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For someone who is morbidly (ha) afraid of death - and I mean truly, awake-at-4am-thinking-it-over afraid - I sure do like my cemeteries. In fact, the more afraid of death I grow, the more I love cemeteries. They have to be old, though, and the pain far removed from them. I don't like new tombs at all, but old ones are so peaceful and beautiful.
I'm going to start a series in my LJ and post some photos of my favourite graveyards. Thus far, I have Pere-Lachaise and Montmarte (Paris), La Tour de Carol (French/Spanish border), that awesome old one in Boston, Lafayette, St. Louis No.1 and the one I can't remember (New Orleans), San Michele (Venice), various Greek and English cemeteries and, um, a deeply saddening one in Sarajevo. Exciting and weird times!
Jim Morrison, we salute you. And steal from your grave.
This one's too sad and shiny and poor Edith. ;_;
Heloise and Abelard. This is a terrible photo but let me show you why...
Seriously. Renovations, you're necessary but confound me. >:|
Herp derp
Modigliani and my icon hunny, his lover Jeanne Hebuterne <3
The monuments in the WWII/Holocaust memorial are really hard to even look at.
And now Oscar Wilde.
I'm not sure how I feel about this. I can't really judge as yes, I have kissed that grave myself before...
And perhaps Oscar would find it all rather splendid...
...But I judge this clown so hard. What kind of person writes in textspeak on a memorial? (Probaby the same asshat who wrote 'Bon Jovi' on the front).
I'm going to start a series in my LJ and post some photos of my favourite graveyards. Thus far, I have Pere-Lachaise and Montmarte (Paris), La Tour de Carol (French/Spanish border), that awesome old one in Boston, Lafayette, St. Louis No.1 and the one I can't remember (New Orleans), San Michele (Venice), various Greek and English cemeteries and, um, a deeply saddening one in Sarajevo. Exciting and weird times!
Jim Morrison, we salute you. And steal from your grave.
This one's too sad and shiny and poor Edith. ;_;
Heloise and Abelard. This is a terrible photo but let me show you why...
Seriously. Renovations, you're necessary but confound me. >:|
Herp derp
Modigliani and my icon hunny, his lover Jeanne Hebuterne <3
The monuments in the WWII/Holocaust memorial are really hard to even look at.
And now Oscar Wilde.
I'm not sure how I feel about this. I can't really judge as yes, I have kissed that grave myself before...
And perhaps Oscar would find it all rather splendid...
...But I judge this clown so hard. What kind of person writes in textspeak on a memorial? (Probaby the same asshat who wrote 'Bon Jovi' on the front).
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I do sometimes wonder if there's a class element to these things, as regards what is seen as a 'proper', 'tasteful' or 'appropriate' way to mark someone's death.
I'm also not very convinced by the idea that it's against the national character; the sheer number of people expressing themselves in that way would suggest the national character is changing. It might be going back to what it was earlier; I understand (though would need to dig up references) that stoicism in the face of grief is historically a very recent change - Victorian or Edwardian, perhaps?
And yeah, there's also an argument that we're very charmed by leaving stuff at the grave when we can view it as a colourful foreign tradition, but balk at it on our own doorstep. I also wonder how it links to our post-funeral coldness: people here tend to make a fuss until the funeral and then suddenly all support vanishes... it's like putting things on the grave is a way to remind yourself and others that the grief is still there and needs acknowledgement...