In the aftermath of the Great War, several nations buried an unidentified Soldier in commemorative tombs, which are hitherto known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He becomes “the Son of Mothers who could not find their Son”, a metonym for all the fallen soldiers who gave their life to protect their Fatherland, thereby transforming mothers into a powerful living metaphor. The rites used to evoke the presence of this unidentified corpse bear various aspects of funeral rites in general, which are elevated to the status of a commemorative ceremony, at once atoning for all these “glorious dead” and exalting national community – a commemorative ceremony whose signification is waning.