#final time prior to cremation

[whencyclopedia]

Eyewitness Accounts of the Holocaust

The Holocaust was the murder of 6 million Jewish people by the SS, Gestapo, and other organisations of Nazi Germany and its allies in the years prior to and through the Second World War (1939-45). Innocent men, women, and children were shot in mass executions, or, if not too young or too old, they were sent to labour camps where they worked until they could do so no longer. The ultimate fate of millions was to die in the gas chambers of extermination camps like Auschwitz in occupied Poland.

In this article, accounts are presented by those who witnessed the Holocaust genocide firsthand, both its victims and those involved in its execution who were obliged to give evidence in, for example, the post-war Nuremberg trials of 1945-6.

Unburied Corpses, Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp

Wislon-Oakes - Imperial War Museums (CC BY-NC-SA)

The Nazis & the Jews

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) established himself as the dictator of Nazi Germany in 1933, and he identified Jewish people as the main enemy of the state. Based on dubious and inconsistent racial theory as propounded by such Nazi figures as Alfred Rosenberg (1893-1946), Hitler and the Nazi Party began a propaganda campaign against German Jews, which presented them as an inferior race who were holding Germany back from achieving its full economic potential.

Hitler wanted to remove all Jews from German territory, but the first step was to identify who exactly was a Jew. The 1935 Nuremberg Laws loosely identified Jews since even having a single Jewish grandparent placed an individual in that category. A series of 'solutions' to what Hitler called the "Jewish problem" were rolled out, such as encouraging emigration and persecuting Jewish business owners. Jews were then attacked in such pogroms as the Kristallnacht of November 1938. Next, Jews were rounded up and obliged to live in segregated areas such as ghettos in cities or in concentration camps. Jews were deprived of citizenship and other basic rights.

From 1942, the Nazis began what was secretly described as the 'Final Solution', that is the plan to murder all European Jews. Jews were transported to labour camps where they worked on state projects until they died from disease, extreme malnutrition, or physical exhaustion. Other Jews, and those who could no longer work or were too young or too old to work, were transported directly to death camps like the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex in occupied Poland where they were killed in gas chambers and their remains were communally cremated. Jews were not the only victims since the Nazis also targeted Romani people, Communists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Freemasons, homosexuals, political rivals, prisoners of war, and those with physical or mental disabilities, amongst others. In addition, hundreds of thousands more victims were murdered in mass executions in occupied territories during the Second World War by mobile killing squads known as Einsatzgruppen. The Jews made up by far the majority of those killed, and it is estimated that 6 million died in what is today called the Holocaust. The sheer scale of the Nazis' programme means that determining the precise number of victims is not possible.

Arrested Jews, Baden-Baden

Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-86686-0008 (CC BY-SA)

Hugh Greene, a British newspaper journalist, recalls what he saw of the Kristallnacht in 1938:

I was in Berlin at that time and saw some pretty revolting sights – the destruction of Jewish shops, Jews being arrested and led away, the police standing by while the gangs destroyed the shops and even groups of well-dressed women cheering.

(Holmes, 42)

Avraham Aviel, a Polish Jew and survivor of a mass execution, gives the following account of his experience in May 1942:

We were all brought close to the cemetery at a distance of eighty to a hundred metres from a long, deep pit. Once again everybody was made to kneel. There was no possibility of lifting one's head. I sat more or less in the centre of the town people. I looked in front of me and saw the long pit then maybe groups of twenty, thirty people led to the edge of the pit, undressed probably so that they should not take their valuables with them. They were brought to the edge of the pit where they were shot and fell into the pit, one on top of another.

(Holmes, 319)

An anonymous survivor from a ghetto massacre in Lviv, Ukraine, in August 1942 gives the following description of its aftermath:

I went with my mother to the office of the Jewish community regarding an apartment and there in the light breeze, dangled the corpses of the hanged, their faces blue, their heads tilted backward, their tongues blackened and stretched out. Luxury cars raced in from the center of the city, German civilians with their wives and children came to see the sensational spectacle, and, as was their custom, the visitors enthusiastically photographed the scene. Afterwards the Ukrainians and Poles arrived by with greater modesty.

(Fiedländer, 436)

Nazi Classification of Jewish People

VolksVeritas (CC BY-SA)

Rivka Yoselevska, a Polish Jew, describes her experience and that of her family in the Hansovic ghetto massacre in August 1943:

Some of the younger ones I got out naked covered with blood…I was still alive. Where should I go? What should I do?

(Holmes, 320-1)

The SS lieutenant-colonel Adolf Eichmann (1906-1962), in charge of the Final Solution's transportation requirements, here lies to Jews to make sure they do not create trouble as they are transported by train from a ghetto to the concentration camps:

Jews: You have nothing to worry about. We want only the best for you. You'll leave here shortly and be sent to very fine places indeed. You will work there, your wives will stay at home, and your children will go to school. You will have wonderful lives.

(Bascomb, 6)

The death camps were deliberately located in remote Poland to provide the Final Solution project more secrecy. Rudolf Höss (1901-1947), a camp commandant at Auschwitz, stated:

We were required to carry out these exterminations in secrecy, but of course the foul and nauseating stench from the continuous burning of bodies permeated the entire area and all of the people living in the surrounding communities knew that exterminations were going on at Auschwitz.

(Neville, 49)

New Arrivals at Auschwitz

Bernard Walter (Public Domain)

The typical conditions of the train journeys to the camps are described here by Avraham Kochav, an Auschwitz survivor:

There were twenty to twenty-five cars in every train…I heard terrible cries. I saw how people attack other people so as to have a place to stand, how people push each other so that they could stand somewhere or so that they could have air for breathing. It was terribly, terribly stifling. The first to faint were the children, women, old men, they all fell down like flies.

(Holmes, 332)

Zygmunt Klukowski, a Polish hospital director, describes the train journeys for Jewish people sent to the Belzec extermination camp in occupied Poland:

On the way to Belzec the Jews experience many terrible things. They are aware of what will happen to them. Some try to fight back. At the railroad station in Szczebrzeszyn a young woman gave away a gold ring in exchange for a glass of water for her dying child. In Lublin people witnessed small children being thrown through windows of speeding trains. Many people are shot before reaching Belzec.

(Friedländer, 358)

Yaacov Silberstein, a Jewish teenager, describes his arrival at Auschwitz in October 1942:

When we arrived we saw how the Jews were running to the electrified fence. There they stuck. They were tired of life; they could not continue in this fashion.

(Holmes, 330)

Dr Lucie Adelsberger, a prisoner of Auschwitz, describes the processing of new arrivals destined for the labour camps:

We undressed, had our hair cut – no actually our heads were shaved to stubble; then came the showers and finally the tattoos. This was where they confiscated the very last vestiges of our belongings; nothing remained…no written document that could have identified us, no picture, no written message from a loved one. Our past was cut off, erased…

(Cesarini, 656)

Aerial View of Auschwitz

South African Air Force (Public Domain)

Bernd Naumann, a survivor from the Birkenau camp, describes the prevalence of rats in the camp:

They gnawed not only at corpses but also at the seriously sick. I have pictures showing women near death being bitten by rats.

(Neville, 50)

Seweryna Smaglewska, a prisoner in the Birkenau women's camp, describes the living conditions there:

There were no roads, no paths between the blocks. In the depths of these dark dens, in bunks like multi-storied cages, the feeble light of a candle burning here or there flickered over naked, emaciated figures curled up, blue from the cold, bent over a pile of filthy rags, holding their shaved heads in their hands, picking out an insect with their scraggly fingers and smashing it on the edge of the bunk – that is what the barracks looked like in 1942.

(Cesarini, 528)

The SS, which managed the camps, made sure there was a hierarchy amongst the prisoners such as trustees who survived a little longer than the rest by being 'favoured' with certain duties such as burning the bodies in the crematoriums or beating other prisoners. SS Lance Corporal Richard Bock, a guard at Auschwitz-Birkenau, recalls:

A block chief would call out the kapo very fiercely, 'Kapo, come here.' The kapo came over and – boom – he hit the kapo in the face so hard that he fell over…And then he said, 'Kapo, can't you beat them any better than that?' And the kapo ran off and grabbed a club to beat up the prisoner squad quite indiscriminately. 'Kapo, come over here,' he shouted again. The kapo came and he said, 'Finish them off,' and then he went off again and he finished the prisoners off, he beat them to death…a kapo had to beat and club to save his own life.

(Holmes, 325)

Luggage of Auschwitz Victims

Jorge Láscar (CC BY)

Those meant for the gas chambers were often unaware of their fate. Bock describes the procedure that he witnessed with a colleague called Holbinger who was responsible for the Zyklon B tins that would produce the lethal gas:

…the new arrivals had to get undressed, and then the order came, 'Prepare for disinfection'. There were enormous piles of clothing…Lots of them hid their children under the clothes and covered them up and then they shouted, 'Get ready' and they all went out, they had to run naked approximately twenty yards from the hall across to Bunker One. There were two doors standing open and they went in there and when a certain number had gone inside they shut the doors. That happened about three times, and every time Holbinger had to go out to his ambulance and they took out a sort of tin – he and one of his block chiefs – and then he climbed up the ladder and at the top there was a round hole and he opened the little round door and held the tin there and shook it and then he shut the little door again. Then a fearful screaming started up and approximately after about ten minutes it slowly went quiet…They opened the door…then a blue haze came out. I looked in and I saw a pyramid. They had all climbed up on top of each other…They were all tangled, they had to tug and pull very hard to disentangle all these people.

(Holmes, 334-5)

Dov Paisikowic, a Russian-Jewish survivor of Auschwitz, was part of the team responsible for taking bodies out of the chambers, removing valuables such as rings and gold teeth, and then taking the corpses to the crematoria. He recalls:

…the doors were suddenly opened to the gas chambers. People, naked people, started falling out. We were all frightened, no one dared ask what it all was. We were immediately taken to the other side of this house and there we saw hell on this earth – large piles of dead people, and people dragging these dead to a long pit, about thirty metres in length and ten metres in width. There was a huge fire there, with tree trunks. On the other side fat was being taken out of this pit with a bucket.

(Holmes, 335)

Thousands of detainees in the camps were subjected to unnecessary and often horrific medical operations and experiments. One of the most infamous SS doctors was Josef Mengele (1911-1979), who performed all kinds of macabre operations at Auschwitz. Mengele was, though, only one part of a large SS medical team, which operated in many different camps. Dr Franz Blaha, a Czech detainee at the Dachau concentration camp, was obliged to work in this area of Nazi terror, specifically performing autopsies. Blaha reported:

From the middle of 1941 to the end of 1942 some 500 operations on healthy prisoners were performed. These were for the instructions of the SS medical students and doctors and included operations on the stomach, gall bladder and throat. These were performed by students and doctors of only two years' training, although they were very dangerous and difficult….Many prisoners died on the operating table and many others from later complications…These persons were never volunteers but were forced to submit to such acts.

(MacDonald, 59)

Auschwitz Bunks

Bookofblue (CC BY-SA)

Hertha Beese, a Berlin housewife and underground resistance worker, recalls that, unlike the general public, the resistance network was more informed about the camps. She states:

We knew that the concentration camps existed. We also knew where they existed, for example Oranienburg just outside Berlin. We sometimes knew which of our friends were there and we also knew of the cruelties in them right from the beginning.

(Holmes, 315)

Anthony Eden (1897-1977), British Foreign Secretary during WWII, notes:

…as the war progressed some horrifying reports began to come out. At first it was very difficult to assess their accuracy and they were so horrible it was hard to believe they could be true.

(Holmes, 314)

Wynford Vaughn-Thomas, a British journalist, recalls the conditions of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany when it was liberated in 1945:

In the huts typhoid, everything, had broken out and you couldn't hear yourself speak for the death rattle. There were people lying on top of each other, sick, vomiting, withered bodies crawling on their hands and knees…It was sealed off in this dark north German plain and you felt you'd reached the cesspit of the human mind.

(Holmes, 337)

Mass Grave, Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp

H. Oakes-Imperial War Museums (Public Domain)

The British Lieutenant Colonel J. A. D. Johnson described what he saw when he arrived at Bergen-Belsen:

The prisoners were a dense mass of emaciated apathetic scarecrows huddled together in wooden huts, and in many cases without beds or blankets, and in some cases without any clothing whatsoever…There were thousands of emaciated corpses in various stages of decomposition lying unburied. Sanitation was to all intents and purposes nonexistent.

(Cesarini, 759)

Hans Stark, Gestapo staff member at Auschwitz, stated, like so many others, that he had merely been following orders:

I took part in the murder of many people…I believed in the Führer, I wanted to serve my people. Today I know that this idea was false. I regret the mistakes of my past, but I cannot undo them.

(Neville, 57)

Rabbi Frankforter, who died in the Holocaust, which Jewish people often call the Shoah or Ha-Shoah in Hebrew, gave this last wish to survivor Yaacov Silberstein:

You are still young and you will remain alive. I have only one request for you that you should never let people forget. Tell everyone what they did to us at this small camp, in Buchenwald. Wherever you go tell this, also to your children so that they should pass it on. To remember and not to forget.

(Holmes, 339)

Continue reading...

[thegeminisage]

thing of the day that's making me crazy:

prior to rescuing lucanis, caterina tells you she knows lucanis is alive because the body brought back to her a year ago was not his, but it had been altered with blood magic to look like him. how she knows this we never find out (does she have the ability to sense it like lucanis does...?) but we have just been introduced to the idea that deaths can and will be faked sometimes, even if you see a body

after you rescue lucanis from the ossuary, he returns to cantori diamond and is told caterina is dead. actually, the exact wording is "the venatori got her in the confusion." NO ONE SAYS DEAD. rook can say it, if you pick the right option, but nobody else does!

later, teia even says "they took caterina from my house." not "they killed caterina in my house," "they took her." NOBODY IS SAYING THE WORD DEAD. NOBODY IS TAKING ABOUT A CORPSE.

lucanis doesn't ask how she was killed. he doesn't ask to see the body. he just accepts that the same woman who survived the murder of nearly their entire family is dead and moves right along to god-killing with rook

...UNTIL THE FUNERAL PREPARATIONS

when you go back with lucanis to meet teia and plan the funeral, THEN he asks about means of death

furthermore, teia turns to illario and ASKS FOR CATERINA'S ASHES. i did some googling and i can't recall a single instance of a thedas funeral but surely the task of cremation is PART OF THE CEREMONY? surely before the funeral there should still be a body to see?

furthermore, even if nobody is smart enough to go "maybe caterina's body is a fake like lucanis's was," lucanis can, canonically, sense blood magic. it makes the backs of his eyes hurt. there's NO WAY he could be tricked by a fake body, and there's NO WAY he would not ask to see it before it was burned

ALSO WHY ARE THEY HAVING THE FUNERAL IF SHE HAS ALREADY BEEN CREMATED.....funerals are about grief and bodies!!! ig maybe thedas funerals do all that before the funeral itself but that doesn't make much sense either.

so maybe illario was smart enough not to pull the "corpse altered with blood magic" trick again. did he instead pretend to cremate caterina before lucanis got back from the ossuary? they can't have been gone from treviso long because the ossuary is close enough to get to via rowboat. he would have had to do some serious shagging ass. did nobody think it was weird that he was cremating his grandma .5 seconds after she died so lucanis couldn't get a look at her before he got back from the torment nexus?

furthermore, the proposed motives for this crime - that either the gods killed the first talon, or zara did as revenge for lucanis' prison break - are both really flimsy. why would the gods give a shit about caterina dellamorte? how would zara know lucanis had broken out if she wasn't in the prison? i know these aren't the ACTUAL motives for the crime, but why is viago the only one in the room going "yeah that timing is kinda wack" and only if rook brings it up first??

finally, did lucanis seriously not go to HIS OWN HOUSE while caterina was being held hostage there? what? not once in all that time??? did he not have to pick up some clothes or his good throwing knife or whatever? (we cannot even get into the fact that in dialogue it says the venatori stole his clothes to put on the fake corpse WHERE DID HIS FANCY LITTLE OUTFIT COME FROM THEN)

conclusion:

i sincerely believe that caterina being presumed dead was a last-minute addition and she was supposed to have been kidnapped by the venatori this whole time. nobody talks about a corpse because there isn't one. they only changed it because if she was kidnapped, lucanis would not be taking you on coffee dates or killing gods for you when he could/should be looking for her (this game already has a problem with a lack of a feeling of urgency).

other conclusion: between the conflicting information regarding the ossuary's location and the demon blood binding thing being inconsistent with lore from the other games, nothing about lucanis's storyline actually holds up to scrutiny at all and it's making me NUTS like i'm not even TRYING to be hashtag veilguard critical i just want to write a sequel to my damn fanfic and bioware is making it SO HARD

[the-artist-grimm]

Now I'm curious!

3, 8, 48 & 50!

3. How long was your lamb held captive by heretics before their sacrifice?

Only a single day. Anthea and Ratau had gone out to run errands late one evening, ran into trouble, and Anthea led them off after Ratau twisted his ankle and couldn't run anymore. The Bishops had already been in the middle of executing the final groups of lambs, and Flinky had actually warned the duo that heretic movements appeared more active than usual, but neither realized it was because they were actively searching for Anthea specifically. With that last larger group accounted for, all that was left was the one stray lamb spotted accompanying the former Red Crown Bearer a few times by patrols.

After capture, Anthea was held in a cell for the rest of the night and well into the next day as the Bishops forced Clauneck to confirm that they were indeed the last, and come sunset the execution began.

8. Did your lamb have any specific skills pre-sacrifice?

Weaving was a skill taught to all ewes from a young age alongside sewing, and Anthea learned navigation by both starlight and on foot from their father prior to taking up his mantle as supply runner.

Once in Ratau's care, Anthea learned combat with the sword from him and Shrumy and poisons/medicine from Flinky, which turned out to greatly benefit them early on as leader. Once given the crown they simply got an energy boost to their abilities to fight off the guards who'd been trying to collect their body for cremation, and tend to their first follower Nona when they and Ratau came across her sacrifice whilst escaping Deep Darkwood.

On a somewhat related note, Narinder had been watching through the crown Anthea's initial escape run through Deep Darkwood to gauge their performance/abilities. He was pretty pleased to see them capable of holding their own in a fight/being tactical in their movements, and them knowing how to pace themself/show restraint. He'd been somewhat nervous of just what the final Lamb would be, fearful that whoever it was would carry the same violent vengefulness a few prior vessels had held, which would have lead to a control risk he couldn't afford. If Anthea was vengeful and decided to go on a rampage instead of staying on task, Narinder didn't have a choice in just releasing them from service like he'd had prior. But to his relief, Anthea was a balance between tactical and gentle, willing to fight unlike Ratau, but also unwilling to cause unnecessary harm.

Though Narinder was greatly surprised upon witnessing their reunion with Ratau. Though he didn't show it nor say anything, Anthea's seeing Ratau and immediately shouting 'Dad!' before running to him caught Narinder off guard, as he'd never anticipated his former vessel ever knowing his final one prior to their crowning. Yet, despite the two having parting on uneasy terms, Narinder was happy for him. Ratau had been a man unfit to serve as vessel, yet regardless both loyal and kind as leader. So seeing that Ratau had not only followed his warnings on how to avoid the Bishops post-vesselship, but having also found a family was reassuring.

If nothing else, this vessel had lived post crown-he hadn't faced the misfortune all else had prior. Having a connection to Narinder hadn't destroyed him.

48. How does your lamb really feel about death?

Early on Anthea almost craves it-they believe every moment after their family's deaths is borrowed time they didn't deserve, and thus while they don't actively try to put themself in danger, if it would be beneficial to someone else they'd gladly do it. (Basically to simply lay down and die would just be wasting the life they scraped by with, and being 'ungrateful' for the chance their mother and siblings deserved far more, so making it useful is a workaround that) It's why they led the heretics away from Ratau, he'd taken care of them for so long that sacrificing themself so he'd live another day was simply repaying the favor.

As a general concept however Anthea sees death as something peaceful-a final sleep where you awake before the gentle god of the dead before passing on completely. It's both colored by the old tomes about Narinder they'd discovered within Ratau's collection, and their own hopes that despite meeting violent ends (their father capture then sacrifice via burning at a stake, their siblings and mother via slaughter then burning in their village), that their family met something gentle after.

50. Freebie! Tell us any headcanon you want!

Anthea's main outfit being just a long men's tunic with a sash to cinch in the waist/only shorts underneath is actually considered just a little improper by fashion standards-typically it'd be more proper for them to at least wear trousers if not a long skirt, but with their more fast-pace almost acrobatic moveset pants are more likely to get caught/in the way. If it's not a crusade day they often wear long skirts with bodices around the cult though, especially once the Bishops are all revived. Much to Ratau's relief that his adopted child isn't gallivanting around appearing only half dressed anymore, and some of the younger/around Anthea's age's cult members' disappointment that their leader's long legs are no longer on display.

Narinder, outwardly, agrees with Ratau. Narinder, internally, is just as disappointed.

Questions List

[noirandchocolate]

Since it literally is (my) Master Kohga's Ascension Day today, thought I'd do up a headcanon post about this very important Yiga Clan celebration!

Ascension Day marks the day when the current Master officially took the position. It can be any day of the year, since of course a Master can die (or be ousted, rarely) any time and their Heir (or other successor) could complete their trials any time after that. Current Kohga's day being the first day of Spring in Hyrule is a pure coincidence. (I SWEAR I will tell my Hyrule calendar headcanons someday!)

It's called "Ascension" Day, and a new person taking up the mantle of Master is referred to as "ascending,” for the same reason the Master position is associated with firebirds as I've previously stated. The Clan practices cremation as a funerary rite and there is always a successor one way or another. From the ashes of one comes the next. (Kohga declaring "From my handsome ashes we will rise again!" when you defeat him in AoC and calling himself "The strong! The Depths-defying! From the ashes rising!" in TotK are allusions to this/the basis for this headcanon. He's so dramatic.)

This is THE event for the Clan every year. They have plenty of other festivals, to mark the seasons and for remembering ancestors for example, but Ascension Day is THE THING. Which means everybody's involved, everybody attends unless it's absolutely impossible (such as being on a mission where you literally cannot safely leave in time to get back to the Valley or be gone long enough to make the trip). It's not that you'll get in trouble for missing it or anything. It's just...it's very important to them.

The occasion begins in the late morning with a ceremony wherein the Master restates their oath to lead and protect their people, and everyone in their sixteenth year or older makes or remakes their own pledge to serve the Clan under the Master and work for the good and goals of the Yiga. There are also prayers to the ancestors for the health and well-being of the Master and the safety of the whole group. This is the serious part of the day.

Particularly on a brand-new Master's very first Ascension Day, where they actually become Master Kohga, this is a solemn rite. This is when the Heir/successor first dons their new uniform and trades their old mask for the Master's style. After this moment, their name is Master Kohga. They make their first oath, and take on all the responsibility and duty that being Master entails. And it marks the transfer of the other Yiga's loyalty onto this new individual. Plus, after all... As much as becoming Master is something to be proud of, this first day especially is a reminder of what is very very often the loss of a parent or other family member.

But then, once that serious part is over... It's time for a big celebration! THE BIGGEST part of which is...THE GLORIOUS PRESENTATION OF THE MASTER'S MIGHTY DEEDS!! This is a play! Commemorating--you guessed it--the current Master's great actions since their ascension! And also historic deeds of previous Masters Kohga! The particularly amazing stories get repeated a lot--at least one prior Master's scene is chosen to be performed each year, depending on how many very memorable things the current Master has done that need to be included. Always, all Masters being depicted are portrayed by the current one. (They play themself and any other Master, in other words, depending on the scene.)

A Master's first Ascension Day marks the final time an entire Presentation is done to specifically honor and feature their immediate predecessor. As in, when Best Guy Kohga ascended, he performed as his father, showcasing all Daddy Kohga's most important moments as Master, before switching to act as himself for the final scenes, depicting a montage of his own trials to take the reins of the Clan. Some of his dad's scenes might be chosen to be performed in the future, but that's the last time it was all about him. The same went for Dad portraying his mother at his own first Ascension Day, and Nana portraying her father. And on and on down the ages since this tradition of a Presentation began, several thousand years ago. This is, of course, a bittersweet and deeply meaningful thing for most new Masters, to have the honor of embodying their beloved family member (or friend or mentor, etc.) on stage.

The play features very dramatic and stylized acting, and big ornate over the top costumes. Some actors will magically disguise themselves as the characters they play, and are able to perform multiple roles in the same year very seamlessly using this technique. Others will use practical costuming and masks to become monsters and vivid makeup to enhance their Looks as various characters (to be seen well by the whole audience!).

(The Presentation is not quite in the exact same acting style as real-world kabuki theater, but the Clan having associations in their designs from this art form is the basis for this headcanon. The use of popular and famous scenes featuring favorite characters/dramatized people from history, and big roles being handed down through families, are also traditions in kabuki. However unlike in kabuki, participation isn't restricted to men and the acting is a bit more natural even if it is still pretty bombastic at times. Among other differences.)

The selection of scenes and writing of new ones is a job undertaken by the Clan's historians and chroniclers, who are responsible for keeping track of Masters' deeds as they occur, plus their mannerisms, personalities, and similar things that will help future actors to portray them. Of course, the Master themself will usually assist with developing new scenes. Current Kohga, being a rather theatrical and artsy guy, definitely gets involved with writing his own lines a lot. <3

The Presentation is performed outdoors, in the area by the chasm like most of the Clan's big festivals are, with a stage moved out in pieces and put together each year for the purpose. There are appropriate sets that can be quite impressive, from nature scenes to town streets to mountains etc.!

There are also big puppets used to portray larger monsters like Molduga--always a favorite target since slaying one solo is one of the trials to become Master--and creatures like dragons. Multiple people (often Blademasters for the largest of these) will work together to move these about the stage. Some of them are covered in paper and are lit up like lanterns from inside to create a glowing effect. The Yiga are quite good at special effects and illusions to really entertain!

The biggest and most impressive of these half-mechanical, half-lantern constructions is one portraying Calamity Ganon itself, which always makes an appearance amid sparkler fireworks and malice-colored fog. This is usually the very last scene in a year's Presentation, to end on a reaffirmation of the Clan's hopes that the monstrosity will destroy the Royal Family and kingdom, achieving the vengeance the Yiga have striven for. Of course, in my post-Calamity AoC-verse, at the first Ascension Day since the Clan abandoned and helped defeat Ganon...that scene was changed quite a bit to put it mildly.

Indeed, that special Ascension Day also marked the first time the Clan EVER opened its doors to a large group of outsiders, namely the Champions, Princess, their respective retinues, and some prominent Sheikah, and it was done to allow these people to view the Presentation and take part in the party times afterward. This was Sooga's idea, meant both as a gesture to augment trust from the Clan's new allies/trading partners, and as a demonstration that the Clan are a living, breathing culture unto themselves with a rich history and traditions. Kohga readily agreed, and also thought that perhaps bringing these people to the Complex would also help the Yiga, too, to accept the unprecedented alliance he'd forged beyond what was strictly necessary to defeat Ganon (which obviously went against a huge amount of what the Clan had always stood for--Koh was concerned that he'd be seen as a traitor by at least some of the Yiga/his ancestors despite his clear motive to keep everyone safer and avenge their fallen, but...his instincts proved correct and he's been almost universally lauded as a hero to his people for doing what he did).

That said, the Clan ended up having a lot of fun hosting and showing off with their pyrotechnics and spot-on impersonations of their most famous guests. Urbosa reportedly got a real kick out of seeing Kohga perform as an over-the-top version of herself in the scene depicting his Of Course Very Ingenious infiltration into Gerudo Town. The actors playing Link and Zelda were among the first to approach their characters' real-life counterparts after the show, too, and to invite them into a dancing circle...

Because post-Presentation, there's some time for cleanup and outfit changes before a HUGE PARTY commences back outside! Food! Dancing! Music (often led by Kohga on two shamisen if he's feeling feisty)! A bonfire! Poetry competitions! Drinking! Games! (Yeah you might remember this sounding similar to my post about the after-party at marriage ceremonies...the Clan does parties RIGHT.)

These kinds of festivals are all about bonding among the Yiga, and Ascension Day is a prime example of this. Gathering around the fire with friends and family groups to shout more calls to past Masters one particularly admires or remembers fondly is something particular to this occasion. It's all about Master Kohga on Ascension Day...but that means it's all about the whole Clan, since the Master's role is equally to serve as it is to be served. <3

[dapurinthos]

the facts were these (/pushing daisies narrator man i miss pushing daisies):

jedi facts: in this nebulous '5th quarter', a skirmish broke out on felucia, sifo was assigned to negotiate peace talks. peace talks ‘failed’, he was ‘killed’. there was a 2nd jedi present when he ‘died’. sifo’s body was cremated.

valorum’s facts: it was a senate committee working on the syndicate matter but shame shame drugs shame valorum himself contacted sifo to ‘stabilize’ things sifo AND silman were killed on felucia no bodies

pyke facts: we know nothing masters jedi sirs. honest. okay we saw him but we didn’t see anyone else. okay okay we saw him AND the advisor. we shot ‘em both down over our moon because we made an alliance with this guy calling himself tyranus. we retrieved the jedi’s body and snatched up the advisor, didn’t tell tyranus. u want him? u can have him.

silman’s facts: they TRICKED US precious the pykes killed sifo because tyranus wanted to use his identity

dooku's facts: sifo-dyas understood he saw the future that is why he helped me

the floating timeline of sifo goes like this:

tan divo & the coruscant police’s racist investigations (prior) unhelpful; investigations into hutts go slightly better (35BBY)

other syndicates threatening a full-out gang war in the coruscant underworld due to the pykes’ almost complete control over the production of raw spice (kessel, etc.)

senate committee goes uh-oh

valorum goes uh-oh, calls sifo for a meeting

sifo departs coruscant w/ silman, in a jedi t-6 shuttle

sifo & silman (the delegation) arrive on oba-diah

council messages with orders to attend to flare up on felucia

sifo leaves oba diah with silman, reaches distance of oba diah moon before being shot down by the pykes. silman is taken by the pykes.

dooku arrives at jedi temple (to delete kamino data), talks with jocasta, qui-gon, yaddle

battle of theed (45.04.19 hurrah an actual date)

at least one night passes; news of qui-gon’s death percolates.

dooku goes to confront sidious, has already ‘dealt’ with sifo-dyas, precise dates of 'dealing with' unknown.

what the fuck is a fifth quarter? it’s the time of year between black friday or christmas and the end of january in the us apparently. it’s a fiscal term. or, legally, the three full calendar months of the thirteenth calendar month from the final closing date. whatever the fuck THAT means in this gffa. HOWEVER we know there is calendric fuckery because this is star wars there is ALWAYS calendric fuckery. judicial uses the 10 month calendar. coruscant reckoning uses a (supposedly) 365 day calendar (i make this work by saying there are 3 uncounted days, the way the 10-month calendar is both 350 days AND 368 days).

possibilities: ‘the fifth quarter’ refers to those days in the 10-month calendar that aren’t counted; it’s the time between the festival of stars and new year (both one-week holidays). HOWEVER HOWEVER they also totally screwed up how the dates go by putting the battle of yavin too late in the coruscant reckoning year that it necessitates the phantom menace taking place in 33BBY so that’s what i think of THAT calendar (i did figure out the equalisation tho because i am like that. the crc has to start on 11.33 of the 10-month calendar). it can ALSO be the summer if you're talking in terms of school. ffs.

or, since the crc was done BASED ON VIBES we can go based on MY vibes (which are objectively correct) and place sifo-dyas's death date on 04.04 because:

four is death

it's before all of naboo, which puts it in line w/ tales of the jedi

it's recent enough that dooku's still doing to be a complete scribble over it

it works with disney AND legends in that it takes place post-perlemian gathering/kamino-informing and before naboo

the nitty-gritty (but not the nitty-nitty gritty) timeline (brackets are my own personal timeline, the / dates are how far through the year they are, counting down, so 32.9BBY is the 2nd month of 33BBY):

42.??.??, 35BBY: tan divo’s investigations into pyke spice trafficking begins. he fucks this up by giving into racism and believing all pykes are involved in this spice trafficking. 33BBY/32.8 (44.05.26): yinchorri attack on jedi temple; two killed; proposed point at which sifo leaves the council (final attempt at getting council to believe in his vision of the necessity of an army in the wake of the yinchorri incident, in the wake of the yam’rii incident) 32.5 (08.26): eriadu trade conference; assassination of trade fed. leadership 32.4 (09.23): passing of prop 31-814D, taxing free trade zones ???: trip to kwenn (unknown date, only that sifo is not on council) 32.4 (09.31): finis valorum under investigation for corruption 32.4: mas amedda appointed vice chancellor; valorum’s powers limited (10.01): valorum appears before court to answer corruption charges 32.3/10.05: election day, standard day each year; amidala elected queen 32BBY (45.03.23): chommell sector summit announcement 32 (03.35): gathering on perlemian orbital facility (plagueis drops the anvil about kamino to sifo-dyas) (04.02): valorum calls meeting with sifo, he and silman depart later that day (04.03): arrival on oba diah (04.04): message from council, re: felucia; departure from oba diah; shot down (04.05): blockade of naboo begins; 1 week since perlemian gathering

31.9BBY/04.14: the phantom menace begins.

04.18: arrival on coruscant; dooku & qui-gon speak during the day after the first high council meeting, before qui-gon goes to collect anakin from palpatine’s residence; departure for naboo that night; flight takes overnight. 04.19: v. early morning on coruscant is ~ mid-afternoon naboo time; occurrence of deaths: plagueis (early CR) > qui-gon (aft NB) > maul (aft NB); naboo is about 12+ hours ahead of coruscant in terms of time; result of no-confidence vote daytime on coruscant (evening naboo) 04.20: swearing-in of chancellor palpatine (coruscant day), jedi ready to leave for naboo in afternoon (early morning 21st naboo > arrival late 21st naboo). dooku confronts sidious at the limerge building in the works just before sunset. kills yaddle. there’s probably a sloppy attempt at sex here because dooku just wants out of his own head sorry not sorry 04.21: sidious departs for naboo, early coruscant morning 04.22 naboo: funeral of qui-gon jinn held 3 days post-battle of theed in naboo evening (coruscant morning)

[wokealqaeda]

Betty Lou Beets (March 12, 1937 - February 24, 2000) was a murderer executed in the U.S. state of Texas. She was convicted of shooting her fifth husband, Jimmy Don Beets, on August 6, 1983.

Betty Lou Dunevant to Margaret Louise Smithwick (April 20, 1917 - June 16, 1993) and James Garland Dunevant (September 15, 1912 - February 14, 2003), she was born in Roxboro, North Carolina, on March 12, 1937. Beets was deaf due to a childhood bout with measles, and claimed she was sexually abused by her father.

When Beets was a child, the family moved from North Carolina to Hampton, Virginia, where her father was employed as a machinist at the Langley Research Center.

Her mother was institutionalized when she was 12 years old, leaving her to take care of her younger sister and brother.

Beets married her first husband, Robert Franklin Branson, at age 15, and according to her supporters, all but one of her marriages were plagued with sexual abuse and domestic violence, which Beets cited only well after her conviction and sentence of death.

Beets had a criminal history prior to her arrest for murder, including public lewdness, and shooting former husband Bill Lane in the side of the abdomen. Married six times, twice to the same man (Bill York Lane), Beets shot Lane twice in the back in 1970. She was acquitted after Lane admitted he had threatened her life first and the two remarried, divorcing again a month later. She later tried to run over her third husband, Ronnie C. Threlkold, with her car in 1978. Both men survived and testified at her murder trial.

Her trial for the murder for remuneration and the promise of remuneration of Jimmy Don Beets began on July 11, 1985, in the 173rd district court of Henderson County. She pleaded not guilty, claiming that two of her children had committed the murders. She was found guilty on October 11. The evidence of abuse was never presented to the court. During the separate penalty phase three days later, she was sentenced to death. Beets was Texas Department of Criminal Justice Death Row #810. She was received by the Texas Department of Corrections on October 14, 1985 and incarcerated in the Mountain View Unit (now Patrick O'Daniel Unit).

An automatic appeal to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals first overturned the conviction, saying that insurance and pension benefits were not the same as remuneration. The state requested a rehearing on September 21, 1988; this time, the Court ruled the conviction and sentence should stand. Ten years of appeals followed. The Supreme Court of the United States denied a writ of certiorari on June 26, 1989, and an execution date was set for November 8. On November 1, she received a stay from the trial court after she filed a state habeas petition. The Court of Criminal Appeals denied this request on June 27, 1990, leading to a second execution date of December 6.

A federal petition for a writ of habeas corpus was filed three days before her scheduled execution, and the federal district court granted a stay of execution on December 4. Throughout the first half of 1991, evidentiary hearings were held, and on May 9 the court granted relief on one of Beets's claims, but denied all others. The United States Court of Appeals upheld the decision on March 18, 1993, and also overturned the one claim that had been granted relief. The case was sent to a federal district court, and on September 2, 1998, it denied her habeas corpus relief. After her appeals were denied throughout 1999, an execution date was set for February 24, 2000.

Beets was executed by lethal injection at 6:18 pm CST on February 24, 2000, in the Huntsville Unit.[ She did not request a final meal, nor did she make a final statement. Beets was the second woman executed in the state after the reintroduction of the death penalty. At the time of the execution, she was 62 years old, and had five children, nine grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Like most executed criminals, Beets was cremated after her death. Her ashes were scattered over her mother's grave.

Betty Lou Beets' crimes were retold by her daughter, Shirley Furgala, as part of an episode of the TV series Evil Lives Here on September 13, 2020.

[fireflowersims]

Death, dying and funerals in the Netherlands (pt 2)

The part in which we discuss options

My dad died this monday and as it turns out: funeral planning takes a lot of time. This part will go into more detail about your options of what can be done with your body. And also why one may want to subject their funeral director to police-level interrogation. My dad's final trips.

Part 1

So, same tw as part 1 on all of this: cancer, death, dying, corpses, handling corpses in various ways, funerals, undertakers, huge sums of money, insurance company (derogatory), religion

So where will the body go?

So, your loved one has died. You got to give them their final care and they are now "opgebaard" (ready for viewing). Now it is time to choose how to "dispose" of the body. There are several options you can choose. Before I continue with my dad's story, it's good to tell you a bit about what each involves:

Body donation

It is possible to choose to donate your body to science. If you go for this option, the body will be picked up within 24h of death to be taken to wherever donated bodies go. Before that, it is possible to spend time with the body and say your goodbye's. My grandma's sister opted for this. There was no final service.

Cremation

You can also have your body burnt. This happens at indoor crematoria. The funeral service is done prior to the cremation as Dutch law requires the ashes to stay at the crematorium for 30 days after cremation. My grandparents on my dad's side went for this. Both times we had a service at the crematorium. Songs were played, memories recounted and poems were read. The services were non-religious in this case. I remember my grandpa had a sea shanty play. After the service there was food either at the crematorium or at family. Coffee and a snack or some soup is common. The ashes can later be kept in an urn or scattered. You may also bury them in an "urn grave".

Burial

Burial is where some people may get surprised. In the Netherlands, "eternal rest" is not a given. In most cemeteries, you don't buy a plot, you lease one. After the initial period expires, the grave will be cleared so it can be used for someone else. There are two types of rental graves: algemeen (general) and particulier (private). With an "algemeen graf" the cemetery determines how long your loved one can stay in there. Often 20 or 30 years. Extending the lease is oftentimes not possible. When the lease passes, the grave will be cleared. Private graves also tend to start at 20 or 30 years but family can choose to keep extending the grave lease if they wish. Urn graves are the same in this.

Dig up that grave

When a grave gets cleared, there are several things that can be done with the remains: they could be reburied deeper (if possible). They can be cremated and the ashes given to family. They can be reburied in another grave chosen (and paid for) by family or they can be reburied in a common grave (aka: the big grave, some may call it a mass grave). Either way, exhuming a grave is not an ordeal legally speaking, it's just a part of life and death. The Netherlands is a small country with limited grave space and so we have to be efficient.

Eternal rest

Sometimes rental graves can be hard on people. Will you choose to renew the grave of your child or father who died way too young? It is not gonna bring them back and it is a big chunk of money, especially if your funds are low. Is it really worth it to extend the geave lease of people you never knew? Fortunately, nowadays there is a way to never have to worry about this: natural burial.

At a natural burial ground, you pick a grave in the middle of nature. The grave often gets a temporary wooden marker. Once it has decomposed, you might be able to get a new marker, but after that one's gone, the grave is unmarked and can only be found via GPS coordinates. After all the graves on the burial ground have been filled, it will get turned over to Natuurmonumenten (natural monuments) who will take care of the area and ensure that it stays pristine and undisturbed. This means that graves will not be dug up. The bodies are left to decompose naturally in the soil. Sometimes in a coffin, sometimes in a shroud and their relatives will never have to make a decision about the grave lease.

This is what my parents chose. They went to a natural burial ground and picked a plot where they can be buried together on top of one another. It is a good fit for my dad, who always loved to be out in nature. I'm glad they got to choose together. Though I do hope I won't have to bury my mom anytime soon.

But what's with this insurance stuff?

Oh, insurance, I could probably dedicate entire posts to how much of a pain dealing with our insurance/funeral director has been at times. Dutch funeral insurance often takes the form of a sum of money to spend on a funeral. You can use it to pay to buy or lease a grave, but since my parents already paid for theirs, the insurance fee is used for things like cards, transport, renting the ice plate, renting space to keep the body and catering. Yup, catering. It is also possible to get a package. Grave/cremation + all needed services or a combination thereof (grave/cremation + a sum of money to spend on other funeral stuff).

Between life and death: corpse hauling

So this is where my dad's story gets absurd. So far, my dad's body has been in basically all the places you can store a body (for viewing and just storage).

First, we kept him at home. We didn't want to keep him there for too long though, as we didn't think he would've appreciated it (he was never one to confront death). He died monday in the early morning and was picked up by the hearse tuesday late in the afternoon.

Them he was brought to the crematorium's cooling. We were not allowed to follow. We found that out just as he had left the house.

Those 90 FUCKING EUROS

Wait, the crematorium? Didn't you go for burial? Well yes, the reason we had him transferred there is that we thought that should we have him transferred there, we would have access to a so-called 24h room. Turns out that wasn't the case. The crematorium doesn't have a 24h room and we'd have to pay 90 FUCKING EUROS PER VISIT! We were not informed about this nor about that a "visit" is only 45 minutes, needs to be requested via the funeral director and that the crematorium apparently doesn't work with digital systems or something, because appointments may only be made during working hours as the people who put them in the agenda are not there later in the day!

I repeat: 90 FUCKING EUROS to be in a room with a corpse for 45 minutes. For that money I can buy a museum card, spend the entire year looking at corpses daily, bog body, mummy, skeleton, plenty of choice and still have enough money left to buy a sandwich.

Needless to say, we were Not Happy. She did fix it fairly quickly by getting him transferred to a 24h room the next day, but yeah, that's another car ride, another corpse transfer, more costs. My dad was being driven all over town I tell ya

But .. how?

Alright, the funeral director was set at the table and we were talking about planning the funeral (more about that next post), at some point she made an offhand comment about if we wanted to view the body. We said yes. So she was like"okay, so I'll add a mourning visit" and that was it.

She did not explain that it would be a 45 min visit and that if we wanted more visits it'd be more money. I get it costs money. After all the workers have to get the body in and out of the cooling, into the room for a viewing, keep that room clean, keep the refrigeration running etc, but it would have been nice to get informed before we made that uninformed choice we did.

We thought (based on my BIL's experiences with his family being viewed outside the house) that his body would be put in a room and we'd just get a key to access it basically whenever we like. This was not the case. It was never explained to us. And thus we were totally surprised when the hearse driver told us to make an appointment and (respectfully) drove off towards the crematorium with my dad.

So this is why you interrogate your funeral director, kids. If you're lucky, you get one who understands that not everyone is well-versed in funeral options and may be tired and will explain everything in explicit detail but if not, you may find your grieving process disturbed by having your access to the corpse limited without informed consent.

In the end, my dad spent a night at the coolig where his parents were also kept. We jokingly said he paid the place their bodies stayed at a visit. He is now at the 24h room.

The last home for the dead

A 24h room is a fantastic way to say goodbye. It is a dedicated room where the body is kept and the family can just come in and spend time with it whenever they want or need. The atmosphere is homey and calm. In this particular room, the corpse is off to the side and can be hidden by curtains. One can choose to view him or just spend time on the couch talking with the relatives, enjoying a cup of tea or playing a game. The dead person is there, but life can happen too. It's a space between regular life and the reality of death. I personally find I quite like it. My dad would not want to be kept at home until the funeral, that wouldn't fit him. But I think he'd be okay with this option. It's more expensive than a visit to the crematorium, but you have the freedom to come whenever you feel ready and that is worth its weight in gold. Here he will stay until it is time for his final trip: to church and then to his grave.

Next up in Fire's Funeral Adventures: how to plan a Dutch Funeral (ft. Frustration)

[whats-9plus10]

Venture Bros Time Frame

Based on the Venture Brothers Wiki Timeline and what I could find in the show during my final rewatch before the movie. Like when I calculated Gary’s age, this is not an opinion piece. I pull straight from the source material. 

I am not starting from a specific year because we know Venture Bros references current pop culture based on the year each season was released. Various dates documented in the show fail to provide a cohesive timeline. Hence, my focus is on the time frame. I'll be keeping track by noting "Venture Bros Year _" when the series moves into the next year and by referencing years as "000(number of year)" while using dates. I suggest following along with your calendar open like I had to do while organizing this lol.

S1e11 Past Tense - Orpheus predicts that The Action Man will have a stroke in "2 years, 17 days." 

We will start pretty late into the first year, Venture Bros Year 1

S1e13 Are You There God, It's Me, Dean - Takes place in late September 0001. 

The episode features Monarch's birthday, which is around late September 0001 when, according to him, "the leaves would be orange enough..." to build his Monarch wings. 

The Monarch butterfly migration and the leaves turning can begin around late September in New Jersey. 

A Very Venture Christmas Special occurs on Christmas, December 25th, 0001, between season 1 and season 2. 

While the entire episode was a dream, it was still revealed to be Christmas time. Sally is shown to be pregnant with Rocket. This is important because it solidifies that this episode specifically took place sometime between s1e7 Ice Station Impossible and s2e5 20 Years to Midnight. 

Venture Bros Year 2 

S2e2 Hate Floats - The boys celebrate their 16th birthday.

S2e5 20 Years to Midnight - This episode takes place May 4th, 0002, "...in Rusty's 44th year." In s1e8 Mid-life Chrysalis, he states his age is 43. Rusty must have turned 44 last month on April 30th, 0002. This means a little over 7 months have passed since s1e13. Rocket was born to Sally Impossible during that time. 

This means the boys' birthday is between December 26th - May 3rd. I'm casting a wide net because, for all we know, the episodes in between could have happened just days apart from each other. They live chaotic lives. 

S2e11 ¡Viva los Muertos! - Rusty promises the boys will receive something better than their clones as Christmas gifts. 

S2e12&13 Showdown at Cremation Creek (Parts 1 and 2) - This episode spans a month between the Monarch's proposal and the wedding. 

S3e4 Home Is Where the Hate Is - The boys state that they are still 16 years old "going on 17". That phrase usually indicates a birthday is approaching, but we can't assume anything definitive. What this does tell us is that a full year has not gone by since s2e2 Hate Floats, assuming the boys didn't die again off-screen.

S3e5 The Buddy System - Billy says he is 35. Based on s2e12&13 Showdown at Cremation Creek (Parts 1 and 2), we know that he is 35 at least a month after May 4th, 0002. 

Here's where it gets tricky

S3e8 Tears of a Sea Cow - Dean's newspaper is dated May 23rd. I will explore two possibilities. 

Possibility 1

Even though I don't feel like the date on Dean's paper is strong evidence as it could be a secondhand thought made up by the animators or a reference to how each season seems to occur in the year it airs, the month of May would line up as the boys had previously told Hatred they were about to turn 17 years old four episodes prior, indicating a birthday was near. If we say we are already in Venture Bros Year 3 and believe the date in the newspaper to be May 23rd, 0003, the boys would already be 17 during this episode because we know their birthday is before May 4th. However...

S3e13 The Family That Slays Together, Stays Together Part 2 - Hank says "...open my Christmas gifts early...." referring to the clones they discovered in s2e11 ¡Viva los Muertos!. Indicating that December 25th, 0002 has not occurred yet. 

Possibility 2

What this could mean, other than an oversight, is that it was May 23rd, 0002. This would make the boys still 16 years old. And everything between s2e5 20 Years to Midnight and s3e8 Tears of a Sea Cow takes place all in one month... but that also doesn't work because s2e12&13 Showdown at Cremation Creek (Parts 1 and 2) spans about a month by itself and we see the Monarchs multiple times in various stages of their relationship throughout season 2. 

Because acknowledging the date in the newspaper would not work either way, I feel that it's safe to disregard it completely based on the current information we have. I feel more confident in trusting the writing that came directly from Doc and Jackson rather than the animation. 

S4e1 Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel - The Nazis give Rusty "8 months" to clone Hitler. During this time Hank grew out his hair, Brock got out of shape and back in shape, and Gary got dieseled. Somewhere during those 8 months, we moved on to…

Venture Bros Year 3 

S4e2 Handsome Ransom - Billy says he is 37. If Billy wasn't lying or rounding up, this means at least a year and a day have passed since s3e5 The Buddy System. The boys must be 17 at this point. 

S4e5 The Revenge Society - Documenting where this episode takes place for a later reference. 

S4e10 Pomp and Circuitry - Brock tells Hank "...you also have to be 18" to dissuade him from joining SPHINX. Confirming that two whole years have not passed since s2e2 Hate Floats.

S4e12 Everybody Comes to Hank's - Hank asks Dean "How was your summer?" hinting that they are approaching the middle to end of summer. 

S4e15 The Silent Partners -JJ is in space building Gargantua II. This is information for later reference.

S4e16 Operation: P.R.O.M. - In the commentary, Doc and Jackson use prom to symbolize the boy's unofficial 18th birthday, more specifically their ascent into adulthood. I did not take this to mean it was literally their 18th birthday. The latest their birthday can be is May 3rd and at this point, they are nearing the fall. 

S5e1 What Color Is Your Cleansuit? - Takes place the day after P.R.O.M. and spans 3 months. A Very Venture Halloween special takes place in the middle of it on October 31st, 0003. We see Gary raking leaves - Fall. Then the compound is covered in snow - Winter. The weather here is intentional to show the passage of time. It is unclear at this point if we have moved on to the next year. There is no mention of Christmas or New Year's. By the end of the episode, it could be as early as November 0003. 

At this point, we are over 2 years and at least 1 month into the series. We started in September 0001 in s1e13 Are You There God, It's Me, Dean and are now sometime past October 31st, 0003. I am keeping in mind Orpheus' prediction of "2 years and 17 days". In the commentary Doc and Jackson state that the Action Man could have considered his health since the prediction which resulted in delaying his stroke. 

S5e3 SPHINX Rising - Gary says "Hank is an adult." I took this to mean he had turned 18 at some point. While their birthday may be at the end of December because we had cast a wide net for them earlier, I will assume we’ve moved on to…

Venture Bros Year 4

Here’s where it gets tricky part 2

S5e4 Spanakopita! - This episode should take place in October. Team Venture attended the wedding of Aristotle Onassis and Jackie Kennedy which took place on October 20th, 1968. Another historical event mentioned was the Apollo 7 mission, which took place Oct 11, 1968 – Oct 22, 1968. In the flashback we see Spanakopita aligning with the Splashdown date, October 22, 1968. This is evidence that the dates are intentional. 

In this episode we see Hank in his strength suit, confirming that Spanakopita takes place after s5e1 What Color Is Your Cleansuit? and A Very Venture Halloween special. I feel it's unlikely that they intended for a full year to have passed between s5e1 What Color Is Your Cleansuit? and s5e4 Spanakopita!. I want to make this as accurate as possible so I'm going to entertain two possibilities.

Possibility 1

If we say that s5e4 Spanakopita! was not intended to take place in October specifically and it was an oversight, then I feel safe to assume the warm weather we see after s5e1 What Color Is Your Cleansuit? indicates that we've moved onto spring or summer, still in Venture Bros Year 4. 

S5e5 O.S.I. Love You - Hank’s limbs atrophied from wearing the strength suit he found in S5e3 SPHINX Rising for “weeks”. 

S5e6 Momma's Boys - Hank tells Dermott “Last year…” and references the events of s4e5 The Revenge Society which took place in Venture Bros Year 3.

S5e7 Bot Seeks Bot - This episode takes place in July 0004. We see a flashback in S7e3 Arrears in Science which took place the night before Thanksgiving, November 0004.

S5e8 The Devil's Grip - Dean says a third of his age is 6 - indicating he is probably 18. 

All This and Gargantua-2 - Monarch says Rusty “hasn’t paid his electric bill since June.” We know we are in July or August because s5e7 Bot Seeks Bot takes place in July 0004.

Season 6 starts in Venture Bros Year 4, August or September 0004 because we know Dean had applied and enrolled in the Fall Semester. The boys would be 18 years old—3 years since s1e13 Are You There God, It's Me, Dean. 

S6e1 Hostile Makeover - Hatred says he's "been waiting to do that (hit Gary) for weeks”, assuming he is referring to the last time he saw Gary in either s5e8 The Devil's Grip.

S6e4 Rapacity in Blue - Takes place on October 7th, 0004. The timestamps are in the top right corner of the security camera videos.

S6e5 Tanks for Nuthin’ - Takes place on October 8th, 0004 the morning after s6e4 Rapacity in Blue.

S7e1 The Venture Bros. & The Curse of the Haunted Problem - This episode takes place the in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, November 0004. We flashback 2 years ago to JJ discovering the Gargantua crash. This implies JJ made this discovery sometime in Venture Bros Year 2.

According to The Art and Making of the Venture Bros. - Rocket is 3 or 4 years old now.

Next, we have a clear time span thanks to s7e3 Arrears in Science. It's Thanksgiving, November 0004. 3 years and 2 months since s1e13 Are You There God, It's Me, Dean. 

Time jump to the start of the Spring Semester in s7e4 The High Cost of Loathing, which starts in Venture Bros Year 5, January 0005.

S7e4 High Cost of Loathing - There is a "two months later" time jump at the beginning of the episode.

We are still in Winter Venture Bros Year 5 as of the final episode. In total making the time span from s1e13 Are You There God, It's Me, Dean to s7e10 The Saphrax Protocol 3 years and at least 4 months.

Possibility 2 

If we do say it has been another year and s5e4 Spanakopita! takes place in Venture Bros Year 4, October 0004, which means almost everything is pushed back a year. The boys would be 18 years old. 

S5e5 O.S.I. Love You - Hank’s limbs atrophied from wearing the strength suit he found in S5e3 for “weeks”.

S5e6 Momma's Boys - Hank tells Dermott “Last year…” and references the events of s4e5 The Revenge Society which took place in Venture Bros Year 3. That would mean this episode would need to take place between October 23rd, 0004 and December 31st, 0004.

Venture Bros Year 5

S5e7 Bot Seeks Bot - This episode takes place in July 0005. We see a flashback in S7e3 Arrears in Science which took place the night before Thanksgiving, November 0005.

S5e8 The Devil's Grip - Dean says a third of his age is 6 - Dean must be 19 at this point and have rounded 6 years and 3 months down to just 6. 

All This and Gargantua-2 - Monarch says Rusty “hasn’t paid his electric bill since June.” We know we are in July or August because s5e7 Bot Seeks Bot takes place in July 0005. 

Season 6 starts in August or September 0005, because we know Dean had applied and enrolled in the Fall Semester. At this point, the boys would have to be 19 years old. - 4 years since s1e13 Are You There God, It's Me, Dean. Overshooting the 2 years and 17 days prediction by a lot.

S6e1 Hostile Makeover - Hatred says he's "been waiting to do that (hit Gary) for weeks”, assuming he is referring to the last time he saw Gary in either s5e8 The Devil's Grip.

S6e4 Rapacity in Blue - Takes place on October 7th, 0005. 

S6e5 Tanks for Nuthin’ - Takes place on October 8th, 0005 the morning after s6e4 Rapacity in Blue.

S7e1 The Venture Bros. & The Curse of the Haunted Problem - This episode takes place the in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, November 0005. We flashback 2 years ago to JJ discovering the Gargantua crash. This implies JJ made the discovery sometime in Venture Bros Year 3 before S4e15 The Silent Partners.

According to The Art and Making of the Venture Bros. - Rocket is 3 or 4 years old now.

Again, we have a clear time span thanks to s7e3 Arrears in Science. It's Thanksgiving, November 0005. 4 years and 2 months since s1e13 Are You There God, It's Me, Dean. 

Finally, we have the time jump to the start of the Spring Semester in s7e4 The High Cost of Loathing, which would start in Venture Bros Year 6, January 0006.

S7e4 High Cost of Loathing - There is a "two months later" time jump at the beginning of the episode.

We are still in Winter 0006 as of the final episode. Making the time span in this possibility, from s1e13 Are You There God, It's Me, Dean to s7e10 The Saphrax Protocol, 4 years and at least 4 months. 

NOTES AND THOUGHTS

S1e1 Dia de los Dangerous - Presumably this episode takes place on Dia los Muertos, November 1st. Monarch states that he's in Mexico to find his foster parents. Butterflies arrive in Mexico around early November. Because this happened before Orpheus' prediction, it could be plausible that there is almost a year between the first episode and s1e13 Are You There God, It's Me, Dean. It is probably just as likely that Doc and Jackson were not considering keeping to a set time frame until much later in the series.

JJ did not appear in the season 1 Christmas Special. The boys are alive. Rusty was not on his journey running away from the boys' deaths. I wonder if this means s1e13 Return to Spider-Skull Island took place after Christmas. I am also not considering the weather as a determining factor here because I remember hearing about issues with animating different backgrounds in the earlier seasons. 

If it helps, I placed the boy’s birthday on the Ides of March (March 15th) to help me keep track of things. It’s both a significant historical date and a 70’s rock band. Plus I wanted them to be Pisces :)

I also stuck the Monarch's birthday on September 30th because that's when Don became Venturion. I think it's poetic.

Doc and Jackson are phenomenal writers and I’m sure if they were to address this in the show they would find a way for it to make sense that we would all enjoy. I had a lot of fun doing this. I love digging deep into my favorite show and piecing together what I find 💛 Go Team Venture!

[wedesignyouny]

Affordable and Convenient: Long Island Direct Cremation Services

Affordable and Convenient: Long Island Direct Cremation Services

In recent years, the popularity of cremation as an alternative to traditional burial has been steadily increasing. Long Island residents are no exception, seeking affordable and convenient options that align with their preferences. Direct cremation services on Long Island have emerged as a practical choice, offering an economical and straightforward way to handle the final arrangements for a loved one. Let’s explore direct cremation services, affordable options, and crematory services available on Long Island, New York.

Direct Cremation: A Practical Choice

Direct cremation is a simple and cost-effective alternative to traditional burial. It involves the cremation of the deceased without a prior funeral service or viewing. Many individuals and families are opting for direct cremation for various reasons, including cost savings and a desire for a more flexible memorialization process.

Affordable Cremation Services

The affordability of direct cremation services is a significant factor in its growing popularity on Long Island. Traditional funerals can be expensive, often involving costs related to embalming, caskets, viewing, and ceremonies. Direct cremation, on the other hand, eliminates many of these expenses, making it a budget-friendly choice for families.

By choosing affordable cremation services, families can focus on the essentials and plan for a more personalized memorial or celebration of life at a later date. The reduced financial burden allows them to allocate resources for other aspects, such as creating a meaningful tribute to the departed.

Crematory Services

Crematory services are a crucial component of the direct cremation process. On Long Island, New York, several reputable crematories offer their services to families who have chosen direct cremation for their loved ones, including Jerusalem Memorial Chapels. These facilities are equipped with the necessary equipment and staffed by professionals trained in handling cremations with the utmost care and respect.

Choosing a local crematory service can offer families peace of mind, knowing that their loved one's remains will be treated with the dignity and reverence they deserve. Families can also inquire about the process, visit the facility, or participate in a brief service if they wish.

The Flexibility of Direct Cremation

One of the advantages of direct cremation is its flexibility. After the cremation is complete, families have the option to hold a memorial service at a time and place of their choosing. This flexibility allows for more personalized and meaningful tributes, from intimate gatherings with close family to larger commemorative events.

Direct cremation also provides the opportunity to scatter the ashes in a location of significance to the deceased or keep them in an urn at home. Families can take their time to decide on the most fitting way to remember their loved one.

Direct cremation services offer an affordable and practical solution for families seeking an alternative to traditional burial. With the option to plan a personalized memorial at their own pace, direct cremation aligns with the preferences of many Long Island residents.

Crematory services ensure that the process is carried out with care and respect. As the popularity of direct cremation continues to rise, these services remain a valuable choice for those looking for simplicity and affordability in their final arrangements.

Contact us

🏢: 3026 Hempstead Tpke. Levittown, NY 11756

📧: info@jmchapels.com

📞:  516.418.7000

🌐 : https://jmchapels.com/

[thatdudenamedella]

Newrest Funerals

Welcome to Newrest Funerals, your dedicated provider of direct cremation services in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. We understand that saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy and it’s even more challenging when you are concerned about the costs. Also known as unattended cremation, direct cremation is a simple, no-fuss arrangement where the body is cremated without a prior service. It is an increasingly popular option for those who prefer a more private, less formal way to say their final farewells, or those who wish to commemorate their loved ones in a personal, unique way at a later date.

At Newrest Funerals, we specialise in arranging respectful, professional direct cremations in Lincoln, providing a low-cost solution without compromising on the quality of care. We offer a range of services including webcasts and recordings for those who cannot attend in person, ensuring that everyone has the chance to say their goodbyes. Get more information: Newrest Funerals

If you’ve found yourself wondering, “Where can I find a low-cost, dignified cremation service near me?” then you’ve come to the right place. Our dedicated team is here to support you from day one, guiding you through the process and ensuring that every detail is handled with the utmost respect. From selecting the perfect coffin or casket, to registering a death in Lincoln, we’re here to make things as easy as possible during this difficult time.

Ready to learn more about our direct cremation service in Lincoln, Lincolnshire? Read on to discover the benefits, costs, and process of this increasingly popular choice for end-of-life arrangements. Because at Newrest Funerals, we believe in offering affordable options that respect your personal wishes and budget. Visit to our website: https://newrestfunerals.co.uk

[memorialservices]

Information Needed About The Deceased to Begin Funeral Arrangements

Planning a funeral requires gathering essential details about the deceased to ensure a smooth process. Whether you are arranging a traditional burial or cremation, providing accurate information helps funeral service providers handle the necessary paperwork and preparations. If you’re working with Brossard funeral services, having the required details ready can make the process easier during a difficult time.

Basic Personal Information

To begin funeral arrangements, you’ll need to provide the deceased’s full legal name, date of birth and place of birth. Other key details include:

Social Insurance Number

Residential address

Marital status and spouse’s name (if applicable)

Parents names (including mother’s maiden name)

This information is crucial for legal documents such as the death certificate and burial permit.

Funeral and Burial Preferences

If the deceased had prearranged funeral plans, their wishes should be followed. Otherwise, decisions must be made regarding:

Type of service (burial, cremation or memorial)

Preferred cemetery or final resting place

Religious or cultural traditions to be observed

Type of casket or urn

Working with Brossard funeral services ensures that these preferences are handled with care and respect. Funeral professionals can also guide families through the selection process if no prior arrangements are made.

Additional Documentation

In addition to personal details and service preferences, families should prepare:

A copy of the deceased’s will (if available)

Insurance policies that may cover funeral costs

Military service records (for veterans’ benefits)

Having this information readily available helps avoid delays and ensures all necessary arrangements are made smoothly.

By gathering these details in advance, families can focus on honoring their loved ones rather than dealing with unnecessary stress. Funeral service providers are there to support you, making the process as seamless and respectful as possible.

Read a similar article about cremation services in St Laurent here at this page.

[writer59january13]

Twenty years elapsed since Harriet Harris, née Kuritsky gave up the ghost ~ May 5th, 2004

Often these days the following genuine sentiment Matthew Scott Harris doth wish to share one son,

cuz twenty years after mother succumbed

courtesy of terminal illness that ravaged her body.

I still reckon how yours truly

shrugged off proffering

tender loving care

within whose womb,

this sole prodigal son wannabe born,

thus shouldered with self scorn and now two decades later, the grief and regret not so heavily worn,

nevertheless I consider myself less familiar to thy mama than her hats (no surprise, she got known as the hat – trick - lady) on a rack (built by papa) that donned yorn head and trumpeted the presence of a free spirit.

He (the writer of these words) clearly recounts

as if her death occurred yesterday...,

(when all mine troubles moost definitely not far away)

last remaining grains sands of time.

Imagine an hourglass

where fine granules

trickle from one to another (upper to lower) bulbed chamber

just prior when coroner decrees death,

yet an opportunity prevailed

wherein said self (me) chose

NOT to stand vigil at deathbed

of she begat

an older and younger daughter

(mine sibling sisters).

Last breath(s) expelled while mama

tethered to machines,

one or more helped diminish agonizing, depressing, and writhing

pain and discomfort

racked once fitness

and health conscious industrious, tenacious, and vivacious body,

which malignant terminal illness

(no joke) riddled a former robust

Arthur Murray ballroom dance instructor

(think approximately threescore and ten years past),

whose flirtatious demeanor

instantaneously caught fancy of handsome twenty something papa at his prime.

Before rigor mortis quickly

stole precious lifeblood, and

final minutes ticked away until

countdown to... realm of absent consciousness

scant moments before subtle transition

slipped our beloved mother into deadzone...,

neither final adieu, caress, grief...,

nor poem written...

never communicated to deceased,

not an iota of sorrowful lament

bequeathed, prevailed, relinquished...

over lifeless body (mommy dearest)

relegated limp suddenly cold stone body,

where morgue aged (mortgaged) corpse

interestingly enough principally kept in cold storage

(despite aversion to frigid air exhibited by mama) preparatory to cremation process.

Rather... suppressed resentment

exhibited itself at 1148 Greentree Lane (partial listed then abode -

Matthew Scott Harris,

plus his family resided)

by mister recalcitrant,

felt ambivalent carte blanche blasé affection

regarding once young bride,

(who smothered cingular heir insync

with dada i.e. Boyce Brandon Harris),

cuz he (yours truly overstayed

livingsocial under same roof as parents,

which happenstance (in tandem with the Leiper's preference for their demesne plus one hundred acre estate called Glen Elm before being purchased by – I believe a local within Southeastern Montgomery County, Pennsylvania realtor named Donald Neilson, but do not quote me) situated at 324 Level Road.

Both thee aforementioned

supposed biological guardians

railed, screamed, tormented (albeit verbally)

yours truly, upon mine eighteenth birthday,

when great expectations greatly exacerbating emotionally hard times,

which ill suited poet de jure

experienced, brickbats rained

down upon these

(considerably mooch younger) lovely bones

whose anger (mine) smoldered

linkedin to constant epithets of expletives

out the mouths of those who begat me,

subsequently their livid with rage

tsunami festered within every

holy Mole (he) molecule

within mine atomized corporeal being

manifesting itself as deprivation

to embrace dear mama

attended at hospital with both non twisted sisters; one hailed from Woodbury, New Jersey and the younger one staked out

modest home within Bend, Oregon,

meanwhile thee grim reaper did patiently scythe before soon

nonchalantly heading back to his old curiosity shop,

a rather bleak house, I now conclude.

[ivarmadom]

Understanding the Four Types of Cremation Services

Cremation services are gains popularity due to cost-effectiveness, adaptability, and environmental advantages. While the general idea of cremation is well-known, not everyone is aware that various cremation services cater to different needs and preferences. If you're contemplating cremation for loved ones, it's important to know the four main types of cremation services available.

Traditional Cremation with a Funeral Service

Traditional cremation involves a complete funeral service prior to the cremation itself. It is similar to a customary burial, except that the body is cremated instead of buried.

Direct Cremation (Simple Cremation)

Direct cremation is the most economical and uncomplicated form of cremation. It involves cremating the body shortly after death without any formal funeral or memorial service.

Memorial Cremation Service

A memorial cremation service takes place after cremation, allowing friends and family to gather and commemorate the deceased's life. Unlike traditional cremation, the body is not present at the service.

Witnessed Cremation

During a witnessed cremation, close family members or religious representatives are allowed to be present during the cremation process. Some cultural and religious traditions advocate or necessitate this to ensure the respectful handling of the body.

Choosing the Right Cremation Service

Each type of cremation service offers different levels of involvement, customization, and expense. Here’s a brief comparison:

Factors to think about include:

Budget: Direct cremation is the least expensive, while traditional cremation services cost more.

Religious or Cultural Needs: Some traditions may require a witnessed cremation or a funeral service before cremation.

Family Wishes: Discussing choices with family can help ensure the right decision is made.

Memorialization Plans: If you intend to hold a memorial later, a cremation with a memorial service is a fitting option.

Final Thoughts

Cremation services provide flexibility, affordability, and personalization in honoring a loved one’s memory. Whether you prefer a traditional service, a straightforward process, or a witnessed farewell, there is an option that matches your beliefs and preferences. If seeking professional cremation services, ivarmadom santhosh swamy provides cremation services in compassionate and respectful arrangements to assist families during this challenging time.

[amandi-mga2023mi6021]

Worldbuilding: How They View Death

In Sri Lanka, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and Muslims observe different funeral rites when it comes to burying or cremating their dead. Some beliefs have a religious basis while others are rooted in cultural and customary practices. I'll mainly be basing my world's practices on Buddhist beliefs, as that is what I am familiar with as its what the final scene of this concept is based off of. Furthermore, in my story this is not the reality of this world, but instead the religious and cultural beliefs of the people that inhabit it.

Does your culture believe in an afterlife? What does it look like? How does a person’s soul/spirit gain entrance to the afterlife? What are the consequences of being denied entrance to the afterlife?

Sinhalese Buddhists do not believe in the existence of a soul, Rather they believe that a human is a composite of five elements. At the time of death, these elements are dispersed and the most important one, consciousness, becomes reborn in a new existence according to the laws of karma. If possible, Buddhist monks are called to the bedside of the person dying to chant from the Buddhist scriptures.

Bryan Pfaffenberger wrote in the Encyclopedia of World Cultures: “The possibility of enlightenment and freedom from rebirth is restricted to those who have withdrawn from the world; a layperson hopes for a more advantageous rebirth based on a positive balance of bad and good acts (karma ) and performs meritorious acts (such as supporting the sangha) toward that end.

Traditions and rituals surrounding the funeral

Buddhists tie white funeral flags along fences and poles to help guide the spirit of the deceased. There is a common belief that someone who dies without fulfilling a long sought-after dream returns as a mean spirit and haunts the living.

A.G.S. Kariyawasam wrote in Buddhist Ceremonies and Rituals of Sri Lanka: “Both aspects of death — the message of impermanence, and the opportunity to help the departed loved one — find expression in the Buddhist funeral rites of Sri Lanka. Naturally, the monastic Sangha plays a prominent role in the funeral proceedings. One of the most important parts of the funeral rites is the ritual called "offering of cloth on behalf of the dead" (mataka-vastra-puja). This is done prior to the cremation or the burial of the body. Monks are assembled in the home of the dead person or in the cemetery. The proceedings begin with the administration of the Five Precepts to the assembled crowd by one of the monks. This is followed by the recitation in chorus of the well-known stanza: Anicca vata sankhara, uppadavayadhammino. Uppajjitva nirujjhanti tesam vupasamo sukho". [“Impermanent alas are formations, subject to rise and fall. Having arisen, they cease; their subsiding is bliss.]

During the funeral, monks preside over the funeral ceremony and high-ranking monks deliver a brief sermon. Those who attend the funeral are expected a bath to rid themselves of the pollution of death. Relatives have a simple meal. Close relatives wear white clothes.

The close relatives of the deceased sit together on a mat, assume a reverential posture, and together they pour water from a vessel into a cup placed within a plate until the cup overflows. While the water is being poured, the monks intone in unison the following stanzas extracted from the Tirokuddha Sutta of the Khuddakapatha.

"The context shows that the pouring of water in this manner is a ritualistic act belonging to the field of sympathetic magic, symbolizing the beneficial inheritance of the merit transferred by the living to the dead, as a kind of dakkhina or offering. The entire ritual is hence an act of grace whereby merit is transferred to the departed so that they may find relief from any unhappy realm wherein they might have been born." (A.G.S. Kariyawasam, 1995)

Traditions and rituals surrounding the preparation of the remains

After a Sinhalese person dies, the deceased's face is covered with a handkerchief and the big toes are tied together. Oil lamps are lit, flowers are spread on the bed, and religious books are read during the night. Bodies are prepared for cremation. Funerals for non-monks are preceded by a three-or four-day period in which family, friends, coworkers and neighbors visit the home of the deceased', where the body can be seen in an open coffin.

Before the funeral the body of the deceased is never kept in isolation. At night at least one or two persons stay awake the whole night with the deceased, sometimes taking turns to catch some sleep.

When a person dies in a Buddhist home, the body is laid with its head facing towards the West. 

It is a common sight to see flickering oil lamps kept burning throughout day and night, until the corpse is removed out of home. Even in houses where electricity is available, these lamps keep burning as usual. The practice in the old days was to light up a few 'vilakkus' (small 'pandams' or incandescent torches) around the bier, instead of oil lamps.

All doors in the household must be left open 24/7 until the funeral.

Traditions and rituals around mourning the dead

After the funeral, food is not prepared in the house of the deceased for seven days. Some houses might cook food but not fry anything in the house. This is considered the mourning period. During this time, friends, relatives, and neighbours will deliver meals to the house of the bereaved.

That period ends with the ritual chanting of scriptures by monks and a merit transfer rite performed by the family of the deceased for the deceased.

Buddhists offer 'dana' (alms) to monks on the seventh day and on the third month and at the end of one year, which is considered compulsory. The merits of these offerings are transferred to the dead to help them escape the woeful state of the afterlife.

How does your culture view dying?

In Sinhala Buddhist tradition, death is viewed as part of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and funerary practices emphasize the impermanence of life and aim to support the grieving family in moving forward

Buddhists say “Death is certain, life is uncertain”. It is a natural phenomenon, and every person born has to die one day. This is simply the way of life.

One of the main concepts of Buddhism is ‘impermanence’, meaning that there is nothing permanent in the world, and everything is subjected to change and decay. As this is a part of Buddhist concepts, it often connects to the events of life; birth and death, and in between constant change

Sources

Hays, J. (no date) Funerals and ideas about death in Sri Lanka, Facts and Details. Available at: https://factsanddetails.com/south-asia/Srilanka/Ethnic_Groups_and_Minorities_Srilanka/entry-7977.html#:~:text=After%20a%20Sinhalese%20person%20dies,%E2%80%9D%2C%20Thomson%20Gale%2C%202006%5D (Accessed: 15 February 2025).

A.G.S. Kariyawasam,1995, “Buddhist Ceremonies and Rituals of Sri Lanka”, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy,

D. O. Lodric, 2009, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life”, Cengage Learning

Bryan Pfaffenberger, 1992, ”Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Volume 3: South Asia,” edited by Paul Paul Hockings

D. O. Lodric, 2009, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life”, Cengage Learning

Thomson Gale, 2006, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”

Care of the dying - buddhism (no date) HSE.ie. Available at: https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/socialinclusion/interculturalguide/buddhism/care-dying.html#:~:text=Generally%2C%20Buddhist%20teaching%20views%20life,of%20life%2C%20death%20and%20rebirth. (Accessed: 15 February 2025).

Gunawardana, V. (2021) ‘Enduring death and bereavement: An Analysis of Sinhala Buddhist Funerary Practices and Worden’s “Four Tasks of Mourning” ’, Sri Lanka Journal of Advanced Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol. 11(No. 2), pp. 53–68. Available at: https://ncas.ac.lk/journal/journal_2021_02/Article%2005%20%20NCAS%20Journal%20VOLUME%2011%20NO.%202-%20JULY-DECEMBER%202021-2.pdf#:~:text=In%20Sri%20Lanka%2C%20’death’%20is%20viewed%20by,deceased%20and%20to%20move%20on%20with%20life.&text=The%20Sinhalese’%20funeral%20arrangements%20are%20also%20different%20from%20other%20cultures.

(No date) Buddhism - death, dying and grief | child bereavement UK. Available at: https://www.childbereavementuk.org/faqs/buddhism (Accessed: 15 February 2025).

[isobelleposts]

MMFF 2024 Ranked

by Isobelle Cruz [January 28, 2025]

Around P2,000 later (thank you, ma) and here I am, still only halfway through the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival. Although I’ve only watched half of the entries, it is already enough to say that the festival featured some great improvements and more enjoyable pictures compared to previous years. The people working in the industry seem to have finally gathered the courage to step away from the standard cheating, long-lost siblings, or rich & poor tropes, which resulted in a fairly exciting roster.

1. Isang Himala (dir. by Pepe Diokno)

I already knew the moment I walked out of the cinema that this would be the first on my list. But before writing anything else, I made it a mission to watch the original version in case the experience changes my opinion. Turns out, if anything, watching the 1982 release only strengthened my love for the movie. The key difference between the original and retelling, aside from the obvious musical factor that greatly intensified the film’s atmosphere, was the pacing of the story. The 2024 release managed to compact the story in a way that doesn’t leave out any major scenes, and makes it easy to follow.

“Nararamdaman ko na ‘pag sinundan ko sya nang sinundan, dadalhin niya ako sa mga lugar na ‘di ko pa nararating.”

Orly

“Isang Himala” tackles several underlying issues with its story, one of them most obviously being how Filipinos sensationalize and capitalize off of serious issues. Recently, real-life examples of these could be the Denise Julia x BJ Pascual or Maris Racal x Anthony Jennings issues, with how Filipinos are so quick to claim an opinion simply because the rest of society do, too.

Another issue present is the Filipinos’ dependence on religion as a result of poverty and misfortune—wherein instead of helping ourselves rise to our feet, we would much rather kneel for an external force because “what is there to lose”? This result of helplessness can be related to how Filipinos treat politicians, most specifically figures such as Quibuloy and Alice Guo, if referring to recent times. This fast dependence on religion is most vividly seen in the scene wherein everyone kneels for Elsa at the beginning of the film, when only moments ago, they were doubting her. It shows how immediate people gamble their faith the moment they discover it could possibly benefit them.

“Kapag may masamang nangyayari, sinisisi natin ang sumpa. Kapag may mabuti naman na nangyayari, ito ay gawa ng langit. Gawa ng Birhen. Gawa ng himala. // Ang himala ay nasa puso ng tao! Tayo ang gumagawa ng mga himala. Tayo ang gumagawa ng mga sumpa at Diyos!”

Elsa

Although the story had originally been written over 40 years ago, its message remains relevant at present, which just goes to show how little progress our country has had. “Isang Himala” is definitely a must-watch, especially for its message, unique music, and set design.

2. Green Bones (directed by Zig Dulay)

I’m still unsure about my ranking on “Green Bones” because I wonder—was it really good or did it just make me feel extremely sad? It is not what I expected it to be in both a positive and negative way. Walking into the cinema, I expected a violent, action film about crime and the gritty scenes of Metro Manila, but instead, I was met by an extremely moving story of family. The story was set up in a way that made me think Dom was the killer of Gonzaga’s sister, which later left me confused why Gonzaga was so overly worked up about Dom. It left me hoping there had been a more direct connection between the two characters prior to the scenes in prison.

But nonetheless, I cannot deny that the film was definitely successful in moving its audience’s hearts and leaving them shocked at certain parts. A factor that may greatly influence how personal and moving the story felt is how it is inspired by the director's father.

“It made me wonder: if my father had been cremated, would his remains have revealed green bones? That question inspired the concept of the movie.”

Direk Zig Dulay in an article by JC Rubio [GMA News Online]

“Green Bones” felt like a love letter not only to the director’s father, but everyone else who have felt wronged, grieved, and loved. I can’t help but wonder if someone else has the same story in real life? And if so, how many?

3. Uninvited (directed by Dan Vilegas)

“Uninvited” was my most-anticipated watch for this year’s MMFF and did not leave me disappointed. First things first, Aga Muhlacg deserved a nomination. Although I have yet to watch all of the nominee’s performances, the sick and creepy atmosphere his character, Guilly Vega, brought whenever he appeared on screen is enough to say he deserved a mention.

Although I would say that this was a solid entry, it lies only third on my ranking. Everything from the acting, cinematography, and richness of production could battle with my top two, but one thing it cannot is its story. There had already been several films following the same theme as “Uninvited” and it was only different or interesting to see it be done by Filipinos. The film left room for unanswered questions and felt as if we were going nowhere for a long time at some point.

It wasn’t bad but it was nothing extraordinary.

4. The Kingdom (directed by Mike Tuviera)

Despite being fourth on my ranking, I actually have so much praise for this film for trying something extremely different. Although it is far from being great, “The Kingdom” is a good start to more experimental films.

The story building was interesting and new but felt lazy at some times and failed to reach its greater potential. Some scenes may have felt misplaced or unnecessary, and some stunts just plain goofy, but it was overall watchable and entertaining.

I may not have enjoyed this film as much, but I understand why so many Filipinos favor it and give it so much recognition—it features a unique side of Vic Sotto’s acting, a heartwarming story of family, … and a shirtless Piolo Pascual.

5. Espantaho (directed by Chito S. Roño)

The Philippines is known for its comedy, romance, and notably for its horror. But “Espantaho”, directed by the acclaimed Chito S. Roño (director of Dekada ‘70, Feng Shui, The Healing, and others) was extremely underwhelming. Though the visual effects and animation is undeniably improved in comparison to other Philippine horror films, the story itself was just not scary. Nakakadiri, hindi nakakatakot.

Judy Ann Santos and Lorna Tolentino both performed well, but no amount of good acting or visual effects could salvage what poor of a story that was. It felt as though the writers never knew when to stop and simply kept adding unecessary details. Its attempt at a plot twist was not it and could have ended in a much less complicated but senseful way.

[hua-fei-hua]

curious as to what you have to say about the new lantern rite trailer .......

(other thoughts which were not articulated in this screenshot were "hey remember how the speculated reason for why they had three character banners during 1.3 was bc they didn't want to release hu tao, a funeral director, during lunar new year bc it would be bad luck?" and "of COURSE they finally decide to explore hu tao a bit more during this patch cycle, since death is inescapable in natlan thanks to the ode of resurrection")

dumping the rest under a cut lol

obvs VERY excited to learn more abt the rituals surrounding death and the afterlife in genshin bc um i <3 themes grief and mourning in fiction, but also bc it makes me curious abt what this will reflect abt the lore in natlan, esp since lunar new year (n thus lantern rite, by extension) falling in the later half of the patch suggests to me that they expect players to complete the natlan aq finale before experiencing this year's lantern rite.

hu tao is a character whose arc has always been very clear to me by nature of, like, an interest in gore and morbid things maturing into an interest in grief and death (which was very much helped along by that one college english class i took which was themed around the death industry and the ask a mortician youtube channel (which i had already been watching for like a year prior to taking that class. btw)), so i'm very keen on the serious expansion of her character and showcasing the part of her who does understand the weight of death and mourning and the roles these things play in our sense of humanity.

i've also been holding for a while now that natlan's true ideal is likely closer to that of "hope" than of "war" (and that the writers just kind of painted themselves into a corner n had to run with what they said earlier on), but the immolation of the main lantern in the trailer (seemingly as part of this year's lantern lighting ceremony) does also remind me of the fact that funerals do often have flames bc of like, funeral pyres and cremation. like, hu tao's pyro vision felt like it fell a lot more into place once we started exploring natlan n death became a part of the major story

and i don't think this conflicts with my assertion of "hope" being at the core of natlan, bc i think a clearer way of articulating myself would actually be that natlan structures its nation and its culture around "war", which at its center holds "hope" as its purpose (similar to how fontaine is the nation of "justice", but held an exploration of "truth" at the core of its story) and in turn allows for the exploration of other facets of war and conflict

though at the same time, positing that natlan revolves around hope (which keeps the sacred flame, That Thing Which Revives Characters After Death, alive n stuff) when you're only revived after battle if your team wins is kind of interesting to think abt when mulling over this intersection of hope and war, bc isn't the point of hope that it's able to keep going, to continue to produce miracles, even beyond the point of rationality, which is why you should never give up on it (citation: every classical magical girl show ever)? but at the same time, it is true that you can put too much faith and stock into something that was doomed to fail, and the culmination of that failure can shock you into losing hope for a while, or lead you to never attempt that again, even if the next time you encounter a situation like that, you're much more capable and prepared...

anyway this isn't so much abt lantern rite itself anymore as it is just abt the 5.3 version trailer but i do like that the final boss of natlan is just this giant fuckoff dragon with not one, but TWO swords, and also is just an impersonation made of darkness of the pyro sovereign, which would otherwise be the embodiment of fire (and therefore unavoidably light, to at least some extent). i'll have to poke around and review the lore surrounding the pyro sovereign in-game to make any real claims here, but the fact that the trailer has him talking abt using "the power of darkness" to "prove [our] efforts futile" and that "you [mavuika] have destroyed this world's hope with your own hands" is very cool very much looking forward to the contrasts btwn light and darkness, hope and despair (or should i perhaps say futility?) next patch. speaking of light and darkness, i do also remember the version livestream for enkanomiya release when the devs talked abt how they designed the area with the intent of exploring the contrasts btwn light and darkness in mind, but that's really digressing now lol

returning to the lantern rite thing, i also think that xiao would make for a good choice for one of the core characters in the plotline because of the fact that he also deals in death, he's been having this thing abt allowing himself to remember his dead comrades alongside his arc where he learns how to live... it's very fun to see this question of, "who are you still living for? the dead? or the living?" perhaps reflect on the turning point he had back in the chasm in the version story

and anyway, if lantern rite doesn't expand on all that shit through at least the very easy connection to the new year --> symbol of renewal and fresh starts, then i will be sad and perhaps send dawei ge a strongly worded letter.