How many photos do you have of your loved ones? Just on your phone or in the cloud, there might be hundreds.
Even more tucked away in photo albums and boxes of old holiday snapshots from the days of analog cameras.
Now imagine having just one single photograph of a family member – and it being of their corpse.
In this post, we’ll explore how, during the Victorian era, people remembered their loved ones through a photograph of their dead body.
Imagine arriving at a funeral and being handed a glass of wine and a small piece of candy, beautifully wrapped with a macabre motif – that was a common tradition here in Sweden less than a hundred years ago.
Grief wears many colors. Here in Sweden, black is probably the first that comes to mind – but around the world there’s a whole palette of shades, each carrying its own meaning in the face of death. From white in Asia to purple in Brazil, every color tells a story about how people understand loss, remembrance, and hope.
Kyrkogrimmen – the Church Grim – guardian of the graveyard in Nordic folklore
Have you ever felt watched while visiting a graveyard? Perhaps you caught a glimpse of a dark creature with glowing red eyes as you passed a churchyard late at night? Then it may have been the kyrkogrim (Church Grim) – the spirit guardian of the sacred grounds – keeping a watchful eye on you.
The grim reaper, the reaper, the pale rider…
Death has many names, but we all recognize the image: a skeleton in a black cloak, wielding a scythe.
How did the Reaper become the iconic image of Death? And why is he carrying a scythe?
In this post, you can read more about the history and symbolism of the Grim Reaper.
Explore your own image of Death with questions that make the abstract more personal. Give Death a name, a voice, and maybe even a sense of humor – and discover how your relationship with death can change.
