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Burial Day Books is a boutique publisher of supernatural horror.  Once a week we research a particular element dealing with superstition, folklore or myth and write a short piece about that element from the Gravedigger’s perspective. These elements were sometimes used somewhere in a previous horror story in history. Or, these elements could have been pulled from particular ideals, or from items that illicit fear. We may also discuss curious traditions that we feel admirers of horror, and beyond, would enjoy learning. Our blogs, while written from a fictional character ‘s perspective, are non-fictional. Overall, our blogs discuss true beliefs, phenomena, practices or customs.

 

Our FINAL DESTINATION 5 contest is closed!
Thank you to those that submitted your troubling near death experiences. Below are some of the highlights: Tracy Matthews -
FINAL DESTINATION 5 Contest
For many, this right here, where I work, where I live, is their final destination. I work quietly, and in
With death, another musician is added to the Forever 27 Club
  This morning it felt like a sad day even before the day truly began. Outside the ground was moist
Duérmete niño, duérmete ya... because the Cucuy is coming for you
  I made a rare venture outside of Burial Day Cemetery to the grocery store. Being in crowded places, around
There is a monster under my bed
The Undertaker told me something silly the other day. It was late at night and I couldn’t sleep so I
Sirius has risen
  The Dog Days are here. Well, at least they are here in the northern hemisphere where your gravedigger is
The lady is a good omen
I was outside today and a ladybug fell on my shoulder. I was pleased by this seeing as how I
Ghost Stories | Scary Stories | Horror Stories
Don't draw attention to the lightning
  It is hot outside, but I’m sure you all know that. Besides the intense heat there have also been
Theirs not to reason why. Theirs but to do and die.
I have been quite ill lately and because I feel the need to blame someone for my illness I will
Married in black, you will wish yourself back
The Veil: The ancient Romans believed new brides were vulnerable to evil spirits, and so they were veiled on their

Our FINAL DESTINATION 5 contest is closed!

Thank you to those that submitted your troubling near death experiences.

Below are some of the highlights:

Tracy Matthews – Chicago

I survived a multiple car crash that ended up in a lake. 9 people died and I was the only one injured with a broken arm.. I thank god I survived!!

—

Michael Fallik – Miami, FL
I once survived a Nickelback concert.  Despite the generic pop hooks, inane lyrics, mediocre pyrotechnics, and throngs of popped collars and cargo shorts, I resisted the urge to rip my ears off and run head first into a wall.  This was the closest I’ve ever been to death.

—

Jeanette Mcgeisey – Los Angeles

I been in three bad car crashes in my life first one when i was ten years old some drunk guy hit the car so hard my left arm broke. five years later anothere was drunk guy hits the car again we had diffrent car that time. like two years ago another car crash some dumb chick speeding down the street hits my side i didnt get hurt just so mad i told her off

—

choclynn – Los Angeles

A couple weeks ago I went camping on the river with my family. Every year I always go river rafting, but this year the river was really high so I wasn’t allowed to go. My neighbors, who had already been going down the river, offered to take me with them. Since my mom trusted them, she let me go. We drove up to the power plant and started there. We went down the rapids Little Mama, Big Daddy, and Sidewinder. Then we got back in the car and drove back to the power plant. We did a second run but instead of stopping after Sidewinder we also went down Frieght Train and Ewings Rapid. At the end of Frieght Train I flipped off my raft. Since the water was too fast I couldnt make my way over to the shore so my friend, Mike came and got me. We took a quick break and then got back in the water. Mike held onto my raft and he went first down Ewings. The first part of Ewings rapid is a three foot waterfall with a whirlpool at the bottom. In and instant he went down the waterfall and he flipped. As soon as I saw him flip I knew I would flip too and I said “Oh s***.” Not a second later I also flipped. The whirlpool pulled me under water and I was down under water for about a minute but it felt like forever, then the whirlpool spit me out and I was finally able to come up for air. The first thing I saw when I came up for air was a giant white cap and I was slammed back under the water. Whenever I was able to come up that happened again. While I was under the water I slammed into a couple giant rocks and hit my head on one. After I had been down under for awhile I gave up hope, I really thought I was going to die. I remember exactly what I was thinking, “This is it. I’m going to die and my mom is going to have to bury me. I’m never going to get to see anyone again.” Right after I thought that everything went black and I was numb. Then what I saw scared the day lights out of me. I saw my funeral, at first  the top of the casket was open and I saw my pale body with my arms crossed over my chest. Then the casket closed and on top was pink and blue roses with babies breath. After I saw the casket  lowered into the ground I was suddenly pulled out from under the water. I felt arms around me and they pulled me to the side of the river. I coughed up the water that I could and then sat down, the people that saw what happened called over a man that was a trained life guard. He said I was ok to go so I wnet back to camp. It was absolutely terrifying. For the next couple hours I was sick to my stomach and my hands were shaking. All I could think about was how close I was to dieing. I am so grateful for the person that pulled me out, I am positive that without him I would be dead right now.

As of August 3 there has been 10 reported drownings in Kern County, 5 reported drownings in Tulare County, 3 reported rescues in Kern County, and 3 reported rescues in Tulare County.

R.I.P : Charles Henry Burson, 19
Oscar Lima, 16
Daniel Kilgore, 57
Moises Aguilar, 31
David Medina, 44
Amilcar Guardado, 37
Hector Salinas, 29
Kristhian Nahun Fonseca, 25
Ivan Gameros, 18
Minh Tu Quang Nguyen, 22
Scott Neacato, 22
Arne Lauritsen, 53
Derrick Robert Rush, 28
Oscar David Alvarez-Ramos, 24

Everytime I think about what happened I think about how close I came to having my name added to that list.

—

Mariana Martins Dallas, Texas

The Martins family decided to take a road trip during summer vacation for a magical experience at the “Happiest Place on Earth”. Little did they know, that their adventure would soon enough have them all facing DEATH.
Hours into the trip, the Martins found themselves in rush hour traffic. Bumper to bumper, they drove along onto a bridge… not just any ordinary bridge, this one was a mile long with nothing below except for the treacherous ocean infested with sharks! Traffic slowly began to pick up speed, all cars moving at 50 mph, still with no room for error.
Then, several cars back, an impatient man, driving a yellow Dodge Viper decided to take matters into his own hands. He began driving aggressively, desperately forcing his way through the army of cars. Misjudging the amount of room he had, he went to cut off the Martins family car… a green Ford Taurus Wagon. The Viper cut off the Taurus, the Martins luckily swerved over to the side to avoid the car but now they faced another contender… the BRIDGE BARRIER.
Past the barrier, there was nothing below except for the ocean full of man hungry sharks!
Luck was on their side that day, for they were able to miraculously stop the car about an inch from hitting the barrier. Death had lost that day…

—

Jordan Scrivner – Chicago, il

The Time I Almost Drowned in Hawaii.

I was fifteen and angry with my dad. A fifteen-year-old needs very little reason to be angry with his father. I felt he had forced this trip to Hawaii on me. I would have been much happier spending the week by myself, maybe inviting my friends over for non-stop video game sessions (I had not yet had my first alcoholic drink.) I was also way behind in my Chemistry class. This was the main excuse I used to get my dad to leave me behind, but it wasn’t flying with him. They had an extra ticket, and there was no way they were going to Hawaii without me.

Of course, I felt silly every time I tried to complain about my situation. It was the first time I, or any of my friends, had been to Hawaii. And I had to admit, when I landed and smelled the cool, wet air of the island, I felt an immediate affinity to the place, its history, and it’s relaxed demeanor. I hardly knew a thing beyond Hawaii beyond the teevee. Didn’t know about James Cook and King Kamehameha. How could I know about them? All I knew about Hawaii was I had never seen so many wild and roaming chickens before and that guava was quite possibly the best thing I had ever had up to that point.

I don’t have the slightest clue why I was so angry, or what prompted me to swim out into the ocean as far as I could. I grew up in Nevada, which is a desert planet, so it wasn’t often I got to swim out until I couldn’t swim anymore.

I swam into the history of the sea. Millions and billions of years of the Pacific, it’s anciency and animals. I felt wonderful. I stopped swimming and turned around. There was the expanse of the island all around me. Miles and miles of swimming resort tourists. The green trees. The volcano crowned by clouds.

I started to swim back. I swam and swam and swam. My arms got tired. The land did not get any closer. That was fine, I thought. I’ll just keep trying. I have to get to it eventually, right?

I didn’t start to really get scared until I stopped to rest and my foot scrapped against something sharp. Needles of pain shot up my leg. My first instinct was that I had cut it on some coral reef, and that I was now a beacon for the surely countless sharks in the area. I looked all around me. I saw no blood or sharks. Only sea urchins. And I was surrounded by them.

The ignorance with which I lived in was overpowering. I did not even know if sea urchins were poisonous or not. I kept trying to swim back, though now I was not only tired and in pain, I was realizing just how much trouble I was in. Panic was coming to a slow, steady boil.

Then a flurry of arms and splashing headed my way. I don’t remember the name of the lifeguard who saved my life. I remember holding on to him as he swam the currents back to a cove that I never would have thought to try to swim to. I remember his powerful, life-saving arms and thinking that this was the most homoerotic moment of my life. I remember being extremely embarrassed when my dad and stepfamily caught up with me, and I remember pissing on my foot to counteract the sea urchin’s sting.

I don’t remember too much of that night though, because that was the first time I ever got drunk. But that’s another story.

FINAL DESTINATION 5 Contest

For many, this right here, where I work, where I live, is their final destination. I work quietly, and in the shadows so as not to disturb friends and families as they come to visit their dead. Sometimes I run into our visitors because we are crossing the same path, or perhaps they have come near a headstone where I am working and at that point there is very little I can do to be unseen.

Visitors are common here, at all hours of the day, when the gates are open that is. Once the gates are closed, and night falls, our class of visitor is well, let’s just say different.

Just this afternoon I overheard the conversation of a young woman and a young man who had come to the cemetery to visit a recently deceased friend of theirs. The young couple was clearly in the early stages of mourning. Yet, the man seemed more distraught. The man told the woman how he felt guilty for not having reached out to his friend the night of the accident. He broke down into tears and shared a story with the woman he had not told anyone else. The man claimed to have been visited by the apparition of their living friend shortly before this person died. He initially attributed the apparition to a hallucination.  Later, that very evening, he received a phone call indicating that his friend died in a traffic accident. He had wondered desperately since then if there was something he could have done to have prevented the car accident.

There are many superstitions surrounding death and there are indeed reports of people seeing the apparition of a living person shortly before that person dies. Some people who do believe in death omens believe that there is very little to stop death. After all, the only guarantee in life that we have is that we will die. Therefore, can we really ever cheat death for long?

This all made me wonder. Are there people out there who have cheated death? Have you had a near death experience? Were you saved by a friend? Do you believe luck, or something else, saved you from an appointment with the Grim Reaper?

Because your Gravedigger likes to hear ghastly tales, tell me about your chilling close call with death.

For those of you in the following cities; Chicago, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami, if you share your terrible tale of escape from death, your thrilling near death experience,  with us you will be entered for your chance to win advance screening passes to see FINAL DESTINATION 5!

FINAL DESTINATION 5 is the fifth Final Destination film in the terrifying franchise. Death has once again returned to claim its victims, one-by-one.

Please share your escape from death/near death experience with us by sending an email to contest@burialday.com. Provide your email address and your city for a chance to win advance screening passes to see FINAL DESTINATION 5.

We will post the winning tales of near death on our site.

The more thrilling the tale the better! Be honest and keep it clean folks!

Check out the trailer here.

-Gravedigger

With death, another musician is added to the Forever 27 Club

 

This morning it felt like a sad day even before the day truly began. Outside the ground was moist from the previous nights powerful storms. There was a stillness that whispered news was coming and it did. Undertaker called out to me and said “Amy Winehouse has died.” Then he retreated back indoors.

I quickly looked up whatever details I could find and as the news had just broke there were very few details indeed except for one striking note. Winehouse had died at the age of 27. I realized that she had now joined the Forever 27 Club.

I live in a funeral home and so I live with death. I know that the end leaves a punctuation that cannot be removed. Whether by coincidence or calculation Winehouse had joined Robert Johnson, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Pete Ham, Kurt Cobain and many brilliant musicians that never saw their 28th birthday.

Janis Joplin once said that “People, whether they know it or not, like their blues singers miserable. Maybe my audience can enjoy my music more if they think I’m destroying myself.” In thinking about Joplin’s words I do understand what she meant. Many of us like knowing that our musicians feel as we do and sometimes we feel sad, very sad.

I enjoyed the music of Winehouse and many of these artists who died very young. Many died due to misadventures, excess, and sometimes even tragically like punk singer Mia Zapata who was murdered in 1993.

We are slightly superstitious around these parts as we come into contact with a lot of people and are exposed to many of their customs and belief systems. We may not necessarily accept all of these superstitious notions but we do respect that people have their own values. Many years ago a woman was entombed here with a series of numbers engraved across her tomb. It was later learned that she was a believer in numerology. Numerology is a practice of believing there is a relationship between counts and measurements. Numerology is associated with the paranormal, astrology and divination.  It is believed that Chaldean Numerology, a specific path in the practice, came into existence about 2,000 BC. It was created by the Babylonians, used by the Greeks, and later used in India.

There are two supreme numbers in Chaldean Numerology – the first being 23 and then 27. It is believed that 27 is particularly more spiritual. It is also believed that this number has the power to break ones wheel of life and death.

Now, it is not the age of these artists that caused their death. What is most similar about these artists is that they were all on a very similar path in terms of their career and life as they dealt with artistic pressures and the stress of fame.

Those musicians on this list may have died but their celebrated music will remain with us.

-Gravedigger

Duérmete niño, duérmete ya… because the Cucuy is coming for you

 

I made a rare venture outside of Burial Day Cemetery to the grocery store. Being in crowded places, around many people and many things, gives me anxiety. I like the quiet. However, it was very late, thirty minutes or so before the store closed, and so thankfully I was able to manage around the aisles without a panic attack. Before leaving, I made another round through the produce section and was fascinated with a coconut. It had been some time since I had a fresh coconut. So I took it home with me.

At home I put away my groceries quickly as I wanted to look through the cemetery grounds once more before morning. Before I did I went into the kitchen to cut open the coconut to enjoy its water. As I was reaching for the knife the Undertaker entered. He was in his dark, black suit, and was stone-faced as usual. Yet, there was a strange gleam that flashed in his eye the instant he saw the coconut.

With the most dead of expressions he sang the words “Sleep child, sleep now or else the Coco will come and eat you.”

And then he left.

Undertaker has been trying to frighten me with tales of the boogeyman and now I saw what he was doing, trying to frighten me with tales of the Coco.

I looked at the coconut. The three dark holes on its lighter brown exterior gave it the impression of having two eyes and a nose. It almost resembled a skull, I thought.

In Spain and Latin America they do not call him the boogeyman. There, they call him something else. Throughout Spain and Latin America they have Coco, El Cuco, or El Cucuy.  It is believed that the word “Coco” originated in Portugal. The term comes from “Coconut,”  but it is also believed that the term “Coco” is comparable to a pumpkin (think a carved pumpkin). Some people refer to a persons head as a “Coco” in some contexts and so this is why the term could also be analogous to a pumpkin.

The little nursery rhyme the Undertaker sang to me is one that dates back to 17th century Spain. Spanish parents would sing to their children before bed:

“Duérmete niño, duérmete ya. Que viene el Coco y te comerá.”

Essentially, the Coco is the boogeyman. He searches for disobedient children to kidnap to his dark world. There he will keep them prisoner, or eat them. Like the bogeyman, there is no definable feature of the Coco. In Spain, he was typically thought to live in the shadows and also could emerge from the shadow as a dark shadow.

With the Spanish conquest the legend of the Coco spread wherever the Spanish landed. Today, the legend is prominent in places such as Argentina, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and many more throughout the Americas. His name also varies in some Spanish speaking countries. In Mexico he is El Cucuy. While in Puerto Rico he is called El Cuco.

Even in a country as large as Mexico stories of El Cucuy vary. In some areas he does have a distinct form. In some parts of the country El Cucuy is thought to look like a vicious little person with red eyes that glow out from under beds and in closets. He also is not just isolated to Mexico. Stories of El Cucuy are told every night in the American Southwest and all over the United States where Mexican and Mexican Americans live.

I looked at my coconut once more and I put the knife back in the drawer. I thought it would be more enjoyable to slip the coconut in the Undertakers bed before he went to sleep to give him a good fright.

-Gravedigger

There is a monster under my bed

The Undertaker told me something silly the other day. It was late at night and I couldn’t sleep so I sat in my room reading. As he passed my door he said “Get to bed or the bogeyman will get you.”

“What does that even mean?” I said, but it was too late. He had already retreated to his room. Children are threatened by their parents to get to bed, or else the bogeyman will “get them.” I’m clearly not a child, but still the Undertaker’s threat did encourage me to want to get to sleep sooner than I had originally intended.

It sounds a bit cruel if you think about it a parent, or both parents, telling their small child that if they don’t go to sleep, or behave accordingly, then an evil creature will come for them as punishment. Across all cultures and on every continent you will find variations of a bogeyman. The word “bogeyman” is derived from Middle English with “bogglelbugge” to mean “bug” and böggel-mann in German.  The bogeyman is typically male but there are locations where the menacing figure is a female. Regarding what it looks like that really varies from place to place. Overall the bogeyman has no universal set of distinct features. One thing little children are certain about is that this figure lives in the dark shadows of their room, under their bed, in their closet, or even sometimes in their drawers or cabinets. Children fear ever meeting eyes with it because if they do they believe that the creature will terrorize them or worse – drag them away to some dank lair and eat them.

So how did the bogeyman even come to exist?  Does he exist because children saw him first and told their parents? Or does he exist because parents told their children that a dark, slimy, sharp clawed creature would come and get them if they disobeyed them? Whether he was born from an idea that was planted by adults or from the imagination of children the bogeyman exists in the minds of many who fear ever coming into contact with him or her.

Here is a list of some countries with the names of their local bogeymen and bogeywomen.

Azerbaijan –Xoxan comes for children who misbehave.

Bahamas – Small Man will toss children into his cart that are outside after sundown.

Belgium – Oude Rode Ogen eats little children who stay up past their bed time.

Brazil –  Bicho Papão comes for bad children at night.

Bulgaria – Talasm is a dark, hairy ghost that lives in the shadows and comes out at night to terrify young ones.

Congo – Dongola Miso scares children at night with his creepy eyes.

Denmark – Bussemanden reaches out from under the bed to grab children who are still awake.

Egypt – Abu Rigl Maslukha is the ghost of a burnt child who returns to capture naughty children. He then cooks and eats them.

Finland – Mörkö is a large, round, blue ghost that terrorizes kids with his sharp teeth.

France – Le croque-mitaine crushes the hands of bad little ones.

Germany – There are several names for the bogeyman here, Der schwarze Mann, Buhmann  and Butzemann. In Germany, he hides in the dark places waiting for the right time to strike.

Iceland – Grýla is a female troll who eats wicked children.

India – there are many names for the bogeyman here. There is Karnataka, Boochodu, Kokkayi or even Kaan Khowa.

Japan – Namahages are demons that tell children to not be lazy or cry.

Nepal – The Hau-Guji is an ape-like creature who likes to eat bad kids.

Netherlands – Boeman is dressed in black and has sharp claws and fangs. He hides under beds and in closets. Once he captures a bad child he drags them off to the basement.

Pakistan – Here parents warn that Jin Baba will come for those who are bad.

Quebec – Bonhomme Sept-Heures  goes around homes at 7 o’clock and takes bad children away with him to his cave where he eats them.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia – Babaroga is a cruel old lady with horns that tosses bad children in her sack and takes them off to her cave to eat them.

South Africa – Antjie Somers is thought to be the ghost of an escaped slave who tosses bad kids in his bag.

Spain- El Ogro is a hairy monster that eats children when they don’t go to bed

Sweden – Monstret under sängen is literally the monster under the bed.

There are many more monsters under beds and in closets. There is the Bag Man, or Sack Man, and of course throughout the America’s there is the Coco, Cuco, or Cucuy. I will tell you more about these later, but for now I think I should turn off the light and go to bed before something gets me.

 

-Gravedigger

Sirius has risen

 

The Dog Days are here. Well, at least they are here in the northern hemisphere where your gravedigger is located. We are now in July and so you may hear people say silly things such as “It is hot,” or the “Dog Days are here.” Well, of course it is hot – we are in the summer months. I know, I sound a bit perturbed but I am not too fond of the heat, or the sun’s biting rays on my skin.

During this time of year I try to take great care of polishing headstones. There are not many things I am fond of but smoothing away dust and grime to bring out the engravings on a grave marker give me joy. There are also the cemetery sculptures which I try to polish this time of year as well, but of course the head stones are priority.

There is an interesting memorial at one of our residents’ graves, a sculpture of two life-sized grey hounds. This is what got me to thinking about this silly term “Dog Days of summer.” However, now I no longer find it silly. After doing some reading I learned that the term was first used by the Ancient Greeks. The reason it is called the “dog” days is because it was believed this time of year was connected to Sirius, the brightest star in the nighttime sky. It was also believed that this stars rise brought forth not only heat but made men weak. The Greek word for Sirius, “Seirios” translates into “scorcher.” The star is prominent in the Canis Major constellation, Greater Dog, thus where we get the “Dog” in “Dog Days.”

The Romans later called these days diēs caniculārēs and would sacrifice a brown dog as soon as Sirius appeared, hoping to appease the star.

The actual days for this time period varies per text. However, in the northern hemisphere sultry days typically begin in July.

It was once believed that these summer months were an evil time of year. According to John Brady’s 1815 Clavis Calendarium, an analysis of the calendar, these warm months were thought to be a time “when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, Quinto raged in anger, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid.”

So my friends take care during these extreme temperatures. While the Ancient Romans may have sacrificed dogs to appease Sirius we recommend drinking a cool beverage, and perhaps taking a stroll through a shaded cemetery.

-Gravedigger

The lady is a good omen

I was outside today and a ladybug fell on my shoulder. I was pleased by this seeing as how I have been quite ill lately and I hoped that the appearance of this creature would serve as a good omen. I was afraid to brush the ladybug away and so I just left her there as I dug up some weeds that had stubbornly appeared on an old grave site.

After I had completed this task I took a seat outside the shed for a rest. I looked down at my shoulder to find my ladybug companion had departed. The ladybug, or ladybird, or ladybeetle, has always been a favorite of mine around the cemetery. Oddly, there are one or two memorials that attract dozens and dozens of these bright red insects, and that too I would like to think is some sort of positive sign.

These creatures are considered by many cultures to be lucky. Even the direct translation of the local name to English in many countries speaks to that country’s association with this bug being a symbol of something positive. For example, in Turkish the direct translation means “luck bug.”

I am clearly superstitious thinking of things such as luck and signs and so then what about omens? People tend to think that the word omen is negative. However, an omen can indicate either something good or bad.

Throughout history people have always looked to signs and symbols as indicators to predict future outcomes. The ancient Roman’s had people who served specifically to read flights of birds or processes during animal sacrifices to determine events to come. Even astrological events such as the full moon or eclipses are looked at by some, even to this day, as omens.

Many of us find comfort in signs and symbols throughout our day, hoping for luck and overall good things to come.

-Gravedigger

Don’t draw attention to the lightning

 

Ghost Stories | Scary Stories | Horror Stories

It is hot outside, but I’m sure you all know that. Besides the intense heat there have also been quite a substantial number of storms around these parts. While I am fond of lightning and thunderstorms the Undertaker gets a bit annoyed when it rains because it delays some aspects of our business.

Regardless of the weather there is always work to be done, except for yesterday morning.

The previous night was hot and humid and I was looking forward to an early morning rain to cool down the air. No funerals were to take place that day, but I had my typical gardening chores scheduled, such as tending the lawns.

When I woke I looked out the window to find the sky aglow with an eerie green. The sky then began to grumble and I was not sure whether to stay indoors staring at the sky or to prepare myself for the day’s work. The sky grumbled again, this time more violently. I was about to wake the Undertaker only because I had never heard such an angry thundering before, but then I stopped myself when I remembered a saying I had heard many years before: There are some kinds of thunder which is not right to speak of, or even listen to.

I have heard many other superstitions about lightning; one that it is considered wicked to point towards the part of the heavens from which lighting erupts.  Some people also say that lightning can predict what is supposed to happen on a particular day.  Then of course there are more superstitions surrounding storms, and even tornados.  Tornados are destructive and dangerous and have recently devastated many parts of the United States. These rotating columns of air can reach speeds of over 300 miles per hour, and they are ruthless, destroying everything in their path.  Many myths surround tornados, some claiming that particular areas or locations are supernaturally protected from their wrath. Folklore even says that a green sky precedes a tornado.

As I stood in wonder looking out of the window droplets of water began to fall and lightning flashed. There was then a knock on my door, the Undertaker was calling to see if I was awake to get to work. I asked him to open the door so that I could show him something and as he stood behind me I pointed to the place in the heavens where the next lightning flash sparked.

-Gravedigger

Theirs not to reason why. Theirs but to do and die.

I have been quite ill lately and because I feel the need to blame someone for my illness I will just go ahead and blame the Undertaker. I am making a recovery, slowly, but nonetheless it is still a recovery.

Around these parts we have seen an increase in cemetery visitations as well as grave site decorations. Again, we have been quite ill and failed to realize that this is indeed Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day in America was first known as Decoration Day, and was a day in which people would go out to the graves of the Civil War dead to decorate their graves. The day first became widely observed May 30, 1868. According to a proclamation by General John A. Logan:

“The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion , and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.”

Memorial Day was later moved to be celebrated as the last Monday in May. Observances, ceremonies, celebrations, and parades take place now across the U.S. in celebration of this holiday. At Arlington National Cemetery a small American flag is placed on each grave.

Memorial Day in essence is the largest holiday in the US where people go out to cemeteries to honor the dead, specifically over a million military service men and women. And of course, there are similar days of remembrance in other countries. Overall, here at Burial Day we just believe that one should honor their dead, especially if in life these individuals worked tirelessly to make positive change and worked hard to protect others.

I don’t know of too many superstitions about Memorial Day, besides the typical haunting’s of cemeteries where military dead rest. There is a troubling statistic however of an increase of automobile deaths over this three day weekend. So, I caution you all to be safe this weekend because no one wants to wind up in a grave earlier than they should.

-Gravedigger

The Charge of the Light Brigade

by Alfred Tennyson

Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

“Forward the Light Brigade!

Charge for the guns!” he said.

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

Forward, the Light Brigade!”

Was there a man dismay’d?

Not tho’ the soldier knew

Some one had blunder’d.

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do and die.

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them

Volley’d and thunder’d;

Storm’d at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of hell

Rode the six hundred.

Flash’d all their sabres bare,

Flash’d as they turn’d in air

Sabring the gunners there,

Charging an army, while

All the world wonder’d.

Plunged in the battery-smoke

Right thro’ the line they broke;

Cossack and Russian

Reel’d from the sabre-stroke

Shatter’d and sunder’d.

Then they rode back, but not,

Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon behind them

Volley’d and thunder’d;

Storm’d at with shot and shell,

While horse and hero fell,

They that had fought so well

Came thro’ the jaws of Death,

Back from the mouth of hell,

All that was left of them,

Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?

O the wild charge they made!

All the world wonder’d.

Honor the charge they made!

Honor the Light Brigade,

Noble six hundred!

Married in black, you will wish yourself back

The Undertaker keeps a wedding photograph on his desk. I typically do not venture into the house, as it would be inappropriate for me, the Gravedigger, to enter if the Undertaker was busy counseling a bereaving family. The Undertaker takes great honor in assisting the suffering , and perhaps this is why he never really smiles – because he feels pressure to remain at a constantly reserved persona. However, I will admit this to you – I have seen the Undertaker smile at work, but it is only when he looks at that wedding picture.

Weddings are a cause for celebration. They represent the joining of families, the creation of a new family and ideally an eternal bond between two people. Things around our grounds are typically quiet, but we did hear the mention of a royal wedding recently, and so we began to wonder about all of the superstitions that fall into a wedding ceremony, and while we acknowledge the multitude of wedding customs, traditions, and rites across all cultures and communities we still would like to share a few we found…peculiar.

The Proposal

At one time the prospective groom would send friends or members of his family to communicate interests to a potential bride’s family. If these representatives encountered a monk or a blind man on their route marriage between these two people was thought to be doomed.

The Wedding Dress

The color of white for a wedding dress was popularized by Queen Victoria, as her wedding dress was white as opposed to silver – which at the time was the traditional color.

The Veil

The ancient Romans believed new brides were vulnerable to evil spirits, and so they were veiled on their wedding day to outwit the malevolent.

Bridesmaids

Many and many years ago bridesmaids dressed in a similar color as the bride as they were thought to serve as decoys to confuse and protect the bride from evil spirits.

The Threshhold

We have read varying explanations on why a bride is carried over the threshold on her wedding day. Some say that it is to protect the bride from evil spirits trying to snatch her away. Others say that if the bride trips upon entering the home on her wedding day it will set forth a series of ill luck that will remain with the couple throughout their marriage.

I will tell you this, on my wedding day the Undertaker took great caution in making sure I was carried safely over that threshold.

-Gravedigger