The World’s Only Pirate Cemetery

by MSO

Actor Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow romanticized the lives of pirates in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies but in real life, many of these pirates were bloodthirsty tyrants and murderers and some of the most successful criminals in history.

Ile Sainte-Marie, a small island off the coast of Madagascar was once home to more than 1,000 pirates from 1688-1721 and is believed to have the world’s only pirate cemetery. The pirates sailed mostly from England, Portugal, France and America to make this island off the coast of Madagascar a home, a hideout and a strategic place to ply their trade on the open seas and divvy up the spoils of successful raids. Some were privateers who turned pirate others chose that way of life because as Apple founder Steve Jobs once said, “It’s more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy.”

Ile Sainte-Marie was home to many famous pirates including Captain William Kidd, a Scottish pirate who, when finally caught, was executed for plying his trade. Robert Culliford who was an English pirate once sailed with William Kidd before leading a mutiny against him. Culliford realized much wealth as a pirate at one time plundering over $200,000 cash after capturing a ship off the coast of Ile Sainte-Marie. Others including Olivier Levasseur, Henry Every, Abraham Samuel and Thomas Tew lived and raised families on the island. There are even pirate ships that lie only a few meters under the waters in the bay.

The Pirates’ Cemetery is situated on a point with the Indian Ocean’s waters visible through the palms and overgrown grass. About thirty once elaborate tombstones remain, though locals say there were once hundreds. The island has experienced regular cylones and with its rainforest climate the stones deteriorated over the centuries. There is a large black tomb in the center of the cemetery that locals say is the final resting place of Captain Kidd, buried there in an upright position to punish him for his crimes. However that tale was made up to boost the tourist trade in the area. Captain Kidd was captured after burying his treasure on Gardiners Island, New York before being taken to England in chains where he was hanged.

Though many of the names on the tombstones at the Pirates’ Cemetery are no longer legible the skulls, crossbones and swords etched into the rock still remain along with messages from the pirates asking their fellow countrymen to “pray for them”.

https://mysendoff.com/2013/03/the-worlds-only-pirate-cemetery/

A Tower for the Dead

Deep in the Earth, A Tower for the Dead 

by A-Badgero

Man began burying their dead mainly for sanitary reasons. Before the invention of antiseptics when a person died of a illness such as tuberculosis immediate removal of the body was very important for the safety of the rest of the family. The burying of the body was not only the quickest way to stop any prolonged exposure but also easiest method to ensure that carrion eating predators were not attracted.

The tradition of burying the dead dates back over 130,000 years with the first burials discovered having  goods buried with them making it the first evidence of religious practices  and the belief of an afterlife taking place. Once the idea of an afterlife was established the act of burying became an important ritual that the majority of cultures practiced.

In 2011 the Earth’s population reached 7 billion bringing to light more than ever the issues of over-population and the scarcity of available land which have become a huge concern in many of the world’s most populated regions. What will become of our tradition once we run out of ground space in which to inter our dead? Man kind has always prided themselves on their ability to adapt to new situations which exactly what we need to do in order to combat these increasing concerns.

Architectural designers entering the field are being challenged with the task of addressing many of the world’s problems with smarter building designs. Building upwards or downwards is quickly becoming the norm when trying to achieve more space.

Mexico City is a prime example of a region that has a growing, aging population and very little available land. Land that is available is usually on the outskirts of town and would be better used for agricultural development rather than burying the dead. Federal law in Mexico dictates that no historical buildings are to be demolished and imposed height regulations not allowing new structures to exceed 8 stories high.

Israel Lopez, Elsa Mendoza Andres and Moises Adrian submitted their design for an inverted vertical eco-graveyard to the Evolo’s 2011 Skyscraper Competition and received honorable mention for the concept. The “Tower of the Dead” project proposes that an underground cemetery would be a practical solution for freeing up valuable space in crowded Mexico City and is meant to be an architectural representation of the grieving process. The idea is that family members will feel symbolically reborn once they return from their trip to the underworld where they laid their loved one to rest.

The depth of the different levels is meant to symbolize the different levels of the grief process beginning with shock and ending with resolution and readjustment at the bottom level. The building design resembles that of a giant screw with levels twisting downward until reaching the final floor at almost 1,000 feet below surface level.

Each chamber has a specific purpose, for instance one of the concepts for the cemetery is the “Goodbye Space” a room the family and casket will travel to after the funeral procession. The casket will be placed on a platform where the family will say their last goodbye and witness the casket gradually descend through the floor. Once the casket is lowered to the floor below it is quickly removed and brought for cremation. Throughout levels 6 to 250 the facility is equipped with chapels, a reception area, ramps to multiple niches and processional ramps.

The cemetery has been designed to be the final resting place of cremated remains which is accomplished with the crematorium on site. Space would be rapidly depleted if the design allowed for burial plots.

Building underground is not exactly a new concept. During both World Wars, elaborate underground bunkers were built so troops wouldn’t be detected by enemy bombers. Britain built a huge aircraft factory 90′ beneath the surface. During the 1950s, the United States was concerned that there might be a sneak nuclear attack and to prepare for such an attack U.S. officials began building elaborate underground refuges for key personnel, equipment and documents.  Some fearful civilians even began digging in their backyards to build their own bomb shelters.

Having buildings underground is actually not as bizarre of an idea as it seems at first glance, there are many benefits that come with having a structure underground. The cost of heating and cooling an underground building is approximately 85% less than that of a surface building. The atmospheric temperature fluctuations that we feel on the surface take much longer to penetrate the ground so as a result when underground, the cold of winter is felt in summer and the heat of summer is felt during winter months. The heat generated by electrical appliances can also be retained and conserved.

With no exposed facades there would be no deterioration from the effects of the elements such as sun and rain. Other concerns such as protection against natural disasters such as earthquakes are resolved in an underground building as strong ground motion decreases with depth making an underground structure actually safer from earthquakes than surface constructions. The building would also be protected against tornados or hurricanes due to it being underground and away from the path of destruction.

An earth-scraper cemetery is the ultimate compromise, the bodies of our dearly departed will still lay to rest deep beneath the earth but will now be accessible to visitors. Building downward is not just a concept for the dead either, Mexico City officials are currently looking at many proposals for underground offices and apartment buildings as well.  Could this be the beginning of a world of underground civilizations like we have seen in many of our favorite sci-fi movies?

Article from:

https://mysendoff.com/2012/07/deep-in-the-earth-a-tower-for-the-dead/

Read more:

The Tower for the Dead, A Skyscraper Cemetery that Goes Straight Down | io9 We Come from the Future

Valuing a Funeral Director

The True Value of a Funeral Professional

By: M-Gillies, MySendOff.com

In his 1884 novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain summed up the role of a funeral director. He wrote, “The undertaker, he slid around in his black gloves with his softly, soothering ways, putting on the last touches, and getting people and things all ship-shape and comfortable, and making no more sound than a cat. He never spoke: he moved people around, he squeezed in the late ones, he opened up passageways, and done it all with nods and signs with his hands. Then he took his place over against the wall. He was the softest, glidingest, stealthiest man I ever see, and there weren’t no more smile to him than there is to a ham.”

Mark Twain

 Twain was always known for his wit and satire but he also illustrated in another passage the role of a funeral director in the most sincere and candid way possible. He noted the professionalism, the deft integrity and the lengths one funeral director goes to serve his community. But more importantly, Twain explained how the funeral director, while indispensable, was also disregarded.

Over the years a funeral director has sometimes been bestowed the moniker of an emotionless, anti-hero type of character. But for those who have experienced the exemplary service of a funeral director in their time of need, they know that these professionals are actually unsung heroes and caregivers who have earned the respect from the families they serve.

Perhaps this incorrect stereotyping of funeral practitoners is because there has been little information presented to the general public of the true value of a funeral director – a value that extends far beyond just the listed price of service transactions. As a result, few people understand the full spectrum of services and benefits that funeral directors provide and because of this, some people mistakenly view the funeral process as just another service and commodity.

But for those who recognize the full range of compassionate services that a funeral director provides, they understand these death care professionals are individuals who should be respected.

Greg Lonsdale, Owner & Funeral Director at Telfords

It is the funeral director who answers the call of duty in the darkest moment of a family’s life and steps up ready to guide a family through the emotional roller coaster of saying good-bye to a loved one, all performed in a few short days. Few other professions work under these challenges.

The intrinsic value of the funeral profession are hidden within the intangible services that licensed funeral directors provide families. Their experience in understanding and navigating through the turmoil that death delivers to a family is part of the unwritten services they provide and these compassionate services are not shown on a funeral service contract.

For a funeral director, their tireless services are often called on in the middle of the night, because a family who has experienced the loss of a loved one requires immediate assistance that often cannot wait until the next morning.

Diane Turner, Funeral Director at Telford's 

Their confidence, calming presence and comforting words help families wade through the fog of death working as a guide who has walked the path countless times before. They listen to grieving families and encourage the sharing of memories of the deceased. They often provide a shoulder to cry on. They help with advice and take care of the smallest of details that the emotionally frail overlook. They provide options and help plan and organize a respectful funeral service based on the needs and wishes of the family.

They guide and direct families towards a path of emotional recovery by letting them know that it is normal and healthy to express their grief through mourning. They help build a supportive network that includes organizing the gathering of family and friends to ensure that the bonds of friendship and family are extended to others who also share their loss.

These services provided by a funeral professional are rarely seen by the public who show up at the funeral home to pay their respects and only see the results of the funeral professional’s diligent efforts to please their families.

It has been said that being a funeral director is a calling and a lifelong commitment and they are very often descendants of multi-generational experience. Attention to detail and excellent communication and listening skills are imperative.

Funeral professionals are composed and sympathetic and they act as confidants and accommodate the opinions of others. At times, they must act as a calm voice of reason during emotional disputes that arise between family members. They are proactive and prepared to attend to the needs of the grieving. The extent funeral directors will go to serve a family is nearly unlimited.

What a funeral director does is provide an unwavering commitment to see a family through a turbulent time. They are the practitioners of commemorating the dead through the combination of multiple traditions, rituals and religious doctrines. They are seen as promoters of positive emotional healing and with their funeral homes they’ve created a private, safe haven for families to find comfort in their grief and share their loss, free of judgment from outsiders.

Even in a day and age where cremation has become an alternative option for families, the role of the professional funeral director remains unchanged:

To serve the needs of their families and help reinforce the significance of a life lived by bringing together a collective group that helps promote the required healing through an organized showing of support and love. Through this all, it is the funeral director who ultimately bears the responsibility of making this happen.

As Twain explained about the undertakers of his generation, “they do it without praise, without complaint and without criticism” and today’s modern funeral director understands that their purpose remains unchanged from Mark Twain’s time: to help guide families through their dark times by creating a meaningful and respectful goodbye built on the foundation of integrity, dignity and respect.