Buzz
After death, the majority of us can expect our bodies to be cremated or buried by our loved ones. Certain cultures, such as Jewish and Muslim traditions, may prioritize rapid burials, while others, like those in Sweden, might wait several weeks before doing so. While some prefer intimate, solemn funerals with quiet hymns, others may opt for lively, jazz-infused New Orleans-style ceremonies complete with dancing.
Every culture has its unique funeral practices, but despite these differences, they typically involve the complete disposal of the deceased's body. However, throughout history and still today, various human body parts are preserved after death for different purposes.
10. Relics of Saints
If leading a virtuous and holy life isn’t enough to ensure a peaceful eternal rest, it’s hard to imagine what could be.
There are countless body parts, said to belong to numerous saints, that continue to be revered by the faithful today. The Roman Catholic Church, in particular, has a long history of collecting such relics.
Relics of all kinds have been preserved—ranging from the head of St. Catherine of Siena (on display at the Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico in Tuscany) to the tongue of St. Anthony of Padua. Other relics include the blood of St. Januarius, the foreskin of the infant Jesus, the finger of Doubting Thomas, and even the full body of St. Mark.
Other religious traditions also have their own relics. For example, the Buddha’s tooth is enshrined in a temple in Sri Lanka, and Muhammad's beard is kept at the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul.
9. War Trophies
Body parts have also been collected as war trophies. The popular belief, perhaps fueled by cinema, is that Native Americans were the first to practice scalping their enemies.
In reality, the Greek historian Herodotus documented in the fifth century BC that Scythian warriors were required to deliver a scalp from a fallen enemy to the king. While it is true that some Native Americans engaged in scalping, so did frontiersmen, who used the scalps as proof of death to claim bounties.
However, war trophies aren’t limited to just scalps. After Napoleon's defeat, capture, and eventual death on the island of St. Helena, his body was subjected to an autopsy. The physician performing the procedure preserved Napoleon's internal and one external organ. The souvenirs were shared among those present, with the priest reportedly receiving a few ribs.
Napoleon’s penis was later auctioned for $3,000 and is now securely stored in New Jersey. Just like Napoleon himself, the emperor's member was said to be rather small. Small man syndrome, indeed.
8. Decoration
Nothing quite embodies the idea of ‘beautiful’ like decaying flesh, which is why parts of the dead are sometimes used to create art.
In Tibet, bones are sometimes intricately carved into decorative patterns and fashioned into an ‘apron’ worn during specific rituals. Kapalas, cups made from human skulls, played a role in Tantric ceremonies. These cups were lavishly adorned with precious metals and gems, often placed on Buddhist altars.
In 18th-century France, Honore Fragonard crafted elaborate sculptures from human remains. His ‘flayed men’ combined anatomical precision with art, displaying the internal muscles and organs. He skinned numerous human and animal corpses to create his works.
Many of Fragonard's unusual creations are still on display at the Musee Fragonard d’Alfort in Paris. One of his pieces, inspired by Albrecht Durer's artwork, is called The Horseman of the Apocalypse. It depicts a flayed man riding a horse, surrounded by a disturbing scene of small human fetuses riding on sheep and horse fetuses.
7. Medical Science
A more conventional reason for preserving body parts after death is for the progress of medical science. The study of anatomy took off in the 18th century, driven by the actions of ‘resurrectionists’ who would exhume newly buried bodies. Figures like Burke and Hare also helped the Grim Reaper by providing fresh cadavers.
‘Donated’ bodies were often dissected in front of audiences that included medical students, curious amateurs, and bored gentlemen in search of a morbid thrill. The notorious surgeon Robert Knox frequently performed public dissections. (Knox was a regular client of Burke and Hare, even caught with the body of a recently murdered victim in his possession.)
Contemporary attempts to bring back public anatomy lectures in Edinburgh have, not surprisingly, faced significant opposition. Nevertheless, individuals continue to donate their bodies to science today.
Dissecting a body is a lengthy process, with medical students often spending up to a year working on a single cadaver. Although many medical schools are shifting from hands-on dissections to studying previously prepared specimens and digital models, working on a real body is still considered an invaluable experience for aspiring surgeons.
At the conclusion of the dissection, donated bodies are either privately cremated or returned to the families for burial. Medical staff members are encouraged to attend these funerals, which must certainly make for interesting conversations at the wakes.
6. Just Plain Weird
During his lifetime, Jeremy Bentham was celebrated worldwide as a philosopher and social reformer. Born in London in 1748, he devoted much of his career to examining the law and advocating for its improvement.
Bentham is most famously linked to Utilitarianism, a philosophy that advocates for human actions to be guided by the principle of 'the greatest good for the greatest number' rather than religious doctrines. A staunch atheist and free thinker, Bentham also pushed for universal suffrage and the decriminalization of homosexuality, ideas that were remarkably progressive for his era in the 18th century.
As an atheist, Bentham rejected the traditional Christian burial customs. Upon his death, he requested that his body be dissected. His skeleton was then used to create an 'auto-icon,' which now resides on a stool in a corridor at University College London (UCL), with a wax head placed on top. The popular myth that his body is wheeled into College Council meetings and listed as 'present but not voting' is unfounded.
Bentham's mummified head was removed from the auto-icon when it began to deteriorate. It is now stored in UCL's collections and occasionally displayed. In 2006, his body was used once again in the field of medical science when DNA samples were taken from his head to explore the possibility that he may have been autistic. Bentham, a child prodigy, could read a history of England at a very young age and began learning Latin at age three.
5. To Prevent Death
In certain parts of Uganda, body parts are used in a manner similar to vaccinations—believed to stave off death. The blood and remains of deceased children are used in an attempt to prevent illness and death and even to attract prosperity. Tragically, some children are deliberately killed to fuel this horrific practice.
Since the first reported case of child sacrifice in 1998, more than 700 mutilated bodies have been uncovered. It is thought that these murders were carried out by witch doctors, who collect blood for its perceived healing powers and sell body parts as charms to bring wealth.
Although this practice is illegal, it continues in some rural areas of Uganda. The witch doctors, however, go to great lengths to keep these ceremonies concealed.
4. Made Into Objects
At times, the remains of the deceased were transformed into macabre yet practical objects. One of the most famous examples is the cup once owned by poet Lord Byron, made from a human skull. The skull was outfitted with silver edging to form a drinking vessel. It was believed to have been unearthed by Byron’s gardener at Newstead Abbey, and the poet was said to have developed a fondness for it.
An even more grim tale surrounds William Lanne, one of the last Aboriginal Tasmanians from the Furneaux Islands. Dehumanized and regarded as 'ignoble savages' and 'the missing link' between humans and apes, the Aboriginal Tasmanians faced brutal treatment from European settlers.
Many died from diseases brought by the colonists, such as cholera, which ravaged the indigenous population. Even after their people were declared extinct, the remaining Aboriginal Tasmanians continued to suffer at the hands of the colonizers.
Members of the Royal Society of Tasmania exhumed some of their bodies, putting them on display. William Lanne’s head was severed, and his scrotum was fashioned into a novelty tobacco pouch.
3. Proof Of Kill
At times, body parts were taken as evidence of a kill. During Japan's invasion of Korea in the 16th century, samurai warriors would sever the noses of their fallen enemies, partly as trophies and partly as a form of payment, which was based on the number of kills. These noses—and occasionally ears—were brought back to Japan and stored in what came to be known as 'nose tombs.'
One of these tombs was uncovered in the 1980s and contained more than 20,000 preserved noses. There have been calls from some Koreans to have the noses returned, while others believe they should be properly disposed of. The noses (and many ears) were buried in a 9-meter-high (30 ft) mound known as 'The Ear Mound' in Kyoto. This site is maintained at the expense of the Japanese government, who seem somewhat uncomfortable with the entire situation.
2. As Room Fittings
The Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic is home to a chilling central chandelier made entirely of bones. In fact, it features every type of bone from the human body. The church has incorporated the remains of 40,000 individuals into its eerie décor, including a cross made from bones.
But this is not the only place like it.
In Rome, the Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins church displays the remains of approximately 4,000 friars—not as buried bodies, but as part of the room's furnishings. The walls are adorned with skulls, and visitors are greeted by three complete skeletons of Capuchin monks upon entry.
One of the most unusual chapels can be found in Czermna, Poland. The walls and ceilings are entirely covered with bones from victims of plague and war. In the basement, there are the remains of 20,000 more individuals. The chapel was designed by local priest Vaclav Tomasek, and after his passing, his skull was placed on the altar, where it still sits today.
1. (A Kind Of) Magic
Magic is a belief deeply embedded in numerous cultures, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. One such belief system, known as juju, can be harnessed to either benefit or harm its followers.
Juju is thought to imbue objects with mystical powers, allowing something as simple as a person's hair to hold their spiritual essence. Amulets containing these essences can either shield or curse, depending on the incantations cast upon them.
Juju priests use substances like menstrual blood, hair, nail clippings, body parts, and blood from childbirth to craft potent spells that bind believers to their will, forcing them to obey the priest's commands. Tragically, juju has been wielded to manipulate women, enslaving them in prostitution. Many were too terrified to escape due to the feared repercussions of the magic.
