How the British Buried a Suicide
We all know what a civilized society the U.K. has developed over centuries.
Their belief in a certain superstition in the 19th century is a good indicator of how far England still had to go at that time.
When a person committed suicide in England, the superstitious British buried a suicide at a public crossroads, with a stake through the heart. (Sounds a little like the Dracula myth, doesn't it?)
The practice continued until as late as 1823, about 180 years ago, when it was finally outlawed. 180 years is a blink of the eye in terms of history.
Source: The Old Curiosity Shop, Charles Dickens
Their belief in a certain superstition in the 19th century is a good indicator of how far England still had to go at that time.
When a person committed suicide in England, the superstitious British buried a suicide at a public crossroads, with a stake through the heart. (Sounds a little like the Dracula myth, doesn't it?)
The practice continued until as late as 1823, about 180 years ago, when it was finally outlawed. 180 years is a blink of the eye in terms of history.
Source: The Old Curiosity Shop, Charles Dickens
posted by Jim | 7:40 PM
2 Comments:
Was this tradition carried over to America?
I googled the terms "Puritan" and "suicide". The Puritans would not bury a suicide in sacred ground. They buried one by the side of the road under rocks.
I haven't seen anything else that indicates the practice was carried over to the U.S.
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