Is The Idea Of Putting Cremains In A Cremation Urn New?
You must be aware of the trend of preserving the cremains of a departed relative in specific urns for human cremains. But have you ever wondered if the idea is new and modern or if the tradition has been followed over the ages? You might know that there had been many traditions of after-death rituals in different parts of the world since the ancient times. And, the idea of using a cremation urn for preserving the ashes might have been there too! Read on to know more…
Urns in history
According to the archaeologists the culture of using urns for human ashes dates back to the late Bronze Age in Europe. It was then known by the term “urnfield culture”. Preserving the cremated remains of a person in urns was well in practice in areas stretching from eastern France to Hungary. Then there was north Italy to Poland where traces of such a tradition has been found by the historians.
Furthermore, according to archaeological surveys and findings the use of funeral urns for human ashes spread to Ukraine, France, Scandinavia, and Iberian Peninsula towards the 12th century BC. During those times, the urns for keeping the cremains used to be made of clay pottery or metals. This culture of preserving the cremains later influenced the culture of preserving cremains during the early Iron Age.
But as Christianity spread across different parts of the world, this tradition of preserving the cremains in keepsake cremation urns came to a halt. This was mainly because the religion strongly believed in whole body burial rather than cremation and preservation of the ashes. And, since then, the tradition of using cremation urns for ashes has not been that popular in many parts of the world until now.
Today’s scenario
In the modern society, there are many organizations like the Cremation Society of North America that promote cremation of the bodies of the departed relatives and preserving the cremains in urns. This is more so because the population is growing at a fast pace and burial ground becoming scarce. There are also issues like cemeteries in some part cannot be expanded further for dearth of space.
Owing to reasons discussed and also due to the environmental benefits of the process of cremation, it has become a popular choice. Online stores like Memorials4U offer a good stock of different types of urns to choose from. These days most of the people are choosing biodegradable cremation urns which are either buried or disposed of after the contents have been scattered to the sea. When disposed of to nature, these urns do not cause any kind of pollution and do not harm the environment.
Cremation vaults for burial
Even if you would like to bury the cremains of your departed relatives in your backyard or in a place of your family’s choice, you can do so using a burial vault. Such a vault will keep the urn inside intact and won’t let outer elements to damage the cremains or the box inside. Such a vault can be dug out once you plan to shift your address and want to take your loved ones’ ashes along.
Choosing the right vessels
- Small urns for cremation ashes are generally used for keeping the cremains of babies or for keeping just a portion of the ashes. These urns are often chosen as per the physical measurements of the departed person.
- Large urns for ashes contain the entire cremains of an adult. These are often used to preserve the entire cremains or for burying the ashes. The size of such an urn will however, depend on the body mass of the person.
- Special themed containers like sports urns are chosen for people with specific hobbies and interests and are quite popular these days.
So, wait no longer and share the idea of using funeral vessels and its history with others by sharing this post. Choose to buy urns from a reputed online store like Memorials4U if you are looking for best quality and unique designs on such containers for ashes.
