Category
Death & Mourning
Rituals, beliefs and farewells through time. Explore the customs people have used to honour the dead, comfort the living and make sense of loss, and the surprising histories behind the ways we remember.
Why Did People Keep a Dead Person’s Hair in Jewellery?
Why did people wear jewellery containing a dead loved one’s hair? Explore the personal history of mourning hairwork and the myth that every piece marked a death.
5 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — not all hair jewellery was for mourningWhy Were Some Graves Covered with Iron Cages?
Why were some graves covered with iron cages? Discover the Scottish mortsafes built to stop body snatchers stealing the dead for medical dissection.
6 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — mortsafes and their use against body snatching are historically documented.Why Did Victorians Photograph Their Dead?
Why did Victorians photograph their dead? Discover the touching history of post-mortem portraits and the myths surrounding Victorian death photography.
5 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — the practice is documented; many modern photograph identifications are disputed.Why Did People Cover Mirrors After a Death?
It sounds like the beginning of a ghost story. In some traditions, that is almost exactly what it was.
4 min read · DOCUMENTED custom — origin disputedWhy Were Clocks Stopped When Someone Died?
A person dies.
4 min read · DOCUMENTED custom — exact origin unknownWhy Were Coins Placed on the Eyes of the Dead?
Two coins rest on a dead person's closed eyes.
5 min read · DOCUMENTED custom — popular ancient explanation partly misleadingWhy Do Mourners Wear Black?
Walk into a traditional Western funeral and one colour dominates.
4 min read · WELL SUPPORTEDWhy Do We Hold a Wake After Someone Dies?
There is something odd about the word itself.
4 min read · DOCUMENTED — customs vary greatlyWhy Do We Put Flowers at Funerals?
Flowers die.
4 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — no single originWhy Are Funeral Bells Tolled for the Dead?
One bell.
4 min read · DOCUMENTEDWhy Are Coffins Traditionally Carried Feet First?
When the coffin leaves the house, one end usually goes first.
4 min read · DOCUMENTED custom — exact origin unknown