Gone, But Not Forgotten - Physical Keepsakes Of The Deceased
When someone who was loved passes away, there is a natural desire to somehow hold onto their presence by possessing something of a physical nature of the deceased.
Although there are simple ways to accomplish this, history provides us with many examples of people going to extremes to obtain physical keepsakes of infamous people.
Perhaps more than any other religion, the Roman Catholic Church bestows special honors and veneration upon body parts of saints and martyrs.
St.
Jerome (ca.
A.
D.
340-420) declared that it was proper to venerate the relics of the martyrs "in order the better to adore him whose martyrs they are.
" To this end, the Catholic Church has decreed that the whole or any part of the body of a saint/martyr is to be classified as a "First-Class" relic.
In many locations throughout the world, the ultimate "First Class" relic displayed in a Church would be the whole "incorruptible" (barely decomposed) body of a saint.
Some of the physical keepsakes that have been obtained from deceased public figures range from the fairly tame to the truly bizarre.
The Maine Historical Society has a locket of George Washington's hair on public display.
Famous Italian astronomer and visionary Galileo has his finger on exhibit in a Museum in Florence, Italy.
At the Henry Ford Museum a test tube that allegedly contains the last breath of Thomas Edison can be viewed.
In a more recent example of macabre keepsakes, it has been learned that back in the sixties singer/songwriter John Lennon had given a tooth to his housekeeper.
It has now been put up for auction and is expected to fetch the sum of at least $16,000.
00! Fortunately, most people today opt for a more subtle keepsake option in the form of memorial cremation jewelry.
Because of the growing acceptance of cremation as an alternative to burial, the demand for this specialized jewelry has blossomed into a multi-million dollar industry.
Available in many different styles, cremation jewelry differs from other jewelry in that it has a small hollow center in which a tiny portion of the deceased's ashes are placed.
Even if a traditional burial is performed, some creative people still make use of cremation jewelry by using a bit of the deceased's hair in place of ashes.
For many people, there is a strong desire to have a physical keepsake of a loved one.
It may assist in keeping memories alive or be a source of comfort to have the cremated remains of a loved one close to their heart.
Although most cremation jewelry will never be displayed at a museum or sold at an auction for thousands of dollars, the comfort that it can bring to the bereaved is truly priceless.
Although there are simple ways to accomplish this, history provides us with many examples of people going to extremes to obtain physical keepsakes of infamous people.
Perhaps more than any other religion, the Roman Catholic Church bestows special honors and veneration upon body parts of saints and martyrs.
St.
Jerome (ca.
A.
D.
340-420) declared that it was proper to venerate the relics of the martyrs "in order the better to adore him whose martyrs they are.
" To this end, the Catholic Church has decreed that the whole or any part of the body of a saint/martyr is to be classified as a "First-Class" relic.
In many locations throughout the world, the ultimate "First Class" relic displayed in a Church would be the whole "incorruptible" (barely decomposed) body of a saint.
Some of the physical keepsakes that have been obtained from deceased public figures range from the fairly tame to the truly bizarre.
The Maine Historical Society has a locket of George Washington's hair on public display.
Famous Italian astronomer and visionary Galileo has his finger on exhibit in a Museum in Florence, Italy.
At the Henry Ford Museum a test tube that allegedly contains the last breath of Thomas Edison can be viewed.
In a more recent example of macabre keepsakes, it has been learned that back in the sixties singer/songwriter John Lennon had given a tooth to his housekeeper.
It has now been put up for auction and is expected to fetch the sum of at least $16,000.
00! Fortunately, most people today opt for a more subtle keepsake option in the form of memorial cremation jewelry.
Because of the growing acceptance of cremation as an alternative to burial, the demand for this specialized jewelry has blossomed into a multi-million dollar industry.
Available in many different styles, cremation jewelry differs from other jewelry in that it has a small hollow center in which a tiny portion of the deceased's ashes are placed.
Even if a traditional burial is performed, some creative people still make use of cremation jewelry by using a bit of the deceased's hair in place of ashes.
For many people, there is a strong desire to have a physical keepsake of a loved one.
It may assist in keeping memories alive or be a source of comfort to have the cremated remains of a loved one close to their heart.
Although most cremation jewelry will never be displayed at a museum or sold at an auction for thousands of dollars, the comfort that it can bring to the bereaved is truly priceless.