maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 NOVEMBER 2021
7
HERITAGE
Third 'Malta Oskura' webinar explores
our forefathers' beliefs about death
MAN'S perception of death on
the Maltese Islands, from the
times of the Phoenicians and the
Romans until the period of the
Knights, will be explored in the
third webinar organised by Her-
itage Malta in the 'Malta Osku-
ra' series.
Following the success of the
first two webinars in the series,
which featured Mdina and Ra-
bat as well as the history of ju-
dicial hanging in Malta, 'Malta
Oskura: Il-Mewt' will descend
into the darkness of various old
burial sites and attempt to an-
swer several questions. What
was death to the early inhabit-
ants of these islands?
Was it merely a cessation of
life where the deceased were
to be respectfully laid in the
final resting place? Was sacri-
fice necessary? Was death to
be feared, or was it a source of
supernatural power and knowl-
edge for those who knew how
to wield it?
The webinar will also pro-
vide insight into the reasons
behind old practices that have
long aroused our curiosity but
always remained shrouded in
mystery, such as the Roman
gladiatorial games.
It will recount how the so
called 'Dark Ages' brought
along a different approach to
death, and how the Knights
of the Order of St John intro-
duced a new concept of death,
namely holy war.
'Malta Oskura: Il-Mewt' will
be aired on Tuesday 30th No-
vember at 20:30. It will start
with a short documentary, ap-
proximately 20 minutes long,
which will be in Maltese, with
English subtitles.
This will be followed by a
question and answer session.
Participants are requested to
register beforehand via this
link: https://zoom.us/webinar/
register/WN_P4e3rLOaSISHP-
GUnlzx5vA. The participation
fee is €5.
Michael Tabone stars in
the documentary 'Malta
Oskura: Il-Mewt'
