Ray Cashman, Burns Scholar Spring 2026: “Exploring Belief in Spirits of the Dead among Contemporary
Schedule
Wed, 08 Apr, 2026 at 05:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
John J. Burns Library | Newton, MA
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In Ireland today, those involved in after death care—particularly, undertakers (a.k.a. funeral directors), embalmers, clergy, and humanist and civil celebrants—spend considerable time in the presence of both the deceased and the bereaved. Among those who facilitate funeral home visitations, home wakes, removals, funerals, and burials or cremations, stories about spirits of the dead making themselves known (and other potentially supernatural experiences) are a significant portion of shared occupational lore that is informed by long-established beliefs and practices. These stories (termed ‘memorates’ by folklorists), combined with ethnographic observations of how death care workers perform their jobs, reveal a range of belief, disbelief, and hedged positions on the existence of spirits, an afterlife, and more mysterious aspects of reality in a supposedly disenchanted world.Burns Library will host a complimentary reception beginning at 5:00pm, with Prof. Cashman's lecture to follow at 6:00pm. All are welcome.
Ray Cashman is Provost Professor of Folklore at Indiana University Bloomington. He is the author of two prize-winning books: Storytelling on the Northern Irish Border: Characters and Community (2008) and Packy Jim: Folklore and Worldview on the Irish Border (2016) as well as numerous articles and essays. Elected a fellow and board member of the American Folklore Society, Cashman has served as editor of the Journal of Folklore Research and series editor for two book series published by Indiana University Press. For further background on Professor Cashman and his Burns Visiting Scholar residency, please visit the Burns Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies web page.
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Where is it happening?
John J. Burns Library, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Bapst Building,Newton, Massachusetts, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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