Dead bodies
Apr. 8th, 2005 01:47 amAnyone else think the tradition of viewing a dead body is gross, especially when it's the pope?
I mean, they've kept a dead body lying out in the open for almost a full week, in the heat of Rome in April. And the word is that they didn't even fully embalm it, just partially, maybe. Some sources are saying he's been injected with a formaldehyde solution that needs to be redone daily (during the few hours the basillica has been closed every night). Others are saying he's lying on a refrigerated slab. All of the experts say he's got a lot of makeup and creams and stuff on, and at least one said he's probably turning a bit black underneath that.
Ick.
I've never understood the tradition, anyway, even for a regular person. After you die, they lay your dead body out and people come to look at it. It's like Stand By Me, but formalized to the point that it's expected that you'll go if you knew the person, like you'd want to see the person you knew lying dead in front of you. And then there's that weird custom of "well, he/she looks good, so peaceful." I mean, what are you really supposed to say? "Wow, he/she looks totally dead, huh?" There's nothing good to say. You're being compelled to look at the dead body of your once-living friend/relative. It's just creepy. Holding a service is one thing, an opportunity for people to express their condolences, whatever, makes sense. But why do we have to put the corpse on display and all look at it?
When I go, I want to be cremated. Have a memorial service, that's fine, but don't put me on display. I'd rather not even have the urn there -- put it in a closet or something, whatever. And I want the ashes scattered somewhere, somewhere I would like to be -- no keeping the ashes above the mantle, 'cause again, keeping a dead person lying around, even powdered, kinda gross.
I mean, they've kept a dead body lying out in the open for almost a full week, in the heat of Rome in April. And the word is that they didn't even fully embalm it, just partially, maybe. Some sources are saying he's been injected with a formaldehyde solution that needs to be redone daily (during the few hours the basillica has been closed every night). Others are saying he's lying on a refrigerated slab. All of the experts say he's got a lot of makeup and creams and stuff on, and at least one said he's probably turning a bit black underneath that.
Ick.
I've never understood the tradition, anyway, even for a regular person. After you die, they lay your dead body out and people come to look at it. It's like Stand By Me, but formalized to the point that it's expected that you'll go if you knew the person, like you'd want to see the person you knew lying dead in front of you. And then there's that weird custom of "well, he/she looks good, so peaceful." I mean, what are you really supposed to say? "Wow, he/she looks totally dead, huh?" There's nothing good to say. You're being compelled to look at the dead body of your once-living friend/relative. It's just creepy. Holding a service is one thing, an opportunity for people to express their condolences, whatever, makes sense. But why do we have to put the corpse on display and all look at it?
When I go, I want to be cremated. Have a memorial service, that's fine, but don't put me on display. I'd rather not even have the urn there -- put it in a closet or something, whatever. And I want the ashes scattered somewhere, somewhere I would like to be -- no keeping the ashes above the mantle, 'cause again, keeping a dead person lying around, even powdered, kinda gross.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}