Monday, June 25, 2012

Ossuaries



Oeiras Cemetery

A body is first buried in a temporary grave; then, after some years, the skeletal remains are removed and placed in a small crypt to save space. However, I don't think this is mandatory as old gravestones can be seen among the 'new' ones. And, of course, there are the mausoleums too.
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This post is linked to Taphophile Tragics

28 comments:

Stefan Jansson said...

I wonder if we have an ossuary in Sweden. I will have to find that out.

Cezar and Léia said...

Primeira vez que vejo um cemitério assim, achei bem interessante e gostei do branco, flores e da serenidade do lugar.
Abraços e uma ótima semana pra vc!
Léia

Wayne said...

I have seen these in the US, but never so colorfully decorated. This is a beautiful tribute.

Mo said...

I've only seen this in Asia before.

Francisca said...

Not sure there are ossuary in the Philippines, either. Like Steffe, I'll be checking... Are ANY of the flowers live?

Kate said...

This seems to be a reasonable way to honor the dead loved ones. Our cemeteries limit the kinds of decorations allowed on traditional tombstones because of upkeep...moving the grass, for example. I prefer being scattered to the wind!!

Olivier said...

belle composition et bon choix d'angle

Mildred said...

Uma linda homenagem a todos esses anjos e às famílias!

***
Um beijo e boa tarde****

Sharon said...

I'm impressed by the amount of flowers at each of the grave sites.

Julie ScottsdaleDailyPhoto.com said...

wow, very nice. everyone came by and placed flowers and experienced memories.

Sylvia K said...

Beautiful ossuary! It reminds me of a cemetery in New Orleans. The flowers are so lovely and colorful! Wonderful capture for the day as always, JM! Hope you have a great week!

Sylvia

Lowell said...

My final resting place will be the National Veterans Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida and there is a large ossuary there.

This is quite beautiful. But, again, it's your photography that makes it even more so. Superb composition and colors! A joy to look at!

Unknown said...

@Francisca: There are real flowers but most of them are fake.

Carolina Louback said...

Achei linda as flores, depois que vi que eram túmulos.

cieldequimper said...

Oh wow, this is a lovely one. The ossuaries I know are just mass tombs and at first I thought this was a columbarium.

Kay said...

That's very interesting: taking "shifts" in the ground. I'm with Kate. Scatter my ashes and be done with it.

Gemma Wiseman said...

This looks so attractive! Beautifully organised. Dromana cemetery has smaller ones that look like bricks in a wall!

Dina said...

This looks quite nice.

VP said...

It is almost the same here, but those fake flowers look more beautiful...

Randy said...

I too am amazed by all of the flowers.

Laura said...

magnificent flowers to honor beloveds.

biebkriebels said...

It looks very colourful.

SeaThreePeeO said...

What beautiful pictures, the flowers are just lovely.

Herding Cats

diane b said...

It is neat , tidy, colourful and saves space but It seems a little impersonal. My mother in law's ashes were buried in one similar in Switzerland

Julie said...

I dont really understand this. You bury the deceased. Wait a few years. Did up the bones. Places the bones in a drawer in a wall.

Yes?

Sounds like a lot of double handling to me. Why not just shove the body into the drawer in the first place? Unless the bones are cremated, not much space would be saved.

Pity the poor person who has to remove the bones one at a time from the earth and break off any remaining flesh or 'joinings'.

Do like the image though, with all its flowers.

Unknown said...

@Julie: The body needs a few years to decompose. Then, only the bones are put on a kind of small coffin inside the drawer. I find this absolutely sinister!!! I want to be cremated and I my ashes will not be kept anywhere. Someone will have to throw them into the ocean and that's about it.

Dina said...

Good luck with your plan, JM. I hope it will be a long time from now.
Ossuaries (bone boxes) were used also here in Israel in antiquity.
In Europe the system looks to me to be a compromise, maybe for those whose religion forbids cremation (e.g. Judaism and once [or still?] Catholicism).

Joan Elizabeth said...

These are very attractive.