People Show What Items They Value The Most, Pose With Them As If They Were Buried As Per Old Burial Traditions
It’s one thing to not be able to spend your entire life without your laptop, but all of eternity? That’s one heck of a personal statement. And in the past, people weren’t afraid to make them. Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are the items buried along with the body, and researchers have learned quite a lot about our ancestors from the things they were buried with.
Regia Anglorum, a UK-based reenactment group, which portrays the life and history of the Vikings, Saxons, and Normans in the Early Middle Ages, decided to imagine what would modern people take to the afterlife if they were sent off according to old traditions.
More info: regia.org | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Image credits: regiaanglorum
“Creating new content during the pandemic has been difficult,” Jenn Peters, press and publicity officer at Regia Anglorum, told Bored Panda. “Normally, our summer weekends would have been full of battles and events where we experience and educate others about early medieval life.”
The lockdown, however, has really limited their activities, and the group has been setting each other photo challenges and games to keep themselves connected and entertained. “I wanted a challenge that could recreate what we see in grave finds but with things we had at our disposal, so I posed our members the question, ‘what would your medieval grave look like?'” Peters recalled the origins of this series.
Image credits: regiaanglorum
Image credits: regiaanglorum
She explained that burying goods with the deceased is one of humanity’s earliest traditions. “The universal belief across many world cultures was that you needed to bring items from your current life with you into the afterlife. Much of what we know from history comes from what archaeologists can glean from what the dead wanted to take with them. Famously, we can think of the tomb of Tutankhamun, the Terracotta Army, the ship burial of Sutton Hoo, and so on.”
Image credits: regiaanglorum
Image credits: regiaanglorum
But the tradition of interring bodies with grave goods ended with the gradual Christianisation of Europe. According to Peters, the practice died out because Christian heaven doesn’t allow baggage. But many of the comments under their post were from people acknowledging they still would like to be buried this way, for example, holding onto sentimental things of their loved ones who had passed on.
Image credits: regiaanglorum
Image credits: regiaanglorum
Image credits: regiaanglorum
Image credits: regiaanglorum
Image credits: regiaanglorum
Image credits: regiaanglorum
Here’s what people have been saying about the series
I have a stuffed animal I got when I was two. It's coming with me to the great beyond. That's in my will. I don't care who thinks it's weird.
I sent one of my cats into the afterlife on a bed of tissue paper sewing patterns. Her favourite thing in life was to interfere with sewing projects by sprawling out on top of the pattern pieces. Worst pattern weight ever, but the cutest by far.
That's so sweet and thought -filled. As opposed to just thoughtful.
Load More Replies...I'm on the fence with this post. I'm honestly not sure why it bothers me. It's all just stuff..just stuff.
Yeah there was a lot of material c**p in these photos. Like make up and laptops and shoes and generic books. Why? This is supposed to be about prized possessions you'd take beyond the grave. I'd just have my pets' ashes.
Load More Replies...I asked my daughter if she’s okay with giving me a Viking funeral, even if I’ve already been cremated. I said stick my ashes on a raft, push me out to sea and light that s**t on fire. So she says no worries Mum, so proud of her :) I’d have my engagement ring, wedding ring, favourite stuffed toy and family photos. Maybe a couple of flowers too
I've told my family I want an Irish wake and a Viking funeral
Load More Replies...The posts with the dogs got me right in the middle of the solar plexus feels.
Also, guns in the afterlife? I wonder what their reasons are.
Load More Replies...My grandfather was a gravedigger. After 20 years, the graves were leveled. Sometimes he found things between the remains of the coffin, the most impressive was a beautiful coffee cup...
I just want to take my dog with me please but nobody is allowed to kill her, so that's a problem. We'll just have to plan well and die at the same time.
Get clay paw print kits. Two of my dogs have died. The vet had a clay kit available and I was able to get Shredder's paw done. When Chase died, they didn't have any kits available and I had to get one from a craft store. It is not the same and didn't turn out well. I do have Chase's ashes, though. I purchased a couple of clay kits so I can do paw prints of my other two dogs while they're still alive. I don't want to run into that same problem again with not being able to get the paw prints when I need to. It was heartbreaking and I get upset whenever I see the poor job of Chase's paw print. But, it's something at least, I guess.
Load More Replies...I prefer my body to be eaten by animals, insects and plants.
I can see how people would want this as people buy useless things daily and can't save any money. 💰 Why not go to the grave with your favorites your emotionally attached to? It would make the thought of dying much easier and comforting. Plus once your dead, family fights over your assets and stuff. It's sickeningly disturbing more so then being put in the ground with stuff. I don't see the world getting any better with pollution and waste anyhow. I mean it just fits in your coffin? Anyways I can't afford a grave plot and won't have a funeral so this isn't even in the realm of hope or fantasy thinking for me. Money wise if available cremation really for me. Or donate body to science.
I already bought my bio-urn and I don't really care what comes with me.
I look around in my place and, honestly, bury me with my dog. That's the only possesion I truly care about.
I don't need to be buried with anything in particular. All I ask is that my friends pour a good craft beer on my grave now and then.
Mine would pretty much just be my dog, my great grandmother's engagement ring, and my phone. I don't really have any material possessions that I treasure that much.
When my aunt died over 35 years ago, I put pictures of her home and her pets in her pocket. I also put some other things in the other pocket that were dear to her. I was an anthropology student at that time and I knew that the ancients buried things dear to them so I did this for my aunt. Still makes me feel good.
Most items from the life of these people are manufactured -- designed and produced by other people and machines. Few personal items. Ancient graves are filled with original pieces that indicates something about that person. These things are from being influenced by advertising. Terrible comment on this civilization as having few individuals.
interesting idea and project ... my family members that matter most are dead - the remaining few all bitter disappoints - so ya, it would be a small number of my most valued things; my phone - for all the music/pics/audio book & notes on it - along with it's accessories, the little cedar urns that hold my furry pets ashes, and the few pieces of jewelry I've had made and worn daily for the last 35yrs ... dressed in jeans and t-shirt, if photographed the shot would look rather spartan and simple by comparison to the rest of these
I hope someone explains to the guy in camo pants that 'Apocalypse Now' was a movie about the horrors, stupidity, and wastefulness of war, not an instruction manual.
Omg, the doggos! Why aren't anyone talking about the sweet doggos? <3
No afterlife, no heaven, no hell, just rot and decay. dont need all that consumer clutter. when you die you turn to liquid, and rot. so will all youe hopes and dreams. Death is the end. no hope, no renewal, no gods, or angels to save you just darkness, and unless your going to accept it now, you will be rather disappointed when you shuffle of this mortal coil
Why darkness? I guess there will be nothing, juste like it was before our births.
Load More Replies...I have a stuffed animal I got when I was two. It's coming with me to the great beyond. That's in my will. I don't care who thinks it's weird.
I sent one of my cats into the afterlife on a bed of tissue paper sewing patterns. Her favourite thing in life was to interfere with sewing projects by sprawling out on top of the pattern pieces. Worst pattern weight ever, but the cutest by far.
That's so sweet and thought -filled. As opposed to just thoughtful.
Load More Replies...I'm on the fence with this post. I'm honestly not sure why it bothers me. It's all just stuff..just stuff.
Yeah there was a lot of material c**p in these photos. Like make up and laptops and shoes and generic books. Why? This is supposed to be about prized possessions you'd take beyond the grave. I'd just have my pets' ashes.
Load More Replies...I asked my daughter if she’s okay with giving me a Viking funeral, even if I’ve already been cremated. I said stick my ashes on a raft, push me out to sea and light that s**t on fire. So she says no worries Mum, so proud of her :) I’d have my engagement ring, wedding ring, favourite stuffed toy and family photos. Maybe a couple of flowers too
I've told my family I want an Irish wake and a Viking funeral
Load More Replies...The posts with the dogs got me right in the middle of the solar plexus feels.
Also, guns in the afterlife? I wonder what their reasons are.
Load More Replies...My grandfather was a gravedigger. After 20 years, the graves were leveled. Sometimes he found things between the remains of the coffin, the most impressive was a beautiful coffee cup...
I just want to take my dog with me please but nobody is allowed to kill her, so that's a problem. We'll just have to plan well and die at the same time.
Get clay paw print kits. Two of my dogs have died. The vet had a clay kit available and I was able to get Shredder's paw done. When Chase died, they didn't have any kits available and I had to get one from a craft store. It is not the same and didn't turn out well. I do have Chase's ashes, though. I purchased a couple of clay kits so I can do paw prints of my other two dogs while they're still alive. I don't want to run into that same problem again with not being able to get the paw prints when I need to. It was heartbreaking and I get upset whenever I see the poor job of Chase's paw print. But, it's something at least, I guess.
Load More Replies...I prefer my body to be eaten by animals, insects and plants.
I can see how people would want this as people buy useless things daily and can't save any money. 💰 Why not go to the grave with your favorites your emotionally attached to? It would make the thought of dying much easier and comforting. Plus once your dead, family fights over your assets and stuff. It's sickeningly disturbing more so then being put in the ground with stuff. I don't see the world getting any better with pollution and waste anyhow. I mean it just fits in your coffin? Anyways I can't afford a grave plot and won't have a funeral so this isn't even in the realm of hope or fantasy thinking for me. Money wise if available cremation really for me. Or donate body to science.
I already bought my bio-urn and I don't really care what comes with me.
I look around in my place and, honestly, bury me with my dog. That's the only possesion I truly care about.
I don't need to be buried with anything in particular. All I ask is that my friends pour a good craft beer on my grave now and then.
Mine would pretty much just be my dog, my great grandmother's engagement ring, and my phone. I don't really have any material possessions that I treasure that much.
When my aunt died over 35 years ago, I put pictures of her home and her pets in her pocket. I also put some other things in the other pocket that were dear to her. I was an anthropology student at that time and I knew that the ancients buried things dear to them so I did this for my aunt. Still makes me feel good.
Most items from the life of these people are manufactured -- designed and produced by other people and machines. Few personal items. Ancient graves are filled with original pieces that indicates something about that person. These things are from being influenced by advertising. Terrible comment on this civilization as having few individuals.
interesting idea and project ... my family members that matter most are dead - the remaining few all bitter disappoints - so ya, it would be a small number of my most valued things; my phone - for all the music/pics/audio book & notes on it - along with it's accessories, the little cedar urns that hold my furry pets ashes, and the few pieces of jewelry I've had made and worn daily for the last 35yrs ... dressed in jeans and t-shirt, if photographed the shot would look rather spartan and simple by comparison to the rest of these
I hope someone explains to the guy in camo pants that 'Apocalypse Now' was a movie about the horrors, stupidity, and wastefulness of war, not an instruction manual.
Omg, the doggos! Why aren't anyone talking about the sweet doggos? <3
No afterlife, no heaven, no hell, just rot and decay. dont need all that consumer clutter. when you die you turn to liquid, and rot. so will all youe hopes and dreams. Death is the end. no hope, no renewal, no gods, or angels to save you just darkness, and unless your going to accept it now, you will be rather disappointed when you shuffle of this mortal coil
Why darkness? I guess there will be nothing, juste like it was before our births.
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