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“The meaning of life is that it stops.” — Franz Kafka
I’ve always felt most grateful to be alive when I walk among the dead. That might sound strange, but bear with me!
Step through a lychgate into a church yard or descend a narrow stone stair into a catacomb or ossuary, and the pace and the noise of the world falls away. In these quiet spaces—graveyards beside ancient churches, sprawling Victorian cemeteries, underground chambers decorated with bones—I consider the shortness of life, memento mori, remember you will die, and it puts life into perspective. I can hear my own heartbeat more clearly, and the stories begin to rise.
In this episode, I’ll take you with me to a handful of places that have shaped some of my stories and travel memoir. If you’ve read my ARKANE thrillers or the Brooke & Daniel series, you’ll recognise many of the names.
But whether you’re here for research, reverence, or simple curiosity, I hope you’ll find something to spark your imagination and, perhaps, shift your perspective on these places that so many stay away from.
- What’s the difference between a graveyard, a cemetery, and an ossuary?
- Why am I so fascinated with these places?
- Sedlec Ossuary, Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
- Paris Catacombs, France
- Kensal Green Cemetery, London, England
- Crossbones Graveyard, Southwark, London, England
- St Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans, USA
- Capuchin Catacombs, Palermo, Sicily
- Archbishop’s cadaver tomb, Canterbury Cathedral, England
- Mass grave in the Dohány Street Synagogue, Budapest, Hungary
- Graveyard of St Mary and All Saints, Boxley, Kent
[Read more…] about Walking Amongst The Dead: Graveyards, Cemeteries, And Ossuaries With J.F. Penn