The abbreviation RIP is often found on tombstones in English and Italian-speaking countries. In the age of modern technology, the Internet and television, this inscription is found everywhere, but the true meaning of this abbreviation is not at all new and goes back centuries.
Translated from English, RIP stands for rest in peace and is translated into Russian as "rest in peace." However, this transcript is a modern interpretation of the R. I. P. in Latin, which means requiescat in pacem. In ancient times, it was painted exclusively on gravestones and gravestones. It was this Latin version, not modern English, that was used in burials in the Middle Ages in America and England, where Protestantism and Catholicism occupy the leading position in religion.
RIP - prayer for the repose of the soul of the deceased
This phrase is not just a wish from the living to the dead. The words “rest in peace” were originally mentioned in the ancient prayer Requiem Eternam, which literally translates as “eternal rest”. The words of this prayer are addressed to God, and ask to give the deceased eternal rest and eternal light, and the words requiescat in pacem are final in prayer.
In Catholicism, the soul of a person after death goes to Purgatory, where it is decided where it will go after death. To this day, Catholics use this prayer when turning to the Lord with a request to release the soul of the deceased from Purgatory and send it to heaven. In order for the soul of the deceased to go to Paradise, and not to fall to the Devil, it is praised with the Requiem Eternam prayer, where at the end the words “Rest in peace. Amen.
Later, analogs of the Latin phrase appeared in other languages - English and Italian. In English, RIP is the well-known rest in peace, and in Italian this phrase sounds like riposi in pace. These phrases are similar, which once again emphasizes the belonging to the same language group and the common roots of English and Italian.
In English, there is a certain play on words in the phrase rest in peace. The abbreviation RIP and the word reaper, which translates to "reaper", have a fairly similar pronunciation. In many religions, death appears in the form of a black or grim reaper who comes with a scythe for the soul of the deceased. It is in the image of a skeleton with a scythe that death is represented in many Western European cultures.
RIP in modern culture
The abbreviation RIP is actively used in their youth subculture by Goths, as well as fans of the musical style "metal". Representatives of the Gothic culture are characterized by deep philosophical reflections on the meaning of life and death. And for bands performing metal, it is typical to use the abbreviation RIP in the names of their songs in various interpretations. So, for example, the world famous group AC / DC has a song called RIP - Rockinpeace in their repertoire.
