In touch with the deceased: animate objects and human ashes

Abstract

in touch with the deceased: animate objects and human ashes meike heessels, a fleur poots, b and eric venbrux a a radboud university nijmegen, the netherlands, b university of amsterdam, the netherlands Downloaded by [Ecole Hautes Etudes Commer-Montreal] at 22ABSTRACT Despite increasing secularization in the Netherlands, beliefs in an afterlife have not disappeared. Instead, new death rituals have emerged, among which is the practice of enclosing human ashes in objects such as paintings, candleholders, jewelry, and tattoos. Because human matter can now be incorporated into paint, glass, metal, and human skin, the dead become part of daily life and the living become carriers of the deceased. As a consequence, the boundaries between persons and things, and the living and the dead blur. In fact, people's practices with ash objects suggest that these objects are regarded as animate. Though people are not religiously affiliated, their practices suggest beliefs in an afterlife, which we will explore in this article.

Transforming bonds: ritualising post-mortem relationships in the Netherlands

“…At the site where they died, in places associated with the deceased, and in cemeteries and their surroundings, the continuing presence of the dead is evoked by and materialised through a variety of memorials: flowers, cards, balloons and letters, in which the dead are often spoken to in the present tense (Francis, Kellaher, & Neophytou, 2005;Maddrell, 2013). Cremated remains have similar power (Heessels, Poots, & Venbrux, 2012;Mathijssen, 2017). In all these cases, it is important to note that the experiencing of an ongoing bond cannot always be controlled, but can be induced by symbols, sounds and traces of shared experiences from the past (Hallam, Hockey, & Howarth, 1999).…”

“…These are objects that belong(ed) to the deceased, were made by the deceased, or symbolise the deceased. Second, I focus on objects that 'incorporate' the ashes of the deceased, and that can be understood as ambiguous person-objects that are in-between living and dead matter (Heessels et al, 2012). Both types of objects can express parts of the identity of the bereaved and the deceased, and may evoke shared memories and sensuous experiences, giving them extraordinary power in negotiating post-mortem bonds.…”

“…The social environment of the bereaved plays a fundamental role in the dynamics of post-mortem relationships. Post-cremation and post-burial rituals, disposing of the ashes, erecting a grave stone, refurbishments in the home, often include a group of dearest and nearest relatives and may evoke a sense of communitas (Francis et al, 2005;Heessels et al, 2012;Turner, 1969). Moreover, the absence-presence of the deceased can be situationally evoked by the gathering of a certain collective (Grimes, 2000;Hallam & Hockey, 2001;Hallam et al, 1999;Howarth, 2000;Valentine, 2008).…”

Keeping the dead close: grief and bereavement in the treatment of skulls from the Neolithic Middle East

“…In our recent past, photographs of the corpses of the dead, especially children, were kept and displayed in Victorian homes and hair made into jewellery and ornaments. And many today still find comfort in retaining the ashes of loved ones close by, or even made into jewellery or incorporated into tattoo ink (Heessels, Poots and Venbrux 2012;Fowler in prep). For many, the continuing relationship is marked by other physical reminders and actions, whether through objects that were made by or had belonged to the dead, or were gifts from the dead.…”

The ambiguity of human ashes: Exploring encounters with cremated remains in the Netherlands

“…Elaborate research on ritualizing cremation has illustrated the animate nature of human ashes, through which the bereaved negotiate the absence-presence of the deceased in diverse ways and in various spaces (Heessels, Poots, & Venbrux, 2012;Maddrell, 2013;Prendergast, Hockey, & Kellaher, 2006). Cremated remains have the potential to evoke physical and intense relationships with the dead, as they provide a focus for memorialization and for conversation with the deceased (Heessels, 2012).…”