About Me

I'm a PhD student researching the role of the archaeological dead in contemporary British society. Think of this as a scrapbook of all the interesting links, snippets of information and random bits and bobs I come across pertaining to death, dying and the dead. Enjoy?!

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    the-collection-of-oddities: These items are a personal favorite of mine. I’ve always wanted to own one. They are Victorian tear catchers, usually used by a widowed bride. Upon the day of the funeral, the widow would collect her tears into this small vile, and all the tears she cried in the first year over the loss of her husband, she would capture in this vile she would wear upon her neck. And on the anniversary of his death, she pours the preserved tears atop his gravesite. It’s beautiful, tragic, and prolongs the suffering for ritualistic purposes. However, it’s quite poetic. If I were ever to loose someone close to me, I would do this.  Wow. I’d never heard of this before - a quick Google reveals that it is also called a lachrymatory. Bizarre, but beautiful!

    the-collection-of-oddities:

    These items are a personal favorite of mine. I’ve always wanted to own one. They are Victorian tear catchers, usually used by a widowed bride. Upon the day of the funeral, the widow would collect her tears into this small vile, and all the tears she cried in the first year over the loss of her husband, she would capture in this vile she would wear upon her neck. And on the anniversary of his death, she pours the preserved tears atop his gravesite. It’s beautiful, tragic, and prolongs the suffering for ritualistic purposes. However, it’s quite poetic. If I were ever to loose someone close to me, I would do this. 

    Wow. I’d never heard of this before - a quick Google reveals that it is also called a lachrymatory. Bizarre, but beautiful!

    (Source: theodditiesblog, via drtuesdaygjohnson)