comes to Greek culture, an inexhaustible topic. Although tragedy belongs to literary tradition, it is a trustworthy source for ancient Greek ritual practice; lament within tragedy is thus a ritual lament, and not only a literary one. Characters of many tragedies will mention the therapeutic aspect of lament, examined in this paper: they consider tears, wails and words directed to the deceased as joyful service, enjoyment, music, song precious and indispensable. This paper has its supplement, shaping the pain in few case studies. Inspired by laments of Montenegrin women, those that I have heard or read, I am re-reading Euripides’ Electra and Electra by Danilo Kiš (in which both Euripides’ drama and Montenegrin folklore is reflected), I am watching the Michalis Kakojannis’ movie Electra. Electra’s pain for loss, the one that through despair leads to anger and vengefulness, is found written or filmed: it is captured in work of art, but it emits folklore and ritual characteristics. Her sorrowful dirge, hers and of so many other women, is deeply rooted in funeral rites, and so, although a spontaneous expression of grief, it obeys certain ritual rules. One of the most important aspects of the lament is its therapeutic aspect: by verbalizing, expressing, externalizing pain and by sharing it with others, the pain itself becomes more bearable both for woman that laments and for other bereaved. From that perspective I am re-reading one of the most beautiful Serbian epic poems, The Death of Jugović's Mother, which tells us about a mother that didn’t lament.

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