In a nutshell it's timeshare for dead people. You get buried for awhile at an exclusive burial location then after a few hundred years or so, your time is up, they dig you up and relocate your bones to an ossuary so other people can be buried where you were.
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| Think the coins strewn around the mountains of skulls are where people made wishes? |
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| This chandelier of skulls and bones is the centerpiece in the Ossuary. |
The exclusive grounds in the village of Sedlec, in the Czech Republic, surround the abbey there. In 1278 the head of the monastery in Sedlec brought back soil from Jerusalem (or more specifically Calvary, where Jesus Christ was crucified) and sprinkled the earth around the cemetery. So now it became like this very cool place to be buried and everyone wanted in. I didn't read how much it would have cost but I'm guessing no paupers were buried there. So that pretty much excludes any of my ancestors, assuming I have any Czech or Bohemian family history.
A few wars go by and a couple of plagues and things are getting a little tight at the small cemetery, and in 1400 they added the Church of All Saints there. The first of the skeletons are exhumed to make room for the church and placed in an ossuary built beneath the church.
A few wars go by and a couple of plagues and things are getting a little tight at the small cemetery, and in 1400 they added the Church of All Saints there. The first of the skeletons are exhumed to make room for the church and placed in an ossuary built beneath the church.
Around 1500, one of the order's monks who was partially blind, (and I'm guessing, based on his job assignment, was no one's favorite monk), is assigned the task of exhuming some of the graves and stacking more of the bones in the ossuary.
Finally, in 1700, Frantisek Rint, a Czech woodcarver, is hired and begins the decorating of the Sedlec Ossuary with all the exhumed bones. The most disturbing thing to me is why this job was thought of in the first place? I mean, what kind of warped mind says, "lets take all these bones and decorate"?
The macabre sculptures are unusual to say the least. Not as creepy as you might think. We missed out on seeing the catacombs in Paris and after seeing photos of this in the past, we weren't about to let this one go by. Certainly it was one of the more unusual things we've ever seen.
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| Family crest |
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| We did spend quite a few minutes admiring the beauty that neglect had on some of the old tombstones |
Seeing pics of these are amazing, I can only imagine how awesome it was in real life! I wonder whose idea it was, too. Bone art - yeah!
ReplyDeleteWas certainly one of the highlights of the trip!
DeleteI've always wanted to visit the Bone Church. That and the Paris Catacombs; I mean, the bones of six million men - how much spookier can you get?
ReplyDeleteNot as "spooky" as you might think, just odd. Paris catacombs are still on our list if we get back near there although Belinda has acquired some claustrophobia so may not be able to go underground anyways.
DeleteThis was an amusing read, especially for the topic! I know what you mean about someone designing bone sculptures. I guess it was a decorative way of storing the materials and they were using what they had on hand to make art. If you can ignore the materials used, the designs are pretty impressive.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Not really being critical, religious and cultural customs change with time. It was an impressive sight though.
DeleteAwwww, what a lovely way to think of it - a timeshare for dead people! :D
ReplyDeleteI think I may have taken that exact same picture, with the root overtaking the tombstone. It looks so pretty - even without any snow. Curse you, Polar Vortex - we wouldn't have minded if you'd worked your over to Prague and left us alone. :o)
Yeah, that would have been nice but then again we did so much walking was probably for the best there was no snow to slip and break my as* on! :) I wish we would have spent a whole day in Kutna Hora and Sedlec but we got a late start and I didn't want to be riding the train late at night. It was a very quaint little city and town though.
DeleteYeah, I like the 'timeshare' idea, too! I remember reading about this church several years ago. I was completely fascinated and appalled at the same time. And that, I think, is because as living humans we have a complex relationship with the departed and their remains. I see beauty in bones but it's hard to get beyond the association with what will, in the end, come to us all. Still, I envy you your trip :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm sure we'll never return but Prague is an amazing place and this little side trip was very memorable. I agree it is a bit unusual with all the skeletons and bones but the history of the place and it's age just make it seem more of a historical artifact rather than anything gruesome.
DeleteGreat photos, Mark. I'm so jealous that you got to go to see Sedlec!! I recommend the book "Empire of Death" by Paul Koudounaris. Tons of great photos from Sedlec as well as other ossuaries and crypts from around the world including my favorite, Capuchin Cemetery in Italy.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike! I saw that book online, it does look interesting and well put together, might have to plunk down the cash... Italy and Capuchin is on our bucket list but it's a couple years out unfortunately.
DeleteOh, I've been so busy with work that I haven't been online much, and I nearly missed these pics. What a fascinating place! I love the old tombstones overgrown with plants!
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