When you hear the phrase “Viking burial,” many imagine the body of a warrior floating in the ocean on a ship, while archers hit it with flaming arrows, igniting the ship and incinerating the remains. This powerful imagery — mostly inspired by recent TV shows and movies — is one of the reasons why Viking funerals have grown in popularity over the years. However, there is some debate as to whether this idea of a Viking burial is historically correct and whether it would be possible to have one today. This article explains what a Viking funeral is and if it is possible to have one in Canada. This technique called green cremation made its way to Canada and the United States a few years ago because it would be considered more energy efficient than cremation, which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, funeral directors have found that a lot of water is needed for this process to work. Not in the U.S., but my dad once attended a Viking funeral for a sailboat (so no corpse complications) and they still got into trouble with the Coast Guard because of the danger of setting someone else`s dock or boat on fire. The likelihood that this would be completely legal if you were trying to get permission in advance: very low. In many ways, it is not possible to conduct a fully realized Viking funeral in Canada. Funerals at sea are possible as they are subject to the disposal at sea provisions of Canada`s Environmental Protection Act. Regardless of how the body was eliminated, certain rituals remained constant. The body of the deceased was often dressed in new clothes specially prepared for funerals. Elaborate ceremonies built on Viking traditions used rituals to help the deceased travel to the afterlife.
Funeral ceremonies were often held in Viking banquet halls, where leaders gave speeches, swore allegiance to family and community, and exchanged gifts. And all this with a lot of mead. But that could change. Maine is currently considering a bill that would legalize Viking funerals and, quote, “outdoor cremations.” Open pyres were made illegal in Britain by the publication of the Cremation Act 1930. The ceremony, which took place in a field in Northumberland, was the first open-air cremation in Britain since 1934. As bleak as it sounds, funerals and cemeteries are the norm in Canada, but businesses around the world are pushing the boundaries to push the green burial movement a step further. Some communities have restrictions on where pyres can be lit, and others may have restrictions on the types of materials that can be used at Viking funerals. It is always important to check with local authorities before planning any type of funeral or ceremony so that you are aware of any specific regulations that may apply.
Unfortunately, Viking funerals are fundamentally illegal throughout the United States. There are two places in Colorado where you can cremate the remains of people outside, but they only allow 12 funerals a year. If you attended a funeral and saw the body in an open coffin, it usually means that the body has been preserved to prevent decomposition. Rituals varied by location, but most Vikings were sent to the afterlife by burial or cremation. Boats symbolized safe passage in Viking mythology, so images of ships or boats were often incorporated into funerary practices. Although Hollywood screenwriters have reinvented the funeral of a Viking warrior, a historically accurate Viking funeral has not been conducted in exactly the same way. However, some aspects of this ritual have been used in traditional practices. Open air cremation or burning of human bodies at the stake is not legal in most parts of the Western world. However, there is one exception. In Crestone, Colorado, the Crestone End of Life Project operates an outdoor legal cremation site where people can be legally cremated at the stake. Overall, it may not be possible to show the great theatrical Viking funerals in movies and on TV, but there are many ways to keep the Viking spirit alive at today`s funeral.
I know it probably varies from state to state, but I was wondering what the legality of all of this was. There may be no funeral cooler than a Viking funeral. There, your mortal remains will be burned and sent to sea. One way to incorporate Viking traditions is to prepare the body, which is washed and decorated with new clothes and jewelry. This could be done with the help of a funeral home or by the family of the deceased prior to cremation. Contact us if you have any questions. Whether it`s legal or not, I don`t see how you can do it more than once anyway. Local cemetery rules, state laws, and the logistics of getting the materials and space needed for these burial options would present obstacles for many families. A professional funeral director or funeral director can work on behalf of the family within these requirements, so they don`t have to worry about the details involved in creating a wonderful Viking funeral.
The idea behind a Viking funeral is that the person`s spirit will sail to Valhalla in the afterlife. There could be places where a scale replica of a Viking longship can be set on fire on a private pond. The deceased could be represented by cremated remains or an image. Before the commemoration, the deceased could be cremated and part of the body cremated placed in an urn in the nave. If the deceased had been buried, a lock of the person`s hair could be used in the nave. A third option is to use an effigy or puppet wearing the insignia of the deceased Viking and placed in the nave. The funeral or the monument would end with the solemn fire of the nave. A ship with the deceased is placed on the pyre, with grave goods including his weapons, silk blankets and a sofa covered with pillows.
The deceased is dressed in specially prepared expensive mourning clothes. The ceremony also includes the sacrifices of various animals and a slave. Cremation of corpses at the stake in the open air may soon be legal in Maine. A state legislature bill would allow some parts of the state to perform outdoor cremations — a funeral ritual that dates back thousands of years but has largely disappeared from what is now the United States. If I had a piece of land with a lake, could I have a Viking funeral? Besides, what are the laws concerning the cremation of a person on his land? Well, setting fire to a ship with a deceased person on a public lake would not be the way to go because 1) it is illegal and 2) it would not incinerate the person effectively. Cremation requires a temperature of 1400 degrees for a period of two to three hours to completely burn the average human body. However, there are a number of sensible ideas we have for a Viking funeral in today`s world. I really recommend trying r/DeathPositive/ if you want to explore alternatives to the standard funeral.
Or simply learn more about your rights and obligations when it comes to funerals and deaths. Pray Funeral Home can take care of the many details, no matter how a family celebrates a life. With the help of a professional, a meaningful celebration can be created that helps the family express grief and receive support from the community as they attend the public gathering and funeral. The funeral publicly affirms the value of that person`s life and shows how they will live in the hearts and minds of others. A meaningful funeral can also help transcend and transform the lives of those who attend. As Dr. Alan D. Wolfelt, “Funerals help us embrace the miracle of life and death and remind us to live deeply, with joy and love.” That`s why we strive to develop a meaningful service for every family. We have seen such significant ministries bring healing to a family. As these are legal issues, we are transferring the matter to IMHO. Research on Viking burial rituals shows no evidence, archaeological or written, proving that such sea pyres were used. The ship on fire at sea may be a Hollywood fantasy.
It might even be possible to incorporate the fire aspect into funeral rituals. In Ontario, for example, some cities allow wood to be burned in a small, controlled fire. Therefore, you can symbolically burn the replica of the longship in a campfire if you wish. Probably, this would cause inconvenience if done discreetly: also quite weak. In comparison, scattering ashes from an airplane is by no means uncommon – but what`s the chance that it`s completely legal in many places? There is a history of cremation and scattering of ashes in our family. Grandma on the New Hampshire coast, etc. wanted to commemorate my parents in the same way, but discovered that it is illegal to scatter ashes on the beach. It is acceptable on private land, but had to provide a cremation certificate for burial in an established cemetery.