ICONIC CORPSE: Charles Byrne the Irish Giant

What do you think? Remains should be displayed and learned from, or that we should #FreeCharlesByrne?
Thank you Patron deathlings, who make this all possible!
/ thegooddeath
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**CREDITS**
Mortician: Caitlin Doughty
Writing & Research: Louise Hung (@LouiseHung1)
Editor & Graphics: Landis Blair (@landisblair)
**LEARN MORE**
“Why the Skelton of the ‘Irish Giant’ Could Be Buried at Sea”
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-...
“Making Kinship with Human Remains: Repatriation, Biomedicine and the Many Relations of Charles Byrne”
Nash, Catherine. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, Volume OnlineFirst: 1 - Jan 1, 2018
“The Tallest Man in England”
www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/about/hi...
“Why a London Museum Should Return the Stolen Bones of an Irish Giant”
theconversation.com/why-a-lon...
“The Saga Of The Irish Giant’s Bones Dismays Medical Ethicists”
www.npr.org/sections/health-s...
“After Sustained Campaign, Irish Giant’s Bones May Finally Be Released From London Museum”
www.thejournal.ie/charles-byrn...
“A Living Colossus; the Surprising Irish Giant - Charles Byrne (1761-1783), the Hunterian Museum, London
thelondondead.blogspot.com/201...
Irish Lives - Charles Byrne
www.irishtimes.com/life-and-s...
Free Charles Byrne project: freecharlesbyrne.com/

[@caitlyn6972]

3 dude sitting in some poop water no distance apart cuz they're all dead

[@akio_kuro]

Omf

[@adelinewurzer4533]

lmaooo

[@quinnzyker6521]

Still no homo bro

[@dreww8941]

Nice

[@nono8429]

Bunch of rocks chillin in a casket all in the ocean cause their just rocks

[@deadnamesarebad]

Are we gonna just gloss over he was 22 when he died? He met royals and nobles, had his own flat in london, had his own business and became an alcoholic all before he was 22.

[@caidyncontreras6298]

I turn 22 in 5 months and I don't even have a car...

[@mod8179]

People used to get married at 16 and have several children by 22, so for him to have that sort of legacy by 22 isn’t all that surprising. They lived life in a different, faster way than we do.

[@maitequilla]

@@mod8179 it's because back then the life expectancy was around 30 years, dude was considered basically an old man ehen he died. In fact, in America life expectancy was much shorter, if you madd it to 20 years you were lucky

[@ceciliaageofaquarius1225]

So sad.

[@katm8128]

Maitequilla life expectancy was not 30 years and was considered to be as young as it is today. People lived to be in their 60s. The average AGE was 30, because the number was highly skewed due to mortality rates in infants, diseases, war, etc. That’s the only reason the average age is so low, it’s the mean of all of these different factors combined and not taken into consideration or split amongst categories. 30 was still considered to be a young adult. If you have all of these young people dying off from these factors, it would have affected the average greatly and made it lower.

[@helenkelley2716]

I love how in all the pictures of him he is petting someones head

[@TheCelticTrio]

My bf did that to me because i was so much shorter than him. Hence he called me a Hobbit.

[@TheCelticTrio]

That One I am 5 feet tall and I think he was at 5’ 5’ or something

[@leahbutler4043]

Tsuzuki Song if it makes you feel better I am 5”3 and my boyfriend is 6”3 so it’s a massive difference

[@gabriellazane673]

Leah Butler im 5’1” and my bf is 6’3” lol

[@catattack7639]

@@TheCelticTrio wait you were only that much smaller? I'm 4"11 and my boyfriend was 6"2. Oof.

[@morphman86]

Museum: "We have this large man on display!" The public: "But he didn't want to be on display, he explicitly said so." Museum: "But we got his remains, we shall display it!" The public: "But you got them through illegal methods..." Museum: "Big man! He's big! Therefore we shall display him!"

[@ghost_anna_reads787]

Wanna steal his body with me from the museum and bury him at sea?

[@OverdramaticAngel]

So his fear was 100% justified. That really pisses me off. I plan on donating my body to science (I have a rare genetic disease) and for some reason this is extra disturbing.

[@amandarjames7001]

My heart an prayers go with you hun, that your time will be painless and quick...

[@lindseybailes9558]

😞 that's so sad

[@MissingmyBabbu]

I plan on doing the same (though I have an idea of what I'd like for the cremains of what they can't use), and while I know that nowadays that I'd never be displayed this way (especially if I specifically said I don't want them to be), it still really upsets me. I'm donating my body to science because I want future people in my boat to have as much known about their mess as possible. Not so some museum can have admissions money.

[@camikay3730]

@Ligeia D.Aurevilly how about Bodies, the Exibit? Or any of the other similar exhibits that have followed.

[@klisterklister2367]

@@camikay3730 They were put on display with consent. All of the people in that display wanted to be displayed after death. I guess what @ligeia D.Aurevilly is talking about is being displayed without consent.

[@rainyrayrae]

That’s so disrespectful to him. I hope he gets the burial he wanted. I hate it when people have their bodies displayed without their consent, it’s completely unethical and honestly just rude!! #FreeCharlesByrne

[@deannawheeler4362]

@JONATHAN SUTCLIFFE yes let them REST IN PEACE.

[@EmpressStewart]

Free my nigga Charles Byrne

[@ilarious5729]

So bury ötzi as well? Where to draw the line, we've learned so much of history and medical sciense from these corpses and displaying them helps more people to get interested in our past. I'd say if you come up with a corpse with some value for some area of science it's free realestate.

[@devilindisguise2667]

Yes but what about the dinosaurs too.

[@seaghan6412]

Tutankhamen is just a child ..... A CHIIIILLD. Stolen from an undergroung sarcophagus and moved 3000miles to be gawked at by cocknies

[@MylingCyrus]

It's really sad how someone's only dying wish is refused. Like science is amazing and learning about the body is great but it's not what he wanted. He may have been very big but he still was human

[@amberlinmchugh8115]

After what the English did to my poor people for 800 years nothing suprises me. Dump his bones in the Irish sea

[@LannasMissingLink]

@@amberlinmchugh8115 abso-fricking lutely!!! It's pretty typical britain tbh

[@margod51]

@michelle Lovrens jesus,girl..gross.And since when it's corelated with height?

[@deed5811]

being on exhaustion in a museum isn't what I would call science. It is 100% spectatorship aka greed.

[@RipDoveStudio]

Yeah, but corpses wishes, and I'm not a fairy who grants them. One ticket to the museum, please.

[@emilyjardine5479]

It has been confirmed recently (January 2023) that Charles Byrne's remains will be taken down and will no longer be part of the museum when it reopens later this year. While there has been no further news on whether or not he'll be buried, at least his body will no longer be gawked at, as he feared would happen.

[@nicka731]

They replaced it with a portrait of the thief. So British of them. 🙄

[@DanielAppleton-lr9eq]

@@nicka731 I read the title, " The Irish Giant " & thought that it meant the " Irish " guy that was hired by P. T. Barnum in the movie " The Greatest Show " headlined by Hugh Jackman as Barnum. The " Irish Giant " was Russian or Eastern European.

[@LindsayDaly]

Maybe it doesn't need a whole episode, but ya gotta admit, three guys in poop water is pretty iconic.

[@Laurabeck329]

3 bros, chilling in poop water, 5 feet apart cause they're not gay

[@jennaplunkett315]

Sounds like a regular saturday night for college aged bros.

[@atlbrysco6198]

Sounds like one of the latest videos on PornHub...

[@Jennifur68]

Don't drink the poop water.

[@cjflowers9865]

just a couple of dudes being guys

[@cementmixer4367]

I saw his skeleton as a little girl on a school trip, and never got to hear his full story. I didn't even know he died so young. A lot of the artifacts I saw weren't human and it felt like he wasn't either. Heartwarming to know his friends tried to fulfil his wishes, and hopefully one day his remains will be buried as he wanted.

[@cementmixer4367]

@TheMagnificentPony What's that even mean

[@cementmixer4367]

@TheMagnificentPony Yeah, you just seem mad and I'm not sure why

[@cementmixer4367]

@TheMagnificentPony I'm really lost what's any of this got to do with owt

[@Stevenbfg]

Its a disgrace the Brits have him on display like sort of animal.

[@ghost_anna_reads787]

Wanna steal his body and bury him at sea with me?

[@robbierotten2975]

That’s the English for ya, constantly stealing from the Irish

[@HollyAnneThePaganChaosWitch]

They are literally robbing the graves of the Irish. They totally deserved the giant fuck you that was the written form of Irish Gaelic (and way more tbh)!

[@HZuckermann]

English is not the same as Scottish

[@sebastiansanchez-cabello456]

Hunter was actually Scottish not English.

[@CurtisD01]

Always blaming us English... sorry we are better in every way and actually added something to the world

[@rodrigoisrael9891]

@@CurtisD01 harry potter and colonialism¿

[@genevievegroult9079]

The size of his bones are remarkable. I really wish they would recreate the skeleton and bury him as he wished.

[@yn6292]

Now that is a good idea!

[@TheCelticTrio]

good idea, make a cast so realistic so that the real body can be buried properly and they can still have a version of him. I don't think it would be a bad thing.

[@michellebaker6302]

With 3D printing it could be done accurately as well.

[@ipaziamercury9942]

I thought the same 💀

[@Sweet_Tooth_Art]

Why not just make cast his skeleton and exhibit the replica and bury the real bones it would be win win

[@eleanademera6371]

kitplaysstuff yes exactly what I was thinking

[@LittleLillypad]

@sery syo because thats what he wanted. its disrespectful to take someones body and display it when you know they dont want it. it was his wish and it should be respected.

[@frith.calluna]

@sery syo I get what you're saying and from a logical standpoint you're absolutely right. The man died a long time ago and since he's dead, he won't be around to care about what happens to his bones. Neither are his family members. Still, I personally think it would be best if his wishes were to be fulfilled. As you previously stated: no one's gonna pay to see an oversized (fake) skeleton. But then why does he even have to be in that museum to begin with? If people don't care about a skeleton, then why would it matter if the skeleton was removed? They already have enough DNA samples (according to this video). And there are people with the same condition who would take his place. So then they would have a new skeleton to display as well. Even though it's been over two centuries, it would be the respectful and human thing to do if they were to bury him at sea like he wanted. If I had a condition that caused people to stare at me in awe or disgust my whole life, I wouldn't want to be displayed so people could stare at me some more after I died. I honestly just find it rude and disrespectful, even though it's all purely symbolic. Sorry for the long rant. I hope everyone has a nice day!

[@gingerpeters1383]

If they made models of Merrick, the "Elephant man", like that, why didn't they afford this guy the same dignity??? sheesh.

[@gabriellebraswell6169]

Brilliant we need a petcion to make a cast of his bones and bury his real bones at ses

[@kathyhamer6118]

A copy of his skeleton can be made and the real skeleton can be buried. That would be the honorable thing to do.

[@daiseysthebaby6071]

Kathy Hamer Thin Blue line supporter too!

[@nomisunrider6472]

Honestly you don't even need that. If there's several people from the same area with the same condition willing to give up their bodies if he's let go, then let him go entirely. Multiple new and complete specimens of similar type, preserved using modern methods, would provide far more data than a 200 year old skeleton crudely hacked up by a guy who didn't even know what DNA was. There's no benefit in keeping it at this point besides pride.

[@authoralysmarchand4737]

In Jurassic Park, they replicated dinosaurs to being their species back to life. Replicating a SKELETON isn't bringing anyone back to life.

[@TheSolitaryGrape]

One thought that is sticking in my head that I haven't seen mentioned in the comments: can you imagine the horror of his friends when Hunter unveiled and displayed the skeleton 4 years after they thought they managed to bury their friend where no one could get to him? Spending 4 years thinking that they were successful in giving him the peaceful resting place that he so longed for, only to open the paper one morning and see this bastard a) stole his body and b) is now displaying it in the exact way that he dreaded in life I can't imagine the devastation. I hope they didn't feel guilty

[@ericwoytasek269]

My suggestion for an iconic corpse.... Abraham Lincoln. His corpse took a decades long trip that included body snatchers, several burials, several coffins, being kept in a storeroom behind the crypt he was supposed to be in and his coffin was opened multiple times.

[@sheenaalexis8710]

Eric Woytasek my god people are disgusting.

[@markcadieux3445]

Abraham Lincoln is actually buried under 10 feet of concrete. If there is really a judgement day, he and the Mrs are going to have a hard time getting out.

[@callmehcharlie]

@@markcadieux3445 pfff

[@bwtv147]

@@markcadieux3445 After grave robbers dug up Benny Hill's grave in the belief that he was buried wearing expensive jewelry he was reburied and a concrete slab was poured over his grave.

[@zappababe8577]

@@bwtv147 I never heard of this before! There's some heartless people out there, to do such a disgusting thing.

[@thighmaster4000]

If they already have plenty of DNA evidence I see absolutely zero reason to not replicate the skeleton and then bury him as he wished. Poor bloke had his worst nightmare come true. I hope he gets his rest.

[@SkullCrusher757]

i hope his ghost haunts them for the rest of their days

[@JetbBlue747]

Chicken Permission i think even doing a 3d copy and print would be better than keeping him as part of a collection..So sad that Hunter was theif.

[@broadwaygodess630]

Chicken Permission I don’t think you can just replicate a skeleton. They would essentially have to clone Byrne, find a surrogate mother to carry this clone, raise the child, and then eventually wait for him to die and collect his remains. Seems a little unethical to me.

[@mokko759]

TaylorQ You do realize that the majority of the dinosaur skeletons that are on display in museums, particularly the very large ones, are casts and replicas, right? Bones are heavy and become more fragile with age so museums make replicas to facilitate the actual display of these skeletons and keep the originals for study and preservation. If we can do this for dinosaur bones, we can do it for humans. Also, I'm not sure if you're serious or sarcastic about the cloning thing.

[@torinjones3221]

Or just accept someone else's skeleton and put them on display.

[@jaceyking5015]

You know, there's a lot of awful, creepy guys out there, but this doctor creeping on poor Charles for his dead body, and then stealing it against his wishes and away from his loved ones, he's pretty close to topping my list of "historical people that I hate." I wish that that museum would do the RIGHT thing and finally lay his body to rest.

[@lorir723]

Jacey King i feel the same thing, poor Charles.

[@dsimon33871]

Jacey And its amazing how people are so diverted...the subject becomes who should own cultural relics when that is all a straw man. this guy had every right to be handled according to his wishes, its not a question of relics at all. What horrendous thing to do to someone. I hope someone pissed on that surgeons grave.

[@meghancarmichael7899]

Those who don’t respect the dead, haven’t respected the living

[@worldforthewin]

I hope he is haunting the people who refuse to let him rest as the most terrifying 7 foot ghost ever

[@skydivingrussian42]

Poor Charles, he can’t seem to get a break even after 200 years. At least there are still people out there advocating for his last wish, a simple burial at sea. I really hope that sometime in the near future his remains are no longer on display and he can finally be laid to rest for good. #FreeCharlesByrne

[@jenniferrojas7024]

Skydiving Russian I agree, honestly this is wrong keeping his remains against his wishes its time to honour his last wish and let him be, its true they have enough info about his body so let him be now.

[@lornaduwn]

With the technology of today, all they have to do is scan the body, 3D print a replica and then follow through with his wishes for a burial at sea.

[@salenebrom6476]

lornaduwn 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@Nightjarish]

As of Jan 2023 the Hunterian Museum 'officially' retired Charles' body from display but have made no further statement about following through with his death plans to be buried at sea. Can only hope that, one day, his wishes are finally fulfilled.

[@DanielAppleton-lr9eq]

They finally agreed to bury the " Elephant Man ", Charles should be next.

[@000SugarAndSpice000]

Me: “A fan fiction about Charles’s spirit trying to liberate his captured corpse would be rad.” “Which corpses are you thiiiiissss close to writing fan fiction about.” Me: “WAIT...”

[@AnaCosta-sq7lo]

AAhhhh..But I really want a whole video on "military dudes on poop water"...

[@silvergryphon5858]

Me too!

[@rebeccaplowman6367]

I just want a video titled "Three Military Dudes in Poop Watee".

[@sarahakin]

Plot twist: That WAS their death plan.

[@KatFink]

Yeah! Like, why three dudes one coffin?

[@sngwrter49]

And the sequel, "Military Dudes In Poop Water II" .... :)

[@ladeeeeM]

Hey all, this Sunday (29th) will be the 11th anniversary of my Dad’s death. I just want to thank Caitlin and everyone for helping me deal with it in a more positive way. Instead of getting drunk like I used to, this year I’m aiming to go through the day remembering all the great things he did for me, and all the lovely times we spent together. I feel much stronger this year, thank you.

[@zarasamuels9377]

Ahh bless you sweetheart. Hope u find a way to mark the day doing something special. Sending you nothing but postive thoughts

[@daemonskullexcalibur1963]

I'm sorry for your loss, Amina. I hope the weather is pleasant this Sunday to make honoring your father's memory easier.

[@lynnhathaway3755]

Amina Jane Ishaq It's ok to grieve and I'm glad you found the support you need. We deathlings have to stick together.

[@Angel-rq3pi]

Well-said!

[@ladeeeeM]

Lynn Hathaway I never thought I’d be a deathling. It’s a nice group to be part of.

[@kyrab7914]

Considering other people have offered their remains to the museum, and they've taken DNA from Charles, it really feels like the only reason they're keeping his corpse is the fame, not science

[@hufflepufflez3293]

They literally grave robbed this man. Against his _explicit_ wishes. Rest in peace Byrn, I'm sure you were a cool dude

[@katanah3195]

He had a death plan and he still didn't get the funeral and corpse disposal he explicitly requested. Shame on England for the whole bloody thing.

[@stevejarrettnc]

This one is relatively new, but Judy Garland died in 1969 and was buried until 2017 at Ferncliff Cemetery in NY - fact is, she had been buried in Ferncliff longer than she actually lived. Then, last year, her daughter Liza Minnelli had her removed from her NY mausoleum and moved to a cemetery in LA so the family could all be buried together. After all that time, would they have removed and recasketed what was left of Judy prior to the coast to coast flight? What exactly takes place when someone's remains are moved like that?

[@Hopeful_dreamer]

Steve Jarrett I hope she sees this. I've always wondered that as well!

[@gothrunner5213]

I'm curious too!

[@matthewreilly8412]

I hope she does a video on this too

[@charleymaescreations887]

Steve Jarrett 🤔

[@pyroshayniac1090]

I always thought that was wrong. Judy didn't want to be buried in LA.

[@artemisia457]

His body should've been buried just the way he wanted it. It's horrible that his fears came true and he ended up as museum exhibit. I hope the museum sees reason and gives Byrne the burial he wanted and let him finally rest in peace.

[@nikikramerfreeman1803]

CosmicSong we DON'T know really he never wrote it down and his family has said they can have it...

[@Misslt27]

I saw his skeleton on display in the museum in 2011. I never realised it was there against his consent, obviously the museum didn't advertise the fact.

[@amberlinhines9599]

FEMALE ICONIC CORPSE SUGGESTIONS: Susan Potter (the woman who donated her body to turn into a digital cavadar), and Caroline Crachami (the little skeleton next to Irish Giant).

[@simplyadventures1732]

So I know an article just came out how they just identified one of the bodies from the 9/11 terrorist attack in the United States. There were a lot of comments about how people didn't realize that they had not identified every single body. But it sounds like they've only identified half of the remains and they're still working on identifying the rest. I think it'd be really cool to kind of talk about that process or how exactly they do that or where do they keep all those bodies that they're trying to identify 17 years later.

[@ReganMarie0.0]

Simply Adventures they're at the 9/11 museum in a section that only the families of unidentified victims can go to. I'm pretty sure they're still actively trying to identity the remains but a lot of them are burned past the ability to identify. As new science comes out they try to figure it out.

[@kiertavasirkus]

Simply Adventures you have to understand there were only about 300 whole bodies, the rest was only parts, some very little, small as a nail; the collapse and fire raging for months destroyed many corpses and DNA; there are over 10.000 parts kept in the special institution that were found at the Ground Zero site that are unidentified; technology is getting better and those unidentified parts are slowly getting retested

[@lonahansen4990]

There have been excellent descriptions from former NYC Medical Examiner's office employees of this process.

[@j.whiteoak6408]

I would find a video on this subject very interesting!!

[@claire7045]

I think she has a video on this!! She mentions it in a video about what they do in natural disaster situations, I believe but I could be wrong.

[@ginkgothestink-o6949]

Reminds me of one of my favorite people to ever exist-Robert Wadlow. He lived in Illinois, and got up to 8’11” and was still growing when he died of a foot infection at the age of 22. All around he was a pretty cool guy-he was affectionately known as the gentle giant by his local community of Alton, IL. He liked photography, history, and working with children. He was adored by just about everyone who knew him, who described him as being sweet and intelligent, even though he led a difficult life and was often mocked. Thousands of people, almost 30,000 I think, many from his home town, attended his funeral. I’m happy to say he’s since been able to rest in peace. His untimely death is saddening, but I find it a bit uplifting knowing how well loved he was by those around him, and that he has remained even in death well respected.

[@tomcline5631]

Sad to think that a new pair of shoes did him in. From what I've read and seen,he was pretty healthy,and pretty mobile. That's just sad.

[@clembb8]

I feel awful for him because the one thing he was scared about (and tried to prevent by wanting to be burried at sea ) happened for decades 😭

[@DenitaArnold]

His skull expression look like he's judging. I don't blame him

[@Snowfoxie1]

"Military Dudes in Poop Water" - name of my indie band

[@rachela2727]

Sarara R I'm just imagining the poster art for that band 😂

[@writeright8005]

This made me laugh the cat right off my lap!

[@sngwrter49]

With their No. 1 Hit "Life's A Crap Shoot"!

[@fun3rary]

now make it "soldiers in a shithole" and you have a metal band

[@Snowfoxie1]

And the country band, "Soldiers in a manure heap ."

[@ItsDanny91]

That's sad because he requested that this exact thing not happen to his body

[@imtryingmybestbutitaintworking]

Me:" how could the British do this!?" Also me:* remembers the time we found a plague pit under London, removed the several thousand skeletons and then built a haunted attraction there* "oh"

[@hollywilliams2509]

I went to the Huntarian museum as part of research for an art project. I have a pituitary brain tumor as Charles Byrne did although my particular tumor has different symptoms. I found myself in floods of tears in the museum and was struck by his story and surprised that Byrne's wishes had not been fulfilled by the museum. I'd also just been diagnosed with a rare brain disease and hashimotos thyroid disease. Seeing body parts matching my conditions was incredibly humbling and suddenly all the body parts and skeletons became real human beings rather than part of a medical display. It was a deeply emotional experience and not what I'd expected at all. I truly hope that the Huntarian museum respects Charles Byrne's wishes.

[@nevaroot1374]

My corpse, my choice!!! #FreeCharlesByrne

[@nikikramerfreeman1803]

Neva Root NOPE FAMILY have now stated they CAN have it

[@nikikramerfreeman1803]

Odd Eyes94 yup BECAUSE it isnt your body you are taking out...It is a PERSON. Abortion for medical reasons fine but abortion for last resort birth control is SICK...we need to do a better JOB at education. Because i mean i got prego 3 times from using piece of shit birth control from planned parenthood used it right and was careful and used it to the facts the doc said never late and use three different kinds...well past 9 yrs i didnt use birth control at ALL my husband and i were careful and used the pull out method lol but when we decided to have a baby a few months ago when he got his boss job at a coal mine making good money we decided to have one and became prego....what i hate hearing is i cant pay for this baby BUT can use a few hundred to a few thousand dollars or free if us tax payer PAY to kill my poor INNOCENT baby painfully murdering by ripping it apart where they should be most safe and i dont want to carry it for nine months and give birth to give it up to a family who can't have BABY...what the FUCK i dont get it...you can KILL the baby but not give it up for adoption???? I COULDN'T ever bring myself to do that to a INNOCENT baby who didnt ask for this

[@nikikramerfreeman1803]

Odd Eyes94 also don't UNDERSTAND if ppl like Scott peterson arw charged with murder of a HUMAN unborn baby why is abortion MURDER?? Because the mother wants it it is a baby when the mom says it is and it isn't when the mom says so ....

[@abbyt3254]

@@nikikramerfreeman1803 ohh my god shut the hell up. it's not up to you to decide what other women are going to do with their own bodies.

[@nikikramerfreeman1803]

clarity is coming its isn't up to you or anyone else to say all WOMEN either...Why the FUCK would i shut up?? I am AMERICAN i have a RIGHT to my own views. And i dont think killing a baby BECAUSE you dont want to take care of it or give it a BETTER life is RIGHT

[@katrinaumana2127]

That is awful, what happened to him reminds me of Sarratje Baartman. Her remains were eventually returned to South Africa.

[@karlsmit8922]

Katrina Umana *Saartjie Baartman. The Victorians were not know for cultural sensitivity unfort

[@AwkwardAnnual]

I did an assignment on Saartjie for my university French class - I was absolutely traumatised.

[@julietfischer5056]

This was a time when PEOPLE were put in the damn zoo. Hell, entire villages were taken on tour.

[@AwkwardAnnual]

Juliet Fischer yeah that was the whole theme of my assignment, human zoos. Saartjie was my case study. My classmates were horrified by my presentation, I got a really high mark for it too. But it was so insane.

[@carolinamurtha3102]

Is there an iconic corpse on her yet? That would be a good one, even if her life was pretty tragic.

[@is7040]

Talk about Inês of Portugal, please! The corpse that was made queen 👑 ♥ 💀

[@jasonriffle5789]

Saw an article on CNN this morning that states in part: when the Hunterian museum reopens after their remodel Charles Byrne will no longer be on display.

[@alyssarouso]

Gasp! An Iconic Corpse episode without Bentham's Head at the end!!

[@MelAnn]

i was also waiting for Bentham's head. Alas!

[@M00s3r]

Alyssa Rousonelos hey! Spoiler warning please!

[@damienvalentine5043]

♪ Bentham's heaaaad ♪ Does that help?

[@Angel-rq3pi]

Run! It's "proof" of ME 🤣😂

[@amy7189]

Alyssa Rousonelos it will just be more special when he does pop up again in future =D

[@CorollaLvr2000]

Poop water! I knew I could depend on Caitlin to make my lunch break really shine! 😂

[@k.c.2213]

CharmingLiberalScum hahaha same.

[@carrieeloff2220]

Omg 3d print a replica, and give the man his wishes. This day and age there's no reason not to smh except cruelty. Free Charles Byrne!!!

[@tcrmoving]

as of the 15th of October 2020 the huntarian museum isn’t planned to reopen until 2022 and a spokesperson claims that an ‘update on plans for all of the displays in the museum will be issued in due course’. :/:/

[@ytoverntflx]

ENGLAND.. "yeah we probably have your countries historic treasure" we won't return it tough .. you can come and see it we display it in museums ..

[@ookaminukiba]

Saurabh Tripathi Pretty much.

[@lipstickytoffee]

This basically somes up England + Ireland's relationship...

[@siramea]

Or they may be in storage, but you still can't have them. For example, the British Museum has one of the Tumna beads (Bronze age gold bead the size of an orange), it's not even on display, why not let be with the other 9 beads in Dublin?*. While we are here, when Ireland was partitioned after independence, the north and south agreed on how to divide the Islands artefacts, the Irish Free State got many of the treasures, in exchange for money. I'm glad we chose the artefacts. *I don't know if the National Museum of Ireland has aficially asked for it back, it appears to have been loaned back once as it was on display in Dublin for a brief time in 1991.

[@miaomiaochan]

*cough* Like China *cough*

[@ookaminukiba]

There has been campaigns for certain artifacts to be returned to Ireland and other countries but of course the British government won't give them back. They offered to 'lend' Ancient Egyptian items to a musueam in Egypt recently.

[@dylanfielddylissexi]

ask a mortician: how do you prepare a body in a coffin when its been through severe trauma? eg. a person hit by a train or car accident victim who wasnt wearing a seatbelt. ect do you try to lay it in there properly, do the remains come in a bad which is placed into a coffin ect ect.

[@pommiebears]

Dylan Roberts good question! I know that some morticians use wax to recreate, or rebuild, a face. I’ve seen students do this class. But, with Caitlin being so organic as a mortician.....I’m not sure what she’d do.

[@Nilguiri]

ect ect.

[@gorillaau]

If there is not going to be an open casket viewing, then no need to do anything to the body.

[@klillym1461]

Good question

[@babyinuyasha]

If the body is severely damaged they'll hold a closed casket funeral

[@rachelfrater6623]

Some (kind of) positive news: when the museum reopens later this year (2023) his bones will no longer be on display! However, the RCS has said in a statement that they will retain the bones for medical research. “Charles Byrne’s skeleton is a very rare specimen showing the effects of an untreated pituitary adenoma, causing acromegaly and gigantism from excessive bone growth... We cannot foresee the ways in which gene and bone analysis technologies may develop that could allow greater understanding of the causes of pituitary acromegaly and gigantism.” So, a half-win there I guess? Still a lot of work to do but I'm optimistic that we can get him buried eventually:')

[@jellyjinjubaek6968]

YALL CHARLES IS FINALLY GETTING TAKEN OFF OF DISPLAY AT THE MUSEUM

[@NotesReviews]

Hey! A friend and I are doing a road trip across Newfoundland and we learned at the gravesite of the first settlement at Cupids that the ground was so acidic that it would deteriorate the body to the point where only a bit of teeth or hair could be found upon excavation. We thought this was really cool and were hoping you could talk more about it.

[@katieshead352]

One reason could be that lots of soils with high clay content will destroy skeletons over a long period, it doesn't have to be too acidic, it could still be good farmland, it just doesn't like bones. Teeth are amazing and really durable, they'll take much much longer to be destroyed than any other part of the skeleton. Another soil problem for skeleton preservation is if the person has been buried in an area that has lots of evaporation, but not much rainfall (like the Nile Delta). In that environment the collagen will be leeched out of the bones and replaced with recrystalised soil ions which then shatter the bones

[@rebelghoulrowyn]

That sounds really interesting, I'd love to hear her thoughts on it

[@toxicperson8936]

Good to know, if I ever need to bury a dead body I will go there! 😉😉😉

[@Ohlookitsdaisyy]

I've seen his skeleton at The Hunterian Museum in London a few years ago!! It was really quite amazing but, as fascinating as it was from a human-biology and scientific point of view, I didn't know that he was so actively against the idea of his body being used like this and because I believe in bodily autonomy, I hope he is properly put to rest soon. Thank you for making me more aware of his story :) #FreeCharlesByrnes

[@MrsWilberforce2]

The only thing stopping this man from being buried is the museum's stubborn unwillingness to admit they're wrong. They could laser-scan his bones, 3D print them and put *that* skeleton on display and bury the poor man's remains as per his wishes. Win-win for everyone.

[@sarahkoji]

2023 update: Charles Byrne's skeleton is finally being removed from the museum!

[@cramerfloro5936]

please do Ötzi (pronounced Etzi, with the E sounding a bit like O) for the next episode. The Iceman (another name of his) is a prehistoric Mummy found in the Ötztal in South Tirol, Italy. He was murdered over 5.000 years ago and fell into a crack in the mountains, where the ice preserved his body until two climbers found him. They were terrified and believed he was recently murdered, so they varried him to the valley. Luckily, his wander-stick was the only part of his keepings that broke during this voyage. He has become very important for the study of prehistoric Alp-people

[@SkullCrusher757]

think she did a video on him

[@sarasthoughts]

cramer floro I’m italian and saw his musem, it’s amazing!

[@StellaMariaGiulia]

I'm Italian too, I heart Ötzi!

[@lizzyL59]

ya !!!

[@WobblesandBean]

She already did that one watch?v=2A8ePU4zyI8

[@TiffanyHallmark]

I didn't realize the life story of the giant skeleton at the Hunterian Museum. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@michelleross9782]

This story really pisses me off. That surgeon should have be tried with grave robbery & stripped of his medical license.

[@iwuvsmybeanie]

If the royalty liked him so damn much that they were willing to meet with him (not a common thing for royalty ever), they should have absolutely come down hard on the surgeon as soon as he started displaying Charles' remains. The monarchy had actual power back then, they could have set things right.

[@thebkstank2095]

My sister passed away last week and this channel is making death less dark and miserable. Thanks.

[@harveyabel1354]

That skeleton should be freed because it was acquired by dishonest means. And his flat would be a heck of a tourist thingie, I dare say.

[@SkullCrusher757]

what like the apartment at the top of the effiel tower

[@MrJoeyWheeler]

By your reasoning nearly every museum would be bereft of anything of educational value.

[@confuzedgraphite]

Museums have this bad habit of following the childhood saying of “finders keepers.” Basically saying “well my country pillaged, raped and slaughtered the indigenous people’s who lived in your country 200 years ago so we ‘earned’ these priceless artifacts that belonged to your ancestors” Its different when you have permission, or have been given the pieces by the people they belonged to, but acting as if you are the rightful owner because your ancestors killed innocent people is not okay. Hell if you go tell someone “I have this thing that belonged to your great great great grandmother would you like it back?” And the person says “no” or “you have been taking care of it better than I can” fine keep it, but if the person/people do want it back, it’s not that hard to go “oh okay, can you maybe tell us the history of the piece so that we can have your side of the story and maybe some photos to put on display” like it’s not that hard.

[@alexcunningham1647]

I feel where your coming from but most ( usually in the modern and world and still surprisingly not as often in the 19th or earl 20th century as you would expect) follow archaeological rules set by nations or in the case of individual groups pr people they are expected to respect their wishes however with out these thieving jerks a large amount of history would be lost

[@KasumiRINA]

Permission means jack shit! russia is now pillaging Syria with explicit permission of their puppet who inherited presidency-for-life after his father's coup, Assad. How does some dictator's permission selling his own people change anything?

[@anactualotter6216]

UC Berkeley is still stealing Native skeletons and refusing to return them. I find it ironic that the school that prides itself on being the most radical, philosophically advanced is still doing this. I see flyers advertising talk series on "Making Communism work in the Modern World" held at the school, yet they must keep their "anthropological specimens" at all costs.

[@alphagt62]

There isn’t an inch of space on Earth that didn’t used to belong to someone else. All lands have been invaded and occupied by someone, at some time, this idea that we should give it all back is just not possible. Ancient Egyptian artifacts that were taken by colonials and now reside in European museums, how can they be given back? The government of Egypt is not the same government, or even the same race of people who those artifacts belonged to. The Peruvian mummies of indigenous peoples, do they belong to those of Spanish decent who now occupy that land? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for leaving bodies where they are found, disturbing graves is morbid at the very least. But artifacts that have been in museums for hundreds of years, the people those artifacts belonged to no longer exist, it’s impossible to give them back. Neanderthals used to occupy Europe, should we give it all back to them?

[@autobotrock4789]

Who's gonna pay admission to see pictures of artifacts?

[@tb4546]

As of yesterday, he is being removed from display!! 🎉

[@BaldingClamydia]

My husband was telling me about his life insurance policy from work in the car the other day, while we were on a road trip. Then I was like, "Well, how do you want to be disposed of" and we had a twenty-ish minute conversation about how we were going to get buried. I specifically told him no embalming, get as close to (and cheap as) "chuck me in a hole" as possible. It may have been a morbid conversation, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one :D

[@melodie-allynbenezra8956]

You have the Death Positivity that Caitlin has been promoting. Win!

[@norawilliams2606]

You are such an amazing person and help viewers feel more comfortable about death. My kids yes even my 9 year old are your biggest fans. They call themselves Death Positive Brigade. Too funny but you have helped them to understand and expect death to be a natural event of life. They now no longer fear death. Thanks a million for your wonderful way of educating us with humor and positive knowledge. You have made my job easier. I just love you too.

[@anitraduke3616]

That's awesome!

[@CynBH]

I've never understood why so many parents hide death from their children. I always found it more unsettling if family members or pets just "went away." My children haven't been shielded from it. Thank you for helping your children accept the natural cycle of life as well. 😊

[@norawilliams2606]

CynB Hi and I love how you made death a honest discussion with your kids. I did the same thing but I have family members that own a funeral home and would just terrify the children with hellish tales from work. The damage was done to other kids but I didn’t want my kids to feel bad about death. When I found this channel, it reinforced what I was teaching them with a twist of humor. Thanks so much for your wonderful comment and please enjoy your day.

[@zacharyrtaylor5379]

I'd love to see a video about the body of Percy Shelly and the rumor that Mary Shelley carried his heart around after his death!

[@donnacollins402]

I agree so interesting was it percy's heart she kept or her lovers I have heard 2 different versions I'd love for her to reveal the whole accurate story

[@drewgehringer7813]

Well she definitely something solid that remained after cremation besides bones, Mary believed it was his heart but no one's sure, its not like its still around to do analysis on. It could've been some other body part

[@aroaalcarazdominguez8701]

I´m watching this video 4 years after and Charles remains will be taken out of the display, but he will not be buried at sea. A win is a win, I guess?

[@LilyCraven1]

Love your channel! Just became obsessed on Christmas night and now it’s 1 in the morning.

[@Angel-rq3pi]

Being First Nation, I have *very strong feelings* about remains NOT being properly "handled"...be it grave desecration, grave robbing, non-repatriation of remains, etc. Do as the man asked, let him rest in peace

[@evilqueen6402]

The fuck is first nation?

[@bloodandhoney001]

Pasta McFartpants natives. No one asked for such rudeness.

[@athenathegreatandpowerful6365]

Angel so am I. I think he should stay displayed for all to see.

[@torinjones3221]

I think regardless of what ethnic group you belong to remains should be left alone. There was a skeleton they found under stone henge of a young boy who grew up in what is modern day Hungary and had travelled all the way to England and been buried there. Yet not only did archeologists dig him up they then stuffed him away in museum storage. It's frankly disgusting to think in 6000 years time you could be dug up and put in someone else's private collection like they own you.

[@Angel-rq3pi]

Exactly why First Peoples demand repatriation of our ancestors' remains...

[@beepot2764]

Poor Charles 😢

[@kickass6691]

I love how you tell things like this and I can't wait to watch all of your contents! 🤩

[@nopenope273]

Toss Charles Byrne Into The Ocean and Shout “You’re Free!”

[@DusanPavlicek78]

I couldn't appreciate the height measurements before converting them to SI units so for the metric crowd: 7ft 7in = 231cm and 8ft 4in = 254cm (that's really tall btw :)

[@maffymine33]

Dusan Pavlicek thank you

[@thenamelesscookie]

Hey! Last week the Netherlands hosted the International Aids Conference, and a lot of our Dutch tv channels covered the history of the aids epidemic. One of them made some particularly interesting remarks concerning what they called a revolution in Dutch funeral customs. The disease struck the LGBTQ communities of our cities (especially Amsterdam) particularly hard, and caused many young men and women to die within an exceptionally short period of time. Knowing that there was no cure for their disease at the time, many patients made arrangements for their funerals, but didnt'care for the traditional, sober burial customs. They wanted their funerals to reflect their lives; young and out of the ordinary. There would be music and dancing and colorful caskets (I remember someone mentioning a steward was buried in a KLM-themed one) and given the large number of fatalities (I believe around 5000 people have died of aids in the Netherlands, most of them in the 80s and 90s before the right medicine was available) the epidemic had a huge effect on the Dutch funeral industry, allowing for a more creative and personal approach to ceremonial practices. Perhaps this could be something you'd be interested in discussing? I wonder if something similar happened in other countries affected by aids, it would be interesting to see how one particular disease can change the way we think about death and funeral customs. (ps. love your videos, keep it going! x)

[@liminal_spice1712]

Anna I would second wanting a video on this topic... sounds interesting...

[@felixc543]

That's... Much better than what happened to the funerals of LGBTQ people in America during the AIDS crisis... I'm gonna have to do more research on that

[@rachellebrady1517]

So obsessed with your channel. Literally enrolled in mortuary science courses thanks to you. Thanks for helping me find my calling.

[@maryjanegreen8607]

I enjoy your videos so much!!! Thank you for all your hard work mj

[@mysteriapike2574]

Poor Charles. To pass so young and then to have your wishes not only denied, but to be displayed for the public against everything you wanted is horrifyingly. They need to treat him like the person he was and not a specimen. We know better now and we owe him that much to follow his wishes.

[@katiebayliss9887]

Mysteria Pike he isn't a person anymore

[@shamsarp]

This video reminded me of something: When I was making funeral arrangements for my mother last month, the mortician told me that even if the deceased had documents stating what they'd like done with their corpse, the person who pays for the funeral has ultimate control. How can I make certain my body is disposed of in the way I choose without my next of kin being able to alter it?

[@SkylaSternenlocke]

Sam Sharp I know nothing about the laws in the USA but I suppose you could prepay you funeral?

[@pineapplemilkify]

I'd make sure the sufficient funds to do it are available in your estate and make it part of the terms and conditions of your will. Like y'all aren't getting my money and stuff unless you carry out my final requests type dealio? (Not a lawyer, just hypothesizing.)

[@jessicabrady7759]

My grandparents created a trust and prepaid for their wishes. In the trust they provided the terms of their end of life care, they're cremations, and where they wanted the ashes to be spread. It made everything so much cleaner and easier. They used The Neptune Society but I'm sure there are other options and local places that you could contact.

[@katiebayliss9887]

Sam Sharp pay for it yourself.

[@avonixxinova]

Very true.

[@misschloes-w]

i love the iconic corpse series. please do more!

[@kymo6343]

They have no excuse not to finally bury this poor guy the way he wanted when people with the same condition have willingly offered to replace him...

[@alexvictoria84]

I went to the Hunterian museum a couple of years ago and saw Charles Byrne, it was a really fascinating visit, but for the queasy immoral feeling you get from seeing various preserved remains on display whose permission for such is questionable - along with Byrne there are pickled Chinese infants at every stage of development including still borns and no explanation as to how they were sourced. If they're that bothered they should just make casts of Byrne's skeleton and display that, and let him finally rest in peace. #FreeCharlesByrne!

[@AlasdairGR]

They don't even have to mess around with creating molds of the bones. They can just scan them and create more accurate models of the bones than casting could with software and 3D printing.

[@viviennecoburn8806]

The story of how Charles Byrne's body was taken advantage of by curious doctors reminds me of how Truganinis remains were handled. She was a Tasmanian Aboriginal woman who feared her corpse would be dissected and studied. She requested to be buried, but was dug up and her bones kept in a museum for almost 100 years. She's been buried according to her wishes, but it's a shame that they were compromised in the first place.

[@johnprince7556]

Lady when I get depressed I always turn to you you were gifted with a special talent a very unique person please never stop doing you videos they bring not only history to all aspects of subjects, but has helped me resolve a lot of what I’m working on plus your great sense of humor that you can put in at the same time your are a very unique person and my God be wth you always you friend Johm

[@Deltadivaix]

Loved The Andre the Giant plug. As soon as you said the disorder, I thought of him. @HBO has a really good documentary on him right now. He was cremated.

[@lunastella3592]

I would still love to see a video on the preservation of corpses at Pompeii, I'm obsessed. Also, I love your work. I pre-ordered "From here to Eternity" and I'm glad I did!

[@emmakarlsson3370]

Liz Robertson +1

[@anarosareyes6269]

Please make a video featuring Iconic Corpse Saartjie Baartman! Hers is one tale to be told!

[@cadycastle9957]

I just discovered your videos and I'm already in love with you 🖤

[@ulisesdominguez2309]

THANKS GOD THERE IS PEOPLES LIKE YOU VERY SMART AND GOOD HUMOR SENSE

[@muttofanopossum5639]

Poor Charles, he's been in their museum long enough. Free the Irish giant!

[@catherine_404]

While it's true that when you're dead, your are no more, and it doesn't really matter to you anymore, it matters to the living. Treating a person's will badly is like treating them badly, even after they are dead (and thus completely powerless). Since it doesn't really matter for medicine, is just polite to fulfill his wish. When dead people are mistreated, I suspect that living are also under threat of being somehow mistreated. When everyone is respected, it's chill, it's ok.

[@normalpeopleboreme]

He was living when he made the request. Everyone has a right to decide how their body is treated just as the do for their stuff.

[@rickcimino5483]

I think I am becoming addicted to this channel, its content and well, you know.

[@beethimbles8801]

I am literally in love with your channel ( and with you a bit).

[@CheapAngler]

Long story, then a question. So, I worked in a hotel that was supposedly "haunted," and people were always coming in and doing stupid things trying to scare each other. One Halloween, a guy comes up to the front desk with a large gift bag, and said it was a birthday present for a guest. He gave the guest's name and room number, and instructed them to deliver it to the guest. It all sounded legit. The girl he gave the bag to was new, and forgot to make a note on the account before storing it in the back. Fast forward to December of that year, and the bag resurfaces when rearranging the office. The girl remembered when she got it, but nothing else. A lot of people got in trouble for not taking care of it. We didn't have the name of who it was supposed to go to, and no way to figure it out. So, I went ahead and opened the present. Inside were 2 boxes containing the cremated remains of 2 different people. Had their names on it, but they didn't seem to be related. One had been dead for 10 years, and the other for 2 years. We called the police, but they didn't really know what to do with them either. So, we contacted the funeral home that was on one of the boxes, and they agreed to take them. We thought it was a Halloween prank, but we weren't sure. So I'm wondering: If it was a prank, how easily accessible are the cremated remains of random strangers? Do they just disappear from storage rooms at funeral homes?

[@CallMeBeautifulRacoon]

Cheap Angler Fishing that is really sad. I hope they were returned to the family.

[@CheapAngler]

Millicent Bowers I hope so too, but I don't think the guest or the guy that dropped it off were actually supposed to have them. I'd like to think a real family member would have came back looking or at least called. There was clearly no communication between the guy that dropped them off and the person that was supposed to get them. The whole thing felt like a bad joke.

[@CallMeBeautifulRacoon]

If you remember the names on the boxes, maybe you could see if there are posts on Facebook from family about them and tell them?

[@CheapAngler]

Millicent Bowers No, it's been a few years. But I'm sure the funeral home had contact information for the next of kin. There has to be some kind of record of them. At the very least, they can handle it respectfully.

[@lindseybailes9558]

This terrifies me. I hope I have the correct cremains

[@Bexxlynne]

Ah yes, my death obsession is fulfilled for today . Thank you

[@louisb.6149]

This show has helped me cope with loss before. Learning about the love and care that goes into being a dietician and the real outlook on death. I lost my best friend who wasnt even 19 and was engaged in a car accident this year. Thanks to this though I at least know what they did and the studies they had to do in order to get their job. Made me a little less stressed and more accepting of the idea.

[@pinkbrando]

This is so sad because as you said he had a solid death plan AND his friends were good friends he didnt have any backstabbing they cared about him and they still took him :(

[@allisonbarry720]

Still want to see about Abraham Lincoln. Over 30 years before he could finally be put to rest

[@authoralysmarchand4737]

I find the photo of him in his casket to be so interesting.

[@sunsetsky123]

what happens to royals after they die, like Diana, the queen mother and future royals? sending love from the UK

[@gracelockhart6040]

Diana was buried on a small island in the middle of a pond in the backyard of a mansion/palace, away from public view. I'm from the US and I know this. Her burial procession was very long and very sorrowful for the British subjects.

[@wafflesatan5597]

Grace Lockhart not where they’re buried. Who does the preparation of the bodies? Do they embalm? Etc.

[@KLBobbin]

I’ve actually been to the Hunterian museum a few years ago and saw his remains! They don’t explain much of his backstory though which is a shame - especially knowing he adamantly didn’t want to be exhibited like that.

[@Strawberrykisss_]

Can you pleaseeeee keep making these videos!!