Enchantment
Ashes, Diamonds and the Transformation of Funeral Culture
- 239 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
Enchantment
Ashes, Diamonds and the Transformation of Funeral Culture
About this book
The culture of burial and mourning is presently in a state of flux. The idea of using the cremated remains of loved ones to form jewelry no longer belongs to the realm of science fiction but has become a fact of modern life. Today, many countries are open to allowing the ashes of the dead to be turned into ornamental objects. Technically, this produces remembrance artifacts representing the dead. The new aspect is that the mortal remains continue to exist after death in the form of such an artifact, for which previous burial culture has no precedent.How do such "ash diamonds" figure into the mourning process? How do relatives deal with this phenomenon? What is the role of esthetics? How does the social environment react to this "metamorphosis"? And does this represent the renewal of the idea of relics? This book is based on interviews held with persons who decided to go this route of remembering their deceased loved ones. The authors also visited the production facilities of these precious stones, talked with experts about the process, and attended the delivery rituals. In addition to practical, theological, and sociological assessments, the volume includes case studies that provide a forum for those concerned to voice their opinions.
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Information
Table of contents
- Title Page
- The Brilliance of Life vs. the Brilliance of Death
- Preface to the English Edition
- Table of Contents
- 1 Artifact and Commemoration: Transforming Materiality in the Context of Grief
- 2 Case Analysis I: “She didn’t like the idea of being buried”
- 3 Levels of Inorganic Life and the Human. Metamorphosis Between Sociality and Materiality
- 4 Case Analysis II: “He still protects me”
- 5 The “Invincible” Brilliance of Life
- 6 Case Analysis III: Letting Go. A Story of Artifact Abstinence
- 7 Autonomy as Legitimization. Professional Dealings in the Context of Ash Artifacts
- 8 “So that’s my wife …?” The Presentation of an Ash Jewel
- 9 Living with the Diamond. Voices from Everyday Life
- 10 Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Insights and Outlooks
- References
- Illustrations
- The Authors
- Copyright
- Body