Remember friend as you walk by

as you are now so once was I

as I am now you will surely be

prepare thyself to follow me."

Anonymous Epitaph

To get in the proper spirit for Halloween (pun intended), I've been paging through "Death Lore: Texas Rituals, Superstitions, and Legends of the Hereafter." The book, a publication of the Texas Folklore Society, is edited by Kenneth L. Untiedt, associate professor of English at SFA.

As the folklore society's secretary-editor, it's Untiedt's responsibility to organize a publication every year. He said he had been considering a book about the superstitions that surround death, funeral customs and the afterlife for some time.

"There is more lore about death, dying and the afterlife than there is about anything else. Death is very serious. It's revered. It's frightening. It's the unknown. It's something we all share, something we have in common — like birthdays." he said.

"Death Lore" includes everything from scholarly studies to a lighthearted look at death and the afterlife. Everyone has ideas about what happens when we die, but nobody can be certain. It's that lack of certainty that makes for a fascinating topic.

In the book's introduction, Untiedt explains that much of the folklore related to dying is generated by fear. He offers an overview of some common superstitions about death, its customs and rituals.

Many of the funeral customs we practice today — carrying the corpse feet first, burial in the ground, wearing black to wakes and funerals — can be traced back to our fear of the dead.

Consider "death warnings:" a bird flying into the house, a white moth trying to enter the house, or a sudden shiver that means someone is walking on your grave. These "signs" have ancient origins. We now know better ... and yet ...

Untiedt writes, "There are many reasons that death lore continues when other lore is forgotten or changes beyond recognition ... the main reason is that we all fear it so much."

More than two dozen writers have contributed pieces to "Death Lore." Their articles, "shaped by the beliefs of Texans," cover the many aspects of death and dying.

There are chapters about where and how people are buried, rituals associated with funerals and burials, and superstitions and strange stories about what happens after we're gone.

Henry Wolff Jr. opens his article, "Buried in Texas: Any and Every Which Way," with the story of Sandra Ilene West. For her interment, she chose to wear a "favorite silver-colored lace nightgown" and was seated in her "powder-blue 1964 Italian Ferrari sports car."

Mildred Boren Sentell's "Most People in Texas Don't Die" covers one of the first things I noticed when I moved here from Illinois. The dead in Texas have "departed this earth," "left for heaven," or "went to be with the savior." Sentell writes that it's mostly the Presbyterians and Catholics who simply "die."

The book's final chapter deals with death in general, as well as our connection to those who have passed. Leslie LaRo writes about lessons one can learn when exploring cemeteries. Hortense Warner Ward's "The Yellow Flower of Death" traces the roots of "dia de los muertos" and the symbolism of the squash blossom.

I am drawn to articles about those strange, otherworldly feelings we get before or after the death of someone we love. We think twice before mentioning these feelings to anyone. But when we do tell our story, we learn we're not alone.

Untiedt said, "Our superstitions come from our fears about what the dead can and can't do to us."

That brought Aunt Pat to mind. She taught me how to appreciate cemeteries. She alleviated my fear when she said, "The dead are harmless. It's the living who can hurt us."

The Texas Folklore Society is located in the Rusk building on the SFA campus. For information about its publications, planned activities and events, visit texasfolkloresociety.org or call 468-4407.