Ah, Wildest Bill. I miss that batshit crazy dude.
My father has already quietly written into his will that he wants a viking funeral if we can make it legal.
Me, I’m leaning towards having my corpse strapped to a wheelchair, hang a backpack of fireworks from the back and dump a gallon of kerosene over it all. Then I’ll be lit on fire and pushed off the Holmenkollen ski jump.
Instead of goodbyes and amens, I am firmly expecting “LOOK AT HIM GO!”
I think much of it has to do with what the survivors believe and how they view the decedent. If you believe in an after life where some are rewarded and others punished, your guess at their life will be a big factor. No matter what you believe, you are faced with going on without them. Few are up to admitting good riddance.
I have been to a number of funerals with different tones. Most of them have had the theme of ‘‘Well done good and faithful servant.’’ if not the words. In trying to help a friend the day his father died, I talked about how he didn’t doubt God’s promises, he didn’t doubt his father’s faith, and he didn’t begrudge him his rest, but now he had to go on through life without his father. His father’s gain and my friend’s loss.
One funeral I attended the text was Jeremiah and the message on repentance and judgment. Christian or not, it is tough for a parent when a child turns out bad.
My friend above was a Pentacostal. I later attended his funeral. It started out quite upbeat. By the end, the minister was in tears and holding up Charley’s #12’s and asking ‘‘Who will fill Charley’s shoes?’’.
If you are of faith, and believe your loved one kept the faith, then the funeral will be mixed for you. Faiths vary. I tried to word that to be inclusive. I guess all can celebrate the good in somebody’s life and focus on it rather than life without them.
I expect you all to strive to outdo each other in weeping and lamenting when I am gone. Those who do not appear sufficiently grief stricken should be set upon and beaten until their cries indicate true depth of sorrow at my passing.
That makes no sense-the word “particular” isn’t even in the title.
An upbeat funeral? Not sure about that.
Just make sure there’s a twenty-dollar gold piece on my watch chain, so the boys’ll know I died standing pat.
That’s precisely what used to happen–you’d even hire professional mourners in some societies. The contest thing still seemed to exist in North Korea when Kim Jung Il died.
I’m fine with either, really. There’s just as much room for celebrating those who lived as there is grieving those have passed. I personally would probably lean toward reminiscing good times of a family member or friend then traditional crying grieving, but that’s only because I often make light of situations as a defense mechanism. I’d probably cry/grieve/doom and gloom when alone immediately thereafter though.
Isn’t it wonderful that we live that way. Seriously. First time in human history, really.
I’ve heard it said that’s a major reason why many societies came up with formal rules like “wear black for a year” about how you are supposed to mourn, to short circuit destructive competition with everyone trying to prove that they were more properly bereaved than the next person.
When my mom passed away, we had her creamated, and a service in our backyard. My husbands uncle is a minister, and he gave the service. We had a keg of beer and fried chicken and fixins. Mom loved her beer, and I think she would have been proud of all of use enjoyin a cold beer on a beautiful day, telling stories about her and laughing! Everyone knows when I go I want the same…free beer for all!!
My uncle was dying of terminal cancer so he decided to have his funeral while he was still alive. It was a great party and he got to say goodbye to everyone.
What gives you the idea that those were common features of Victorian funerals?
Maybe he remembers Victorian funerals?