
Disrespecting the dead is a complex issue that has been debated by many. While some argue that speaking ill of the deceased is no different from disrespecting the living, others believe it is worse due to the sanctity of death and the inability of the dead to defend themselves. The main argument against disrespecting the dead is that it can cause harm to the living friends and relatives of the deceased, compounding their grief and offending those who cared about them. Additionally, there are various cultural and religious beliefs that condemn such actions, with some considering it a sin. For example, the Latin phrase damnatio memoriae refers to the condemnation of memory, indicating that a person is to be excluded from official accounts as a form of punishment or dishonor.
Body Snatching
The main purpose of body snatching was to sell the corpses, primarily to medical schools, where they were used for dissection and anatomy lectures. Before the Anatomy Act of 1832 in the UK, the only legal supply of corpses for anatomical purposes were those condemned to death and dissection by the courts. However, this did not provide nearly enough bodies for medical schools, leading to an increase in body snatching.
To avoid detection, body snatchers usually worked at night and in teams, targeting graves that were recently dug and roughly covered so that their work would go undetected. They would dig a vertical tunnel down to the head end of the coffin, break the lid, and hoist the body to the surface with a rope or a long metal hook. They would then fill in the tunnel, smooth out the ground, and return any possessions to the coffin before leaving.
Despite the risks, body snatching was widespread, especially near medical schools in cities like Edinburgh, London, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York. In response, relatives of the deceased would hire guards to watch over graves, use iron coffins or burial vaults, place metal or heavy wooden planks over the coffin, or fill graves with heavy stones to deter body snatchers.
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Damnatio Memoriae
In ancient times, this practice was carried out by chiselling stone inscriptions, removing names from inscriptions and documents, defacing statues, and even large-scale rewritings of history. It was not a secret act but a public display of removal, serving as a powerful reminder of the ongoing stigma associated with the condemned person's name.
One example of damnatio memoriae involves Crispus, the first son of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Constantine executed Crispus after discovering an affair between Crispus and Constantine's second wife, Fausta, who was also Crispus' stepmother. Following his death, Crispus' name was removed from inscriptions and milestones across the Roman Empire.
Another example is that of Marc Antony, a close confidant of Julius Caesar. After Caesar's death, Marc Antony became involved with Cleopatra and fell out with Caesar's heir, Octavian (later Augustus). After losing the war against Augustus, Marc Antony was subjected to damnatio memoriae, although not all mentions of his name were erased.
Prominent women could also be subjected to damnatio memoriae. Messalina, the famously promiscuous second wife of Claudius, was the subject of a senatorial decree after her death that sought to erase her name and ban its mention. However, inscriptions referring to Messalina still remain.
While complete damnatio memoriae has not been attempted in modern times, less total instances have occurred, including the removal of individuals from photographs and articles in the Soviet Union, such as Leon Trotsky, Nikolay Yezhov, and Stalin. Following the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, many communist statues were also removed, particularly those of Lenin and Stalin.
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Desecration of graves
The desecration of graves is a taboo act that involves intentional vandalism, theft, or destruction at burial sites. Grave desecration has been prohibited by law in modern times, with acts of vandalism, theft, or destruction considered desecration.
Grave robbery, for example, in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, is one form of desecration. Looting of valuables and commodities from tombs has been recorded since 2000 BC, with punishments for thieves ranging from removal of body parts to execution. Body snatching, or the secret removal of corpses, is another form of grave desecration. In the 19th century, body snatchers sold corpses to medical schools for dissection or anatomy lectures. This practice was carried out in the United Kingdom until the Anatomy Act of 1832 and led to the installation of gates and fences around cemeteries.
Graves have also been targeted for vandalism, as seen in the case of the Mount of Olives, where villagers were paid to prevent desecration. In modern times, religious and racial motivations continue to drive vandalism and desecration of grave sites. Jewish cemeteries, for example, have been targeted for vandalism, and in 2004, two white teens desecrated the grave of James Byrd, Jr., a black man who was dragged to death.
The razing of cemeteries, or the destruction of grave markers and graves, is another form of desecration. This has occurred in Uyghur cemeteries in China, as part of a control campaign against Muslim minorities, and in the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces, potentially constituting a war crime. The disturbance of human burials without a license or permission from the Church of England is also considered desecration, as is the removal of gravestones, leaving trash, or tampering with a gravesite.
The desecration of graves is a serious offense, with legal consequences varying from fines to imprisonment, depending on the extent of the damage and local legislation.
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Gibbeting
The bodies on display were often coated in tar or bound in chains to prolong the public exhibition and enhance the deterrent effect. In certain instances, body-shaped iron cages were employed to contain the decomposing corpses. The practice was not limited to displaying the dead but also served as a method of execution, with criminals left to die of exposure, thirst, or starvation.
The use of gibbeting as a form of punishment declined over time and was eventually repealed by statute in 1834 in Britain. However, there are reports of its continued use in other parts of the world, with the last recorded gibbeting taking place in 1837, five years after the practice had ceased in England.
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Grave robbery
In modern times, grave robbery continues to be a problem in various parts of the world. In China, for instance, grave robbing reached epidemic proportions in the 1980s due to the construction boom that followed the country's economic reform, exposing many archaeological sites. Other regions affected by grave robbery include Eastern Europe, North America, and Australia, where the remains of Indigenous Australians have been targeted.
To combat grave robbery, various deterrents and security measures have been employed throughout history. For example, mausoleums were built as a display of wealth and security, while mortsafes, or iron coffins, were used to prevent body snatching in Scotland. Despite these efforts, grave robbery remains a persistent issue that continues to cause harm to individuals, communities, and academic fields alike.
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