With seemingly untold limits to human ingenuity, the common entrepreneurial axiom “find a need and fill it” has given rise to some unique business opportunities. One surprising career enjoying growing popularity in some Western nations is the professional mourner. With the skills and dedication required of professional actors, these individuals attend funerals and play the part of a mourning family member or friend. For some, being a paid mourner is a temporary gig between acting jobs, while for others, it has become a full-time career.
The Concept of Paying Mourners Is Not New
Although professional mourning seems to be an unusual career choice in the West, it has much older roots in other parts of the world. The Ancient History online encyclopedia mentions a group of female mourners known as the “Kites of Nephthys.” They appeared at funerals wearing black robes and recited the “Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys,” a call-and-response style liturgy included with most funerary services that moved family and friends to grieve openly for the deceased.
Career mourners, also called moirologists, have served similar functions in other parts of the Middle East. They could be found at memorial services in ancient Greece, Rome and the Levant region, as well as some parts of Africa and Asia. For example, the 1993 Indian film “Rudaali” refers to the practice of hiring women from lower castes in northern India to appear at funerals of upper-caste individuals. Their jobs included singing songs and openly expressing grief, as it was sometimes considered bad manners for upper-caste people to abandon themselves to strong emotions in public.
A Dying Profession?
In 2013, BBC News profiled Liu Jun-Lin, one of Taiwan’s most famous moirologists. Liu spoke of the country’s long-standing tradition dictating that the deceased should be given a “big, loud send-off.” Taiwanese funerals are a mix of somber grieving and vociferous entertainment, and individuals like Liu and her Filial Daughters Band helped guide both these aspects. Liu sees her profession as having a deeper purpose, adding in the BBC interview that “this work can really help people release their anger, or help them say the things they're afraid to say out loud.”
In Taiwan, career grievers like Liu may be facing difficult times ahead. Demand for their services has decreased as elaborate traditional funerals have become less common. However, Liu is dedicated to carrying on the family trade created by her grandmother, which means she has no intent on quitting. She stays ahead of the game by employing attractive women in black and white uniforms as part of her business, assisting funeral directors with preparing bodies and conducting memorial services.
Nevertheless, moirologists are enjoying new popularity in other parts of the world. A March 2016 Cracked.com piece told the fascinating story of Owen Vaughan, a career griever in London, England. His work requires extensive use of his acting skills, including a full character study prior to attending services. In addition, he must often memorize critical details and follow explicit instructions from the deceased’s family to give a convincing performance.
The Future of Moirology
Rent A Mourner is the first business of its kind in the United Kingdom, offering the services of moirologists throughout the country. The Essex-based company’s website states that it provides “professional, discreet people” to appear at wakes and funerals for families concerned about a small turnout due to “a popularity issue” or being new to an area. Although the practice has yet to take hold on a wider scale in the United States, there’s no reason why an enterprising individual couldn’t start providing professional grievers there. While some may question the ethics of hiring actors to pose as mourners, others find it a valuable service, adding to the atmosphere of memorials and aiding friends and family in a difficult time.
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