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Catch the full video on YouTube: 10 Spine-Chilling Truths About Ancient Burial Traditions
Since time immemorial, humans have practiced the ritual of burying their dead, a tradition embraced by nearly every civilization. This universal practice has given rise to a myriad of fascinating beliefs, peculiar customs, and unusual occurrences surrounding burial rites.
10. Suicide Victims Were Interred at Crossroads With Stakes Driven Through Their Hearts
In England, suicide was once deemed a grave criminal act, with punishments that persisted beyond death. The English viewed suicide as an act of self-murder, and those who attempted it unsuccessfully were prosecuted as felons. The Crown would seize the property of suicide victims, leading families to conceal suicides to safeguard their inheritances.
Additionally, suicide victims were denied Christian burial rites, a practice that deeply troubled people due to its perceived impact on the afterlife and resurrection. Families or friends were often left to bury the deceased themselves.
These laws were enforced not only to deter suicide but also due to widespread fear and superstition. It was believed that the spirits of suicide victims could haunt their homes. To prevent these restless souls from wandering, bodies were buried at crossroads, a method thought to confuse the spirits and stop them from returning home. Further precautions included driving stakes through the hearts of the deceased, and in some instances, bodies were buried near the sea to ensure they could not come back to terrorize the living.
9. Thousands of Bodies Beneath Church Floorboards
In old England, before the establishment of separate cemeteries, churchyards were the primary burial sites. This practice was highly profitable. A notorious example of this exploitation occurred at Enon Chapel in London, where the preacher, driven by greed, buried the city’s dead at a rate of 30 bodies per week beneath the church floor. Over time, the number of bodies exceeded 12,000, overwhelming the church’s basement and forcing drastic measures.
Corpses were piled to the ceiling, and the noxious gases escaping through the floorboards caused parishioners to faint and children to be plagued by flies during Sunday school. When the basement could no longer accommodate the bodies, they were transported and dumped into the Thames River. Skulls and other remains sometimes fell from the carts, horrifying locals who discovered them on the streets. The chapel was eventually closed after authorities uncovered the scandal, though it was later repurposed as a dance hall, hosting events ominously named “dances of the dead.”
8. Medieval Challenges of Dying Abroad
During the Middle Ages, dying abroad posed significant challenges, especially for high-ranking individuals who wished to be buried in their homeland. Preservation methods included removing the corpse’s internal organs, which were buried locally, while the body was treated with vinegar or salt and wrapped in animal hides for transport. If these embalming techniques failed, the transporters were left with a decomposing and foul-smelling body for the journey home.
To address the shortcomings of traditional embalming methods, a new preservation technique called mos teutonicus emerged. This method involved dismembering the corpse, boiling it to separate flesh from bones, and then sending the bones back to the deceased’s homeland while burying the soft tissue near the place of death. Some, like Henry V, insisted on transporting their entire remains; his bones and flesh were encased in lead and laid to rest in Westminster Abbey. Despite its practicality, mos teutonicus sparked controversy, with Pope Boniface VIII condemning it, though some clergy defended the practice.
7. Burial Traditions in Roman-Egyptian Culture
The Roman Empire was a melting pot of cultures. After conquering new territories, Romans often intermarried with locals, blurring the lines between conquerors and the conquered. This cultural fusion extended to religion, with deities like Hermanubis combining Hermes and Anubis. Similarly, Egyptian burial customs influenced Roman practices in Egypt, creating a unique blend of traditions.
While Romans typically buried or cremated their dead, those in Egypt adopted mummification. However, these “Roman mummies” were less well-preserved than ancient Egyptian ones. Roman Egyptians waited 40 days before wrapping the mummy, allowing decomposition to set in. This delay contributed to their poorer preservation compared to older mummies, which were embalmed shortly after death.
Despite the passage of time, the Fayum mummy portraits have endured. These artworks, painted by Roman Egyptians, depicted the deceased and were affixed to mummy wrappings. Unlike other Roman-era portraits, the Fayum mummy portraits survived exceptionally well due to Egypt’s dry climate. Today, they are celebrated as some of the finest examples of Greco-Roman artistry.
6. The Towers of Silence
Zoroastrianism imposes strict guidelines for handling the dead, as corpses are believed to contaminate natural elements. Both burial and cremation are forbidden, leading to unconventional methods of body disposal. Ancient Zoroastrians constructed circular towers on hilltops, known as the Towers of Silence, where bodies were left for scavenging birds.
The birds would swiftly consume the flesh, leaving the bones to dry and bleach under the sun. Once dried, the bones were deposited into a central well within the tower, where they eventually turned to dust. Lime was sometimes added to hasten the process. A filtration system purified the water, allowing it to drain and nourish nearby gardens.
Modern Zoroastrians in Mumbai face a unique challenge: the vultures that once consumed the dead are now nearing extinction. Since cow slaughter is prohibited, deceased cows are left for birds to eat. However, a painkiller approved for cattle caused fatal kidney failure in vultures, drastically reducing their numbers. In 2012, Mumbai’s Zoroastrian community proposed building aviaries to revive the vulture population. Unfortunately, the painkiller remains a threat, as it can persist in human bodies and still harm the birds if ingested before death.
5. The Growing Acceptance of Cremation
Although cremation was common among Romans, it lost popularity with the spread of Christianity. Even in the late 19th century, it was considered repugnant and sacrilegious. Many traditionalists in the US viewed cremation as a rejection of the Christian belief in bodily resurrection. While most acknowledged God’s power to resurrect cremated remains, they saw cremation as a defiance of divine will, as it destroyed the body required for resurrection.
Over time, cremation gained acceptance. Abraham Lincoln’s embalming showcased the benefits of body preservation, and families of Civil War soldiers appreciated the practice. This led to greater openness to alternatives to traditional burial. Later, a US doctor claimed that local burials were spreading disease, arguing that pine coffins failed to contain harmful substances, which contaminated groundwater. To address this, he established the US’s first crematorium.
While sanitation played a role, fear truly drove the adoption of cremation. Gothic horror tales and real-life incidents made people dread being buried alive. Cremation offered a solution, ensuring one wouldn’t be interred prematurely. Though the idea of being cremated while still alive was unsettling, proponents argued it was preferable to being buried alive. Premature cremation would last mere seconds, whereas being buried alive meant enduring days of psychological agony.
4. The Six-Foot Burial Rule
Bodies were traditionally buried six feet deep for several reasons. This depth prevented the smell of decomposition from reaching the surface and deterred grave robbers. However, the primary reason was to protect the body from animals, as anything shallower than 183 centimeters (6 ft) made it easy for scavengers to disturb the remains. Today, graves are typically dug to around 137 centimeters (4.5 ft), as modern caskets are heavier, sealed, and less vulnerable to animal interference.
While six feet was common, it wasn’t the limit. In crowded European cities, graves were sometimes dug as deep as 9 meters (30 ft) to accommodate multiple burials. Coffins were stacked with only a marker separating them, often for families unable to afford individual plots. Common graves for the poor were also filled to capacity, with as many bodies as could fit into the space.
3. The Ash Eaters
The Yanomami tribe of the Amazon does not practice burial. Instead, they cremate their deceased and consume the ashes to liberate the soul. According to their beliefs, after death, the soul enters a state of limbo and may transition into another form of life. This is why certain birds, believed to house reincarnated souls, are spared from harm.
The Yanomami hold that a soul can only escape limbo through cremation, mixing the ashes with banana paste, and consumption by relatives. This act allows the soul to find freedom and salvation. The ritual is not performed immediately; instead, the ashes are stored in the home until a festive occasion, when they are consumed.
While consuming human ashes may seem unappealing to many, for the Yanomami, it is a sacred practice. As a nomadic tribe often engaged in territorial conflicts, they consider it a grave threat to refuse to eat the ashes of defeated enemies, as this would condemn their souls to eternal limbo.
2. Burial: A Fundamental Human Need?
Burial practices predate the rise of Homo sapiens as Earth’s dominant species. Evidence shows that Neanderthals buried their dead at least 50,000 years ago. A Neanderthal burial site in Iraq even suggests they may have used flower beds, though this remains a topic of archaeological discussion.
Neanderthals also buried their dead with personal belongings, though this practice appears in later graves, possibly influenced by early humans. Human ancestors were interring their dead with grave goods as far back as 100,000 years ago. A notable example is the Skhul Cave in Palestine, where a hunter was buried clutching a boar’s jaw. Given the advanced cognitive abilities of these hominids, some researchers speculate whether burial satisfies an inherent emotional need in sentient beings.
1. The Terrifying Reality of Plague Pits
Plague pits in London during the Black Plague were far more horrifying than commonly understood. Beyond being mere dumping grounds for the dead, they instilled deep fear in Londoners for reasons beyond their association with death. Many pits were dug on unconsecrated land, and burials occurred without religious rites, leaving residents anxious not only for their lives but also for their souls’ fate.
Access to the pits was strictly forbidden, both to curb disease spread and because desperate plague victims often threw themselves in. Officials had to retrieve them, though some chose to ignore the pleas, likely fearing infection. Tragically, some victims were found buried alive.
The corpse collectors added to the horror. One notorious figure, Buckingham, dangled children’s bodies by one leg, mocking them as firewood. He also displayed the bodies of young women around the pits’ edges. Thankfully, he was eventually arrested and imprisoned.
