Funeral Pyre

[Fluke]

Went to a local funeral last week, gfs Dad died (its OK, im not looking for any sympathy replies).
Got a phone call that he had died, so myself, the gf and her sister jumped in a car and went up to the village, a small village near Laos and Myanmar, got there and went into the house and the coffin was in the front room and they took the lid off to have a look , the funeral was in three days time and the coffin was staying in the living room until then, we were staying in the adjoining room.
Over the next few days, various people came to pay their respects, each removing the lid ans having a look. Monks came around and sang a few songs.
The day of the funeral arrived and more monks came and chanted, lifted the lid off again and tied some string to his wrists, carried to coffin toa truck, loaded it on the back and we all walked ahead of the truck pulling the string, the coffin was then unloaded to the pyre, where the lid was once again removed and family members poured a flammable liquid onto the body, making sure that it went into his mouth and that the eye sockets were full.
The lid was replaced and wholes were made in the lid and more flammable liquid was poured in.
We stood back . Monks began chanting and it was ignited. We stood and watched it burn, then went back to the house where Monk threw Holy water over us, to make sure we didnt bring any ghosts back with us.
Three days later, we went back to the pyre, it was still very hot. We were there to retrieve any bones.
We searched around the ashes looking for teeth and bones, removing them and placing them on a White sheet, I found a large bone and showed my gf, "Thats a good bit" She said "What bit is it" She asked. "I dont know" I said, so we asked the Monk. He studied it and said that it was a thigh bone. She was searching for teeth , its supposed to be good luck if you find someones teeth and keep them on your person.
I thought that it was going to be really gruesome, but it wasnt . It all seemed quite natural.
I'd never seen a corpse untill this year, and now I ve seen two and a half corpses already this year

[Norton]

I thought that it was going to be really gruesome, but it wasnt . It all seemed quite natural.

Aside from you having editing problems, yes I find same. All quite natural.

[DrAndy]

I like the first version better

and of course it is natural to die

just some of the funeral ceremonies are not

[pseudolus]

I must admit that the thought of pouring petrol into my dead fathers mouth and eyes is not that appealing.

[Norton]

just some of the funeral ceremonies are not

All are rituals practiced to appease the sensitivities, expectations and acceptability within each culture. Just my opinion but all are natural.

[Norton]

I must admit that the thought of pouring petrol into my dead fathers mouth and eyes is not that appealing.

From a western stand point better to have someone else fill the old boy with embalming fluid.

[Gravesend Dave]

Not attended a funeral as of yet and not in no hurry!.
Seen a few stiffs in my time one being my father the only one I found painful to observe.

In the village they have a crude oven (Crem ) made from clay bricks.
There have been many burns but none were relatives of the wife so not attended.

However one night I did walk the dog down there with a bag of beers and sat there getting pissed.
Its set in a nice bit of ground about a quarter of a mile from our land being about half a mile from the main village.

A burn had taken place earlier that day and the fucking oven was glowing,strange sensation sitting in the open air pitch black necking beer whilst a body was being disposed of.

My wife called me a crazy Bastard,but like I said to her it the best fucking place here to avoid crazy Bastards!

Not one sniff of a ghost most disappointed,Granny has informed me Thai ghost are scared of falang. It just gets better and better!

That was fucking thread itself!

[Norton]

It just gets better and better!

It does. Enjoy the show.

[VocalNeal]

Here in the big smoke, it is all propane and charcoal powered. Even for pets!

[Mid]

Funerals are for the Living .

[baldrick]

in Madagascar they dig up the bones each year , give them a clean , parade them around a bit , have a party with them then re-inter them

[BaitongBoy]

and now I ve seen two and a half corpses already this year

Split-lid coffin?...

[splitlid]

Hope Not

[hillbilly]

Every country has their beliefs and customs.

Just glad it was not splitlid...

[Fluke]

and now I ve seen two and a half corpses already this year

Split-lid coffin?...

Road accident between a double decker coach full of passengers speeding down the highway and a moped which went straight under the front wheels .

[Rural Surin]

It just gets better and better!

It does. Enjoy the show.

...as there are a number of theatrical presentations yet to be experienced.

[Ozcol]

Because my BiL did not die naturally (T boned a truck on motorsai) he could not be cremated immediately , had to be buried for 3 years and is to be dug up and cremated in a couple of weeks , seems a little unusual to me as they( the Thais) are so afraid of ghosts , but to each his own.

[Gravesend Dave]

Because my BiL did not die naturally (T boned a truck on motorsai) he could not be cremated immediately , had to be buried for 3 years and is to be dug up and cremated in a couple of weeks , seems a little unusual to me as they( the Thais) are so afraid of ghosts , but to each his own.

Not being funny but after 3 fucking years apart from bone is there going to be much to cremate.Like you say each to their own

[Fluke]

There was some other guy in the village who died in the night and they found him in the morning , he didnt have much, if any, family who needed to travel to the funeral, so they cremated him that very evening , by 5 pm.
FFS, after a night on the lash, sometimes I dont wake up until 5 PM .
I told the gf, if they ever find me dead in the morning, give it a few days before they cremate me.
Waking up with a hangover and realising that you are in the middle of your own cremation must be extremely unpleasant

[The Fresh Prince]

I've been for the bone collecting before and it was a bit strange. His body hadnt completely burned, (his torso was too frozen, I pointed this out when they lit the fire but they didn't listen) anyway they took this as lucky and replaced the cindered limbs with banana's and his head with a coconut. Then took more photo's before lighting him up again.

[nidhogg]

where the lid was once again removed and family members poured a flammable liquid onto the body, making sure that it went into his mouth and that the eye sockets were full.

....."the eye sockets were full"????

Bit gruesome to ask, but were they not full of his eyes???

[Gravesend Dave]

I've been for the bone collecting before and it was a bit strange. His body hadnt completely burned, (his torso was too frozen, I pointed this out when they lit the fire but they didn't listen) anyway they took this as lucky and replaced the cindered limbs with banana's and his head with a coconut. Then took more photo's before lighting him up again.

Was this in Thailand?

Most bodies are left in the house or the temple for a few days,wherever this chap was kept the A.C must have been on full bore!

Now your giving knew meaning to the word stiff, Fucking frozen stiff!

[Submaniac]

OP, was this in the Isaan region? this sounds like the kind of funerals they have there. The ones in BKK or even the South are slightly different, but have some similarities.

[Fluke]

I've been for the bone collecting before and it was a bit strange. His body hadnt completely burned, (his torso was too frozen, I pointed this out when they lit the fire but they didn't listen) anyway they took this as lucky and replaced the cindered limbs with banana's and his head with a coconut. Then took more photo's before lighting him up again.

Did he die from food poisoning due to the chicken that the family cooked not being properly defrosted before cooking?

[Fluke]

where the lid was once again removed and family members poured a flammable liquid onto the body, making sure that it went into his mouth and that the eye sockets were full.

....."the eye sockets were full"????

Bit gruesome to ask, but were they not full of his eyes???

Yes, the eyes were still there . As they sprinkled the flammable liquid over the body, they made sure that the mouth was full and also the indent where the eyes are and they lifted the eyelids so that the liquid would sink in .