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Post by mick on Jan 5, 2023 8:21:27 GMT
Can someone please explain the attraction of queuing to see a dead body?
Obviously it's the Pope that's prompted this question but HMQ and others spring to mind.
Mick
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Post by peterob on Jan 5, 2023 8:33:54 GMT
Can someone please explain the attraction of queuing to see a dead body?
Obviously it's the Pope that's prompted this question but HMQ and others spring to mind.
Mick
It is a mark of personal respect. |
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Post by dreampolice on Jan 5, 2023 8:44:17 GMT
Horses for courses. Yes, a mark of respect but as the OP, I really can't see why anyone would want to show their respect in that way. Dead people aren't exactly that nice to look at, so why anyone would do that, to such as the pope is beyond me too.
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Post by kate on Jan 5, 2023 8:52:55 GMT
Just checking it is who they say it is? Goes way back in history.
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Post by spinno on Jan 5, 2023 9:49:06 GMT
For a second I thought this was a thread about political honesty...
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Post by squeamishossifrage on Jan 5, 2023 12:44:02 GMT
Just checking it is who they say it is? Goes way back in history. Absolutely - "The king is dead? Then show me his body!", followed shortly by "Why's he got that dagger sticking out of his chest?".  |
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Post by mick on Jan 5, 2023 13:23:14 GMT
Just checking it is who they say it is? Goes way back in history. Good point. Didn't think of that.
Mick
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Post by beatnik69 on Jan 5, 2023 13:48:58 GMT
Ordinary folk do it too. It's just that there aren't as many people interested in your Auntie Margaret. |
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Post by MJB on Jan 5, 2023 14:17:49 GMT
You could extend the original question to include "why do we go and watch the body disposed of?" AKA a funeral.
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Post by dreampolice on Jan 5, 2023 14:24:13 GMT
You could extend the original question to include "why do we go and watch the body disposed of?" AKA a funeral. I don't intend on having a funeral. Our wishes are to get cremated without mourners followed by a wake/memorial, direct cremation I believe they are called. |
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Post by kate on Jan 5, 2023 15:23:52 GMT
You could extend the original question to include "why do we go and watch the body disposed of?" AKA a funeral. So you can meet the family and friends you haven't seen in years. |
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Post by nickr on Jan 5, 2023 15:28:35 GMT
Must admit I can't imagine even thinking of going to see a dead body like that, but on the other hand, I did recently go and look at the, er, other hand - the hand of Hungarian King St Stephen. Which is rather odd.
Funerals - well for me, they're something for the living, to share grief, recount old tales, and celebrate the life of the person and the presence of the body is simply proof that the person really is dead. Odd thing, I suppose.
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Post by Kath on Jan 5, 2023 15:39:36 GMT
I was in America on holiday when my dad died and so yes, I did go and see him at the funeral home in his coffin. I don't think I'd have anticipated wanting to do that before, but one difference I suppose is that it wasn't a public thing - only family were asked if they wanted to do so. His funeral was awful. I vowed there and then that I'd not have anything like that when my turn came. Agonising, depressing, stressful. Not how I wanted to think of him. When my cousin died in September there was no funeral but we were invited to her farm to celebrate her life and it was the most wonderful day of sharing memories, planting trees, eating good food, reminiscing, drinking wine and watching fireworks. Her ashes went up in the last rocket. It was a splendid way to remember her. I'll be happy if a few folk grab some fish and chips to eat on the seafront in my memory!
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Post by geoffr on Jan 5, 2023 15:43:43 GMT
You could extend the original question to include "why do we go and watch the body disposed of?" AKA a funeral. I don’t know how how widespread it is but it is possible to have an unattended cremation either after a funeral service or without any form of commemoration. It is part of being human to want some form of ending or departure. I always prefer memorial/celebration services to funerals. I do church sound and, being retired, I am often around when nobody else is. That means I go to rather a lot of funeral/memorial services. From my experience, the service is the point at which life restarts for the bereaved and sorting out of affairs begins. I think, for most people it matters that there is a “service”, what ever form it takes. |
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Post by dreampolice on Jan 5, 2023 15:56:55 GMT
I was in America on holiday when my dad died and so yes, I did go and see him at the funeral home in his coffin. I don't think I'd have anticipated wanting to do that before, but one difference I suppose is that it wasn't a public thing - only family were asked if they wanted to do so. His funeral was awful. I vowed there and then that I'd not have anything like that when my turn came. Agonising, depressing, stressful. Not how I wanted to think of him. When my cousin died in September there was no funeral but we were invited to her farm to celebrate her life and it was the most wonderful day of sharing memories, planting trees, eating good food, reminiscing, drinking wine and watching fireworks. Her ashes went up in the last rocket. It was a splendid way to remember her. I'll be happy if a few folk grab some fish and chips to eat on the seafront in my memory! I saw my dad very quickly after he died (I was just too late to the hospice) and didn't like it. We went to see our daughter in the funeral home. I have mixed feelings about that, but probably wish I hadn't. As for the second part of your post, that is the sort of thing I want after my death. |
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