Cremation

[astrologica]

Cremation of the dead is generally accepted in this country these days, even by some Roman Catholics, who traditionally favoured burial. In the town where I live, the traditional cemetery is now closed as it is full. There is a new cemetary, but it isn't as large as the old one and I would imagine it will be full in a few decades. With all available land being grabbed for building houses, land for cemeteries is becoming increasingly scarce. Islam does not allow cremation of the dead, because they think it is disrespectful to the deceased. So what is going to happen in decades to come when there is no more room for cemeteries, but Muslims living, and dying, in this country want to be buried? Just a thought.

[cee-dee]

The practice of burying people 6 feet down is supposed to have started in the 17th century due to the plague. It was thought it was being spread from dead bodies (buried too shallow) so a Law was introduced to ensure bodies were buried 6 feet down.

Some say that burying 6 feet down was so that someone else could be buried "on top" but my understanding is that a "double plot" was dug 9 feet down. That is.... if a man died and his wife wanted to be buried with him when her time came, she ordered and paid for a double plot.

[malacandran]

Thanks cee-dee, but couldn't the wife have got buried in a double-grave, alongside her husband.  Both at 6-foot depth

Unless she envisaged post-mortal copulation with her deceased husband.  But if she did, why would she want a 3-foot separation from him.

Perhaps she had experience of his extraordinary manly prowess?

[cee-dee]

The couldn't be side-by-side, that'd take up too much space and anyway, if a s-b-s grave was dug "later", the earlier one would collapse in to the "new" one.

As to a conventonal "double", they wouldn't be separated by 3 feet. The first coffin has "a certain height" and when the grave is re-opened for the second internment, they don't want the earlier coffin to be exposed to any mourners so it's left covered.

[bankhaunter]

Nothing is sacred.

[upthecreekyetagain]

Would save a lot of space if the coffins were interred vertically rather than horizontally.

[astrologica]

It would save even more space if every deceased person were cremated!

[electric*mayhem*band]

Take comfort from the fact that whatever your financial situation is when you finally pop your clogs, the council won't leave you above ground.

Amen.

[malacandran]

Yes, as creeky says,  it would definitely economise on graveyard space.  Every graveyard could accomodate at least 3 times as many corpses, within the same area. 

Why has this excellent idea, not been adopted?  Are there religious objections to vertical interment?