Ghost Sickness
A belief that ghosts of the recently deceased can cause disease and even death to the living. The spirit of the dead person is thought to linger near its body in the first few days after death before journeying to the place of the dead, and during this time it is thought to be lonely and likely to seek the company of humans. Children are thought to be particularly vulnerable as their souls are less firmly attached to their bodies.
This belief is rooted in many tribal societies around the world, where preparations are made to ensure that the dead cannot find their way back to the house they lived in. Some American Indians believed that ghost sickness can be caught from either the dead, the sight of the corpse or their possessions. The Apaches, for example, buried their dead on the same day as they died and reduced the absolute minimum time the living spent with them. The relatives would typically move to a new house and to mention the name of the dead was strictly forbidden.
Fear of ghost sickness could explain some funeral rites and customs, as such as carrying a corpse out through a window rather than the door, to make it difficult for the ghost to find its way back home. Even through a ghost is feared most in the first few days after death, in many cultures seeing any ghost is also thought to be a death omen.
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Haven't posted one of these in awhile. :D