Burial methods

[Norse_Angel]

Hail!
I know might not have thought to hard on the subject, but it creeps into my mind in some cases. To those of us of heathen belief, what would your preferred burial method be? It's fine if it's not traditional, would still like to hear some input.

[Guest]

Re: Burial methods

This very concept has been bugging me but since Im just a skeptic atheistic sort of guy I want to be buried the natural way No embalming fluid or coffin just a shroud in a green cemetery where i can be recycled back into the Earth. All of those burial practices are harmful tot he Earth and plus what really is the point of trying to preserve your flesh anyways I mean its not natural and eventually no matter how hard you try you will decay. as for heathen burials i know this has beent he subject of many questions to funeral homes and lawyers however from what I've read a full fledged heathen burial such as buring on a viking ship is illegal as well as an open pyre is illegal as well based on air laws and such legal things I am not familiar with. there is no law against having a heathen priest or whatever pagan religion you follow conduct a ceremony. i would recommend either cremation since it fits with the ancient customs or natural burial for a pagan or just a green atheist or whatever you wish , I know there is some other weird stuff like dissolving in acid and turning into a diamond etc. Just searcha round and choose whatever feels the most comfortable.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Burial methods

Although many people claim that cremation is somehow more traditional than burial, both require a huge amount of input by living surivvors/descendants, either in the digging of a grave (which is an art in its own right, and difficult in frozen ground, more of which later) or in the building of a cremation pyre (a huge amount of fuel is required, and to burn even a bonfire properly - never mind one with a body on it - is again, a real skill.)

Added to this we have the small matter of the Ice Ages - when the ground would have been frozen hard, even away from glaciers, and trees would have been a rarity... so there would be a problem with finding enough fuel to burn. In the North, the Ice Age lingered much longer, which is why there is no single date for things such as the 'Bronze Age' which in the north was much, much later than around, say the Mediterranean.

In fact, the most 'traditional' method was probably excarnation. Leaving a body out for the animals to tear the flesh away. This was often done on a platform, meaning that birds would pick at the body rather than larger predators. It might also explain why many birds are associated with death. The remaining bones, if found, could then be wrapped and kept in a cave or in the ancestral burial area.

I would personaly prefer cremation simply because I don't want any of my family feeling they have to bring flowers to my grave. I intend giving them each a painting - there is more of me in my work than there will ever be of me in the ground.

[Norse_Angel]

Re: Burial methods

I know this isn't a traditional method, but I would love to be used as soil for the growth of an oak tree. A piece of my spirit would then remain in Midgard with the tree

[Ula]

Re: Burial methods

No embalming, pine box, cremation. Not sure about the ashes yet.

[Norse_Angel]

Re: Burial methods

No embalming, pine box, cremation. Not sure about the ashes yet.

I just hate the idea of my remains being kept for extensive periods of time in a box on someone's mantel.

[Thorbjorn]

Re: Burial methods

No embalming, pine box, cremation. Not sure about the ashes yet.

I'll see your pine box and raise you a cardboard box.

Maybe I can get my hands on a Viking sword (pun intended) and hold it while I'm being bbq'ed, ala a Viking funeral. Currently I have a 17" seax, but I'd like a sword. Anyway... yes, cremation but I'm also uncertain about disposition of my ashes. However, under no circumstances are they to be kept by anyone.

[Odahviing]

Re: Burial methods

I know this isn't a traditional method, but I would love to be used as soil for the growth of an oak tree. A piece of my spirit would then remain in Midgard with the tree

I lean a lot towards cremation since I'm not a fan of the idea of a person rotting away... But I really, really like the idea of a persons remains nourishing a tree.
As far as I know Sweden is pretty strict and traditional about these things. From what I've understood there is no way possible for a private citizen to keep anothers remains or bury them anywhere other than an appointed graveyard. If it weren't so I would have liked to have something like an ancestral tomb (or in the case with the trees, an ancestral grove).

[Rick]

Re: Burial methods

My daughter and wife have promised to place my ashes on a scale model dragon ship and put it on a certain body of water and set it ablaze. Probably as close as one can get to the 'Viking funeral' of the movies.

[Thorbjorn]

Re: Burial methods

My daughter and wife have promised to place my ashes on a scale model dragon ship and put it on a certain body of water and set it ablaze. Probably as close as one can get to the 'Viking funeral' of the movies.

I like that. I guess the dragon ship could be taken a step further, make it out of wood, take to to a remote part of the river and set it ablaze.

[Norse_Angel]

Re: Burial methods

Do any of the other Scandinavian countries have laws like that? Would you move out of the busy day areas of town to seculision to properly have your wishes filled at death? something I would do is buy some land out in the country, and do it that way. Not sure how your documentation is out there though

[anubisa]

Re: Burial methods

I want to be cremated and want half of me buried with my grandpa (on my father's side) and the other half buried with my parents. Strange I know, but that is me. I'm completely strange.

[Willow]

Re: Burial methods

Do any of the other Scandinavian countries have laws like that? Would you move out of the busy day areas of town to seculision to properly have your wishes filled at death? something I would do is buy some land out in the country, and do it that way. Not sure how your documentation is out there though

You may have to do that legwork directly; as laws change often and sometimes even specific regions will allow/not allow something within the same country.

I decided as a teen I wanted to be cremated and have my ashes scattered either at sea or in the mountains (like it would matter really, because they would eventually become one in the same as the millenia wore away). Where I'm moving too, I could potentially have both simultaneously because of the close proximity of both mountains and sea. But I'm not heathen either.

[Norse_Angel]

Re: Burial methods

Both my parents have different family plots. I know something that really hurts my dad is that I will not be able to be buried with him (Jewish cemetery, I have tattoos) and something my mom feels down about (Fully catholic plot, never was baptized.) I won't end up being buried with either of them. I'm not too upset by this, but does anyone else have the same problem?

[iris]

Re: Burial methods

Do any of the other Scandinavian countries have laws like that? Would you move out of the busy day areas of town to seculision to properly have your wishes filled at death? something I would do is buy some land out in the country, and do it that way. Not sure how your documentation is out there though

I'm pretty sure it's the same here in Denmark, there are quite strict rules on what can be done with a body - all involving burial at an approved place... no private graves in the garden or keeping the ashes to spread from what I know. I think iy might be possible to get permission to spread the ashes, but it's not something you just do.