Music and grief: a case study from Chile

Grief at the death of a child is amongst the most poignant experiences suffered by humankind. This article considers the interesting case of the ‘cantos de angeles’, a particular song form used for the funerals of small children in various parts of Chile. The songs were originally brought by Spanish Jesuits during the colonisation of South America. The ritual has thus been followed for centuries in parts of the country in various forms. It will be argued that the belief by the parents that they are aiding the child’s ascension to heaven makes the ritual a ‘task-based’ coping activity. The psychological function of such rituals within the grieving process will be discussed along with the loss of such strategies within the growing secularisation of Chilean society.