Since time immemorial, human beings have buried their loved ones. This ritual is very widespread throughout the world and through it respect for the dead is revealed and in some religions burial indicates the belief in a life beyond physical death.
The acronym RIP is an abbreviation in Latin and corresponds to Requiescat in Pace, which usually translates as "rest in peace." In countries with a Catholic tradition, these acronyms are a farewell formula, specifically an epitaph that accompanies the name of the deceased along with the date of his death.
The word RIP can also be found in the obituaries that are published in the newspapers, although sometimes other similar abbreviations appear (DEP is one of the most common and means Rest in Peace, but there are also others, such as QEPD, which means That in Peace Rest).
It should be noted that RIP also appears on the tombstones of the Anglo-Saxon countries of Protestant tradition, which is explained because in English RIP is equivalent to the expression Rest in Peace, rest in peace.
The historical origin of the acronym RIP
The custom of writing epitaphs on graves is very old and was started by the Athenians in Ancient Greece (the custom consisted of writing the name of the dead on the tombstone and was sometimes accompanied by a brief eulogy). However, the RIP inscription on tombstones began to become popular in the 18th century in Catholic countries such as Italy or Spain.
It must be taken into account that at the mass for the dead, a few words of farewell were pronounced to pray for the soul of the deceased and at the end of them, Requiescat in pace was said followed by the word amen. In this way, the acronym RIP had a double meaning: the idea that death meant a rest and the end of suffering on earth and, at the same time, the consideration that physical death only affects the body and that in the end of the times the body and the soul will be united again.
Funeral terminology and alternatives to burial
Some archaeologists and historians have studied the remains and documents related to the funeral terminology and its meaning. There are many terms that are part of the culture related to death, such as tomb, grave, headstone, epitaph, niche and many others. In parallel, the various ways of treating a corpse are studied in a discipline known as thanatopraxia.
Finally, it is worth remembering that the acronym RIP is related to burials, but in the history of humanity burial has not been the only funeral ritual to dispose of corpses, since some cultures have practiced and do practice cremation, the immersion in the water or the abandonment of the corpse in a remote place.
Photos: iStock - KatarzynaBialasiewicz / Martin Dimitrov
