Death and Afterlife

[beagle]

The cuisine was likely superior to that provided by Hel (and Hel's personnel was notorious for being slow, not to say lazy).

To be honest, I hadn't really been led to expect an ethos of superb customer service.

[Griffin NoName]

The cuisine was likely superior to that provided by Hel (and Hel's personnel was notorious for being slow, not to say lazy).

To be honest, I hadn't really been led to expect an ethos of superb customer service.

But surely, Hell is of one's own making? Your expectations would indicate superb customer service as one of your own issues. You could get treatment.

[pieces o nine]

I've always thought Hel (l) would be *being* the waiter.   
For eternity. 

[Aggie]

ROFL, in a past forum life, I always maintained that I'd be willing to cook in Heaven's pasta kitchen.  Hell's kitchen would be fine too.  The heat wouldn't be much different than usual circumstances.

Be a server?  HELL NO!

[Darlica]

(I guess some maybe most of you already know this but it might be worth repeating)

Hel in asa (Norse, Swedish, Danish I'm not entirely sure about the Germanic version) mythology is the underworld, much more like the Greek Hades than the Christian Hell, and like Hades is the the name of both the place and the ruler so is Hel, albeit Hel is a goddess (and she didn't abduct the daughter of the fertility goddess causing winter ).
There was no shame in going to Hel after death, Hel was the place most people ended up in, only men who died on the battle field, and not even all of them, came to Valhalla (or Valhall in Swedish) only the bravest most outstanding warriors did, the rest ended up in Hel together with women, children and slaves (trälar).

Now Valhalla wasn't the same as heaven, sure there was good food and mead in abundance and pretty Valkyries to look at but it was also Odin's personal boot camp where he assembled his forces for Ragnarök the big battle that would end the world.

[Swatopluk]

And Baldr, fairest of the gods, resides there too (involuntarily though).
Btw, what happens to Hel after Ragnarök? Iirc, Hel is with the attackers but her fate is not detailed unlike that of her two brothers (Fenrir and the Midgard serpent) and her father (Loki) that all die.

Geyr Garmr mjök
fyr Gnípahelli;
festr man slitna,
en freki renna.
Fjöld veit hon frœða,
fram sé ek lengra,
um ragnarök
römm sigtíva

[anthrobabe]

I do like the funeral forest idea, and no way are they planting me in a bone yard-- no way, ugh-- I can't bear the thought even of one of my children being buried--- just a nasty tradition. Cremation, yep that's for me.
But some cultures that do bury actually have a neat purpose when they bring the bones up from time to time and visit with them-- now that might be alright. This bury until the resurection thing just ain't happenin.
The funeral industry in the USA is one of depraved, money grubbing barbarity and nothing else. I'd honestly like to know ahead of time that death was inevetable in X number of days and just wander off somewhere and let the Earth take care of me.

My oldest daughter firmly believes in some sort of spiritual presence after life-- aka 'ghosts' but not the silly stuff. Pretty nice idea to know that someone is watching over one. Even if it's while making pancakes at Darlicas home. Anything that fosters a positive connection to the past and those we love is a good thing.

[Swatopluk]

What about a funeral orchard? Or would the fruit be not fit for consumption considering the amount of heavy metal etc. humans acquire during their lifetime (including dental fillings)?

[Sibling Chatty]

Meh, you can clean that mess up with a couple crops of industrial-type hemp*, plus have lots of nice fiber for making tote bags for the fruit!

* _{Not available in the US, as someone MIGHT concentrate the THC out of 4 or 5 TONS of hemp and get high for about 20 seconds.}

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

What about a funeral orchard? Or would the fruit be not fit for consumption considering the amount of heavy metal etc. humans acquire during their lifetime (including dental fillings)?

I doubt that the fruit would have significant amounts of toxic metals.

[pieces o nine]

Very interesting thread.


Here's a brief article on Circle Sanctuary and some work towards sidestepping unnecessary pomp, circumstance and waste in funerals.

(Interestingly, I came across the link to this article on a neopagan site and a surprising number of comments were of the "GAH! GERMS! This is unnatural and disrespectful!" variety.)

[Aggie]

What about a funeral orchard? Or would the fruit be not fit for consumption considering the amount of heavy metal etc. humans acquire during their lifetime (including dental fillings)?

I doubt that the fruit would have significant amounts of toxic metals.

Eh, most of it does already, if the land's been in orchard use for more than 50 years or so.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

What about a funeral orchard? Or would the fruit be not fit for consumption considering the amount of heavy metal etc. humans acquire during their lifetime (including dental fillings)?

I doubt that the fruit would have significant amounts of toxic metals.

Eh, most of it does already, if the land's been in orchard use for more than 50 years or so.

But.  Are the levels dangerous to eat?

Humans have been exposed to metals in their diet since they've been humans.  Indeed, if we lack certain metals in trace amounts, we die.

Small amounts of just about any metal is harmless-- depending on what you mean by "small" and which metal.

[pieces o nine]

I've come around to a preference for cremation (although really, all of the options seem like a Bad Idea if you're not *completely* away...) for anything that is of no use elsewhere (e.g. organ donation depending on cause of death and my condition at that time).

What's done with the ashes seems inconsequential as well, although a couple of artsy friends and I have periodically toyed with the idea of creating our own 'canopic' jars, in case of being shelved in some sort of columbarium. My family would find it macabre and disturbing, but it's a project that would make me smile. Maybe something like this, but with some tasteful scarabs and lotuses and ankhs and...

[Sibling Chatty]

I've got to locate 'urns' for both Kate (and her cat, Nicodemus...we found his ashes in Kate's stuff) and for Michael.

Now, Kate was a strong Christian (working on her classes for chaplaincy appointment for Texas Medical Center hospitals, already had her ministerial degree) and Michael was Wiccan.

I've got Kate and the cat in my closet, Michael's ashes will be divided so that his son and daughter each get part, and Denise keeps the rest. He'll go on the same shelf Kate's on until we can intern them.

But if they think I'm payin' $289 for a 'handcrafted paper internment vessel' they're nuts. I can handcraft an internment vessel for MUCH less...and paint and trim it, and glue the top on with Elmer's, just like their 'artisans' do.

Of course, before I decided on cremation, I was going to build my own coffin. I've got the plans drawn and the lumber selected, but never got all the tools together. I may make it as a quilt chest instead.