A powerful and visually striking story that rescues a forgotten ritual where women became the voice of collective grief.

Throughout history, women have been hired to cry at wakes and funerals. It is an ancient practice in which the mourners became tragic actresses, publicly displaying the grief of the deceased’s relatives.

The popular belief was that the mourners’ crying helped to purge the soul of the dead, facilitating their entry into paradise, although the Catholic Church considered it a pagan and superstitious act. In the coal-mining culture of Lota, women took turns standing next to the coffin, because most of the time they had to attend to the mourners.

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ANDREA PIZARRO CLEMO (Chile) is a freelance designer and illustrator. She has written and illustrated books with Limonero and Planeta. Andrea received a 2012 Literary Creation Grant from the Chilean Council for Culture and the Arts.