Tibetansk himmelsbegravning är en av världens mest fascinerande och samtidigt mest missförstådda begravningstraditioner. Inte för att den är exotisk, utan för att den bygger på en helt annan syn på kroppen, döden och livets kretslopp än den västerländska. En tibetansk himmelsbegravning, på tibetanska jhator (”att ge allmosor till fåglarna”), är en traditionell begravningsrit inom tibetansk…
As I walked past the small marina here in town, I saw an elderly couple preparing their boat after its winter rest. It was a charming little sailboat, and it made me think of the great elegant ships of history that once crossed the oceans for trade, exploration, and war.
During the 16th–19th centuries, when a sailor said farewell to their family before departure, everyone knew it might be the last time they would ever see each other. Harsh weather, injuries, accidents, and disease were all part of life at sea, each carrying the risk of a fatal outcome.
Despite the dangers, the open ocean held an almost magical pull. It was not merely a workplace — it was a second home.
For those who lost their lives at sea, it could also become their grave.
In this post, you can read more about what happened after a death aboard ship during the age of sailing vessels.
Flowers hold an obvious place when we celebrate life’s beginnings and milestones — but also when we gather to say goodbye.
In this post, you can read about what some of the most common funeral flowers symbolize.
Cremation became legal in Sweden in 1888, but it was not until the mid-20th century that it became socially accepted alongside traditional coffin burials. Since then, its popularity has steadily increased — first in cities, but eventually in rural areas as well.
During the 1990s, around 60% of Swedes chose cremation. Today, in the 2020s, the number has risen to approximately 83–86%.
So why has cremation become the obvious choice for so many?
In today’s modern society, where most things have a logical explanation, cemeteries still carry an almost magical, faintly supernatural aura.
Perhaps there are things you do — or don’t do — purely on instinct, as if they are something we inherited and never needed to be taught were right or wrong.
When I visited “my” cemetery the other day, I found myself thinking about the unwritten rules most of us dutifully follow in such a place, even though we know there would likely be no real consequences if we broke them.
…but why take the risk and possibly offend someone who may have all the time in the world?
On February 17, 2026, the celebration of the Chinese New Year began, ushering in the Year of the Horse.
In the Chinese calendar, each animal is paired with one of the five elements, and this year it is the Horse combined with Fire — the Fire Horse.
The Fire Horse is associated with strong energy and drive, independence and courage, rapid change, optimism, and faith in the future.
Perfekta egenskaper när vi jobbar på att acceptera vår egen dödlighet och lever livet fullt ut,
trots vetskapen om att döden alltid följer oss i spåren, ibland i full galopp.
In this post, you’ll read about horses from religion and folklore that trot alongside both gods and humans through myth, life, and death.
Transi, also known as cadaver tombs or cadaver monuments, were a way of adorning a grave with a sculpture that differed greatly from the types of grave monuments we are accustomed to seeing today in cemeteries or burial vaults.
Instead of depicting the deceased as peacefully resting, the sculpture portrays the person’s decaying corpse or skeleton. It served both as a graphic reminder of life’s fragility and the impermanence of the human body, and as a more frightening reminder of what awaited after death: the torments of Purgatory.
Today, we are often expected to function as usual, even when life has just fallen apart.
In the past, it was normal—almost expected—to wear one’s grief on the outside as well.
Perhaps you have seen such a marker at some point: a thin black band on a lapel, or a black armband on an athlete’s arm.
An increasingly rare symbol that shows someone is carrying grief and longing.
For many, Christmas is a time of togetherness, warmth, and joy.
But what happens to the celebration when you are deep in grief?
And how can we, as fellow human beings, support someone who is mourning?
This post offers thoughts and gentle guidance on how to face a holiday touched by loss.
Paris, late 1880s. A young woman is found dead in the river Seine. Not unusual in itself—the river had claimed many lives, through accidents, crime, and suicide. Sadly, it still does today.
What made this anonymous woman so remarkable was her face. So peaceful it almost looked as if she were simply asleep.
In this post, you’ll learn about the Unknown Woman of the Seine, who went from an unidentified drowning victim to an artistic icon and one of the most kissed faces in the world.
