lemures
Roman
The evil dead and spirits of those who died without surviving family. Several fates could render one into a lemure:
- Premature death. Such spirits haunted the earth until their allotted lifespans were up.
- Murder victims
- Executed criminals
- Drowning victims
The Romans burned black beans at the graves of potential lemures to hold their spirits in the tomb. Twice a year, they celebrated the Lemuria: the custom was to throw a handful of black beans into the darkness to propitiate the ghosts.
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