I was at the Museum of Natural History, and there was an exhibit on Zoroastrianism. Well, apparently, in traditional Zoroastrianism, they don't believe in cremation or burying, because they feel that fire and Earth are "pure elements" that shouldn't be "contaminated" with dead flesh. So, what do they generally do? They put the person up on this pillar and have vultures eat them o_O
Anyone else real glad Freddie specifically requested cremation? I mean, I figure it makes sense, but that'd be kinda unusual.
deleted user 03.07.2007 13:30
Letting animals eat dead bodies is no "weirder", in my opinion, than taking a dead body and putting it in a hole in the ground. Also - I would like to mention that in some cultures, the humans ate the dead.
I have no idea the details of Freddie's funeral, but I have know idea how long HIV can live in the body after death - and plus, think of the Pharaohs - people steal stuff. Maybe Freddie or his family didn't want people making off with locks of hair or his toes.
Personally, it doesn't really effect me how he or his family and friends chose to deal with his body. It was just a body.
Well, Freddie specifically says cremation in his will, so it was never really up for debate.
I don't really find it WEIRD, just unusual. It would be good for the animals, they'd get food :P But then you know all kinds of strange people would go around saying their dog ate Freddie or something... like that chick who wrote Innuendos o_O
Well... sometimes people discuss things in their will with others.
There might have been a fight.
People can still say stupid things even with him having been cremated.
Maybe he just wanted to be left in peace.
Maz wrote: It's not that unusual. It's just not from the Judeo-Christian mold that we are used to.
And Zoroastrianism strongly influenced Judeo-Christianity, as it was the first religion that had a battle between pure good and pure evil. Hence Nietzsche calling one of his books Thus Spoke Zarathrustra, as Zarathrustra is Zoroaster :)
FreddiesGhettoTrench wrote: I was at the Museum of Natural History, and there was an exhibit on Zoroastrianism. Well, apparently, in traditional Zoroastrianism, they don't believe in cremation or burying, because they feel that fire and Earth are "pure elements" that shouldn't be "contaminated" with dead flesh. So, what do they generally do? They put the person up on this pillar and have vultures eat them o_O
Anyone else real glad Freddie specifically requested cremation? I mean, I figure it makes sense, but that'd be kinda unusual.
Woah, you mentioned death again.
But usually they put them in one of those things, too bad I forget the name, sort of like where mummies are. And they leave them there.
FreddiesGhettoTrench wrote: I was at the Museum of Natural History, and there was an exhibit on Zoroastrianism. Well, apparently, in traditional Zoroastrianism, they don't believe in cremation or burying, because they feel that fire and Earth are "pure elements" that shouldn't be "contaminated" with dead flesh. So, what do they generally do? They put the person up on this pillar and have vultures eat them o_O
Anyone else real glad Freddie specifically requested cremation? I mean, I figure it makes sense, but that'd be kinda unusual.
Woah, you mentioned death again.
But usually they put them in one of those things, too bad I forget the name, sort of like where mummies are. And they leave them there.
Maz wrote: It's not that unusual. It's just not from the Judeo-Christian mold that we are used to.
And Zoroastrianism strongly influenced Judeo-Christianity, as it was the first religion that had a battle between pure good and pure evil. Hence Nietzsche calling one of his books Thus Spoke Zarathrustra, as Zarathrustra is Zoroaster :)
Or you could just read up on the funeral practices of many native people of North America, including those who practiced native customs into the early-20th century.
FreddiesGhettoTrench wrote: And Zoroastrianism strongly influenced Judeo-Christianity
Absolutely correct. That's where Christianity got the idea of the star from. The story says the wisemen were from "the east", and they worshipped light. It's just a tale, paying its homage to Zoroastrianism... not actual history.
In a way it is... if you take something from someone else, that means you actually like it and were influenced by it... which is essentially the definition of paying homage.. :)
personally i think cremation is the most beautiful way for remains to go... think about it, the body in life is a leash, in death, the spirit is free, and the body when burned, the ashes can go wherever they please (with a nudge from wind).
graves/sarcophagi/mausoleums can be elaborate and beautiful, but easily defaced, and time weathers it away and the body of the person is eventually forgotten. i guess that goes for every type of respect of the dead...
cannibalism in some cultures is a way of respecting the body of the dead, by having a 'part of them with them for life'...but due to disease and forceful missionaries most cultures no longer practice this.
as for vultures eating the remains, natives believed that they were simply going back to where they came from, and that is the cycle of nature.
there, some nice perspectives on death, i guess. sorry to rant about it, i just did a project on this kind of thing XD
Nice post, Sparrow. Not to mention, being cremated is much cheaper than a burial... and it doesn't waste land. Graveyards and golf courses are using up waaaaay too much land!