We Sing Sea Songs & Sea Chanties

Tonight I'm thinking about death, and dying. An oddly common theme since Christmas. Indirectly, anyway. 

So, I spent this weekend at a youth traditional song festival. My acting coach roped me in to his monthly song circle awhile back and I wanted an opportunity to immerse myself in the folkiness in an effort to gain familiarity with the form and repertoire beyond the limits of my church roots. It turned out to be a letting overwhelming, in the way that comicon might be to someone who has just read their first superman. This morning was particularly interesting. We had a gospel group sing (in honor of it being Sunday, and all). Not a lot of Church of Christ-esque tunes to be found. For a few people this may have been a time of worship to a Christian god, but for most, it was just a theme from which to draw their contributions. Most of the people may identify as religious, (though the only people to define their spirituality to me were Jewish), but not at all religious the way I was raised. A good deal of traditional music does reference god, gods, or religious beliefs without being considered a hymn, or gospel, and the singers treated the material with such labels just as they would treat any song they lead. In fact, many songs that might be considered sacred or spiritual, may not acknowledge a higher power at all. You might even say, religion in these songs is treated like any superstition of a bygone era. Or you might not. To each, her own. 

Which brings me to this quandary on death. One song that was sung on several occasions this weekend, kind of a crowd favorite 'Death Came a'Knockin'

http://youtu.be/2h4TLr7K3W8 (There's probably a better version out there, but here's an example if you want. We sang it a capella with lots of stomping.)

Summary: 

So, death comes knocking on someone's door asking if they're ready to go. They buckle their shoes and cross over. 

Chorus:

And they shout, 'Hallelujah! I've done my duty, put on my travelin' shoes.'

Tonight I'm thinking about how, if we use cultural myth to explain our existence and maintain societal norms, etc, one of it's greatest jobs is to guide us through the process of dying. Watching others die, and preparing us for our own death. 

Death: humanity's great fear, and it's great relief. 

So, what if you're not religious, what if you have no mythic legend to guide your morbid thoughts?

Why, without the pearly gates, does the fear not overwhelm? 

In writing this, I think I've answered my own question. Like the songs, our myths are expression of human feeling, not necessarily bound in themselves. We already believe in the relief, and respect the fear. Maybe that's another definition of god: the great unknown. 

And now, a (pirate) resurrection song!

http://youtu.be/Fhop5VuLDIQ

And you, to whom adversity has dealt the final blow
With smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go
Turn to, and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain
And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!

Rise again! Rise again! 

Though your heart it be broken and life about to end.
No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend.
Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!