The fascinating history of cemeteries - Keith Eggener

Check out our Patreon page: / teded
View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/the-fascin...
Spindly trees, rusted gates, crumbling stone, a solitary mourner: these things come to mind when we think of cemeteries. But not long ago, many burial grounds were lively places, with gardens and crowds of people -- and for much of human history, we didn’t bury our dead at all. How did cemeteries become what they are today? Keith Eggener delves into our ever-evolving rituals for honoring the dead.
Lesson by Keith Eggener, directed by Remus & Kiki.
Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Mary Sawyer, David Rosario, Samuel Doerle, Susan Herder, Prasanth Mathialagan, Yanira Santamaria, Dawn Jordan, Constantin Salagor, Kevin Wong, Umar Farooq, Goh Xiang Ting Diana, Cristóbal Medina Moenne, MJ Tan Mingjie, Yansong Li, Jason A Saslow, Henry Li, Kyle Nguyen, Taylor Hunter, Noa Shore, Lex Azevedo, Merit Gamertsfelder, Bev Millar, Rishi Pasham, Jhuval, SookKwan Loong, Daniel Day, Nick Johnson, Bruno Pinho, Javier Aldavaz, Marc Veale, Boytsov Ilya, maxi kobi einy, Misaki Sato, Andrew Bosco, Nik Maier, Mark Morris, Tamás Drávai, Adi V, Peter Liu, Leora Allen, Hiroshi Uchiyama, Julie Cummings-Debrot, Gilly , Ka-Hei Law, Maya Toll, Aleksandar Srbinovski, Ricardo Rendon Cepeda, Renhe Ji, Andrés Melo Gámez and Tim Leistikow.

[@miriamlogan3733]

Imagine thou'rt in the churchyard, weeping heavily before the grave of thine deceased kin, and there's just a merchant a few paces away shouting, "dost thou wanna buy a funny hat? FUNNY HATS FOR SAAALE!"

[@JayJayGirl26]

Dost thou wanna buy a funny hat! 😂😂YOUR COMMENT NEEDS MORE LIKES

[@_wheeler8601]

Tf2 players be all over that.

[@rheaalvares5274]

Doth

[@joyeetakar7773]

😂😂😂😂

[@AwesomEthan]

Are you from the 16th century?

[@wonderfulrainyday]

The narrators voice made it even more mysterious and magical.

[@jaojao1768]

Definitely

[@BrawnyFanta]

Agreed, seemed like the perfect voice for this video.

[@FIINKS]

You're dead on.

[@anjusingh5510]

miri m he he

[@Phoebus003]

He’s my favorite among the several narrators here in TED-Ed. I particularly liked his narration in “Why should you read...” series.

[@bonakelesithole5014]

For me the cemetery my late son is buried is one of my "happy" places... I don't reject it - I accept that feeling/ emotion for what it is. A comfort zone for a grieving mother..

[@Cloudipy]

May he rest in peace and may your pain be a little less painful. lots of love to you ❤️

[@Sarah-yz5ne]

Rest In Peace💜

[@joanbelmont5450]

So sorry for your loss Ma’am.

[@cindy9924]

May God Make your Days grow more Peaceful to Heal and find Happiness. Love and Light from London💌💖💝

[@blancadiaz7984]

So sorry may he rest in peace.

[@jodyjohnsen]

I love cemeteries. I wish we’d put more information on headstones but even with limited information cemeteries are fascinating ways to see into our past.

[@danimald.2407]

I love finding the military veterans from all wars. Much respect.

[@yrldarb5625]

@@danimald.2407 same

[@GrizzlyTank]

I live across the street from an old cemetery in a gold mining town where a mine collapsed a hundred years ago. I walk my dog through there and love reading the names on the plaques.

[@leeanndap7020]

Omg I always say the same thing like causes of death

[@overthis]

A buddy of mine had a start up where you could put a QR code on the headstone that would take you to a website about them and link them with the rest of their family

[@KyoushaPumpItUp]

"When I die, I want my remains scattered around Disneyland. Also, I don't want to be cremated." - old comment I found in the internet.

[@philippelamontagne3459]

Disneyland is actually having a problem with that xD It has become very popular for people to scather the remains of their loved ones in Disneyland. Janitors often have to deal with ashes left in popular attractions such as the haunted mansion xD I believe they even have a walkie-talkie code word for this specific situation!

[@Napoleonic_S]

Next, someone want his remain to be scattered inside a nuclear reactor.

[@Michael-xm4ux]

Is there anything funny about that?

[@rania9534]

They don’t want to be cremated but want their remains scattered. Those remains being flesh and bone of the person, in a children’s attraction. That’s funny

[@thebaseandtriflingcreature174]

@@rania9534.thank you,you get the joke.

[@Ch-xc4fo]

This animator is fantastic. Never have I been so visually entertained by graves.

[@proton4938]

@Natasel rule n o.

[@stargirlabi_111]

me when tim burton movies

[@luizflavio2054]

Remus and kiki, the animators are really good at making these eye-catching visuals!

[@rileymcarew110]

Went to a education camp with my class. Our guide took us on a hike to a graveyard where we all sat and had a picnic. After eating, everyone wandered around looking at tombstones. It was kinda cool.

[@georgeoldsterd8994]

This just wouldn't fly where I live, parents would immediately start filing complaints about their kids being traumatized and graveyards being invaded, or whatnot. So sad. 😒

[@Rumpleskin]

One of our favorite you tube shows is Hollywood graveyard. It goes to graveyards and talks about specific people and their lives.very interesting.

[@hackman669]

@@georgeoldsterd8994 I believe old world culture like Europe, Asian and Mid eastern know best how to handle death. Include the dead in daily life through tradition, culture, song other. Make the cemetery apart of life. For example a gathering place, like a park or market place. Americans are shielded from death.

[@georgeoldsterd8994]

@@hackman669 I'm European though 🤷 It's ironic really, we have one of the biggest graveyards in Europe, there are towns that have graveyards right next door to people's homes, but people still freak out if children go there outside of dedicated religious holidays. Maybe they're worried that graves might get messed up or stuff like flowers and candles will get stolen (as it often happens in some graveyards), maybe parents are just being superstitious, and with the whole western view on children education in "safe" environments coming in in the recent years, maybe it's just outright stupidity. But it is what it is. 😒

[@georgeoldsterd8994]

@@internetcat6461 i know.

[@itinerantpatriot1196]

When I was a kid my friend and I would sometimes spend Saturday afternoons walking through cemeteries reading headstones. We made a game of it. Whoever found the oldest grave won. I remember feeling bad for the really old ones, some dating back the 1830's. I thought, here's someone nobody even remembers let alone visits. I made up my mind at that time to never be buried. I didn't want to end up as some old forgotten soul no one cared about hanging around a graveyard. But as I move closer to the end of the ride my thoughts have started to shift. My parents were both cremated and we spread their ashes at sea but now we have no place to visit them. I'm not sure who will visit me but perhaps having a little marker showing that you existed isn't such a bad thing.

[@dancingtrout6719]

you mentioned 1830's , Abe Lincolns sons werent even born yet in the year 1830

[@itinerantpatriot1196]

@@dancingtrout6719 There were two old graveyards within a couple miles of the house I grew up in. The one with the graves from the 1830s was the oldest in the area. There was another old one a bit closer that dated back to the 1850s. That one had the most beautiful headstone I've ever seen. It was made from a tree stump about four feet high. The woman's husband carved her name into it then placed a rope around it. I don't know what sort of finish he used (some kind of lacquer) but he coated the entire stump, rope and all, and it has held up for more than a hundred years. I went back through the old neighborhood a couple years ago with a friend. We drove through that cemetery and the marker is still there, a beautiful tribute from a husband to a wife who was dearly loved and died young (she was in her early 30s when she passed). I should have taken a picture of it, being that is so unique but it didn't dawn on me to do so. Like I say, I always felt sad for the people who passed and are eventually forgotten as time marches on. They haven't buried anyone in either cemetery for a long time. Old monuments to another era.

[@dancingtrout6719]

@@itinerantpatriot1196 yes its a mystery who the people below the grave stones are , i know what you mean.. I feel sorry for people ..back in 42 they sent my dad to war and when it was over 50 million people died, lots of their towns and cities destroyed and are gone for ever... real people. .. Thanks for your story...

[@rebekadoczi2136]

@itinerantpatriot1196 Hey, look at it this way. Maybe 1 day a bunch of little kids will also make a game of finding your "oldest" gravestone, and someone can easily come and pay respects to you. Maybe someone would even talk to your grave, as you'd be a company who would always listen. 😊

[@dingsindy2993]

stop the game with ur friend as a kid was so cute. its with these sorts of memories that we finally start to appreciate the beauty of the world

[@NekoMouser]

One of the best cemetery trends I've heard of recently is putting them on the edge of parklands and nature preserves to create a more natural buffer between development and protected lands (which developers often want to build right up to the edge of). But putting cemeteries around the land, it keeps buildings and roads further away and allows nature more space to thrive. I LOVE this idea and hope to see more of it.

[@johnladuke6475]

I feel like this just gets us future neighbourhoods ringed by cemeteries where the developers have destroyed the former parkland.

[@Klrfl101]

@Emmanuel Papadakis what

[@johannescooks574]

I think that would draw people away because they might think it’s too morbid.

[@jellydarling1008]

Love this idea XD “ you know we are close to the hiking trail when you see grandma’s tomb stone”

[@Ty-fc7ml]

With the amount of chemicals humans consume in their lifetime + the kind of diseases humans get & the treatment they undergo ... human body is definitely very harmful to the soil & groundwater. Even vegetation will have to adapt to use the decaying remains , else simply not grow where the body is

[@quahntasy]

The narrators voice brought life to story and amazing animation as always.

[@meroglu799]

Quahntasy - Animating Universe yyghyhjn. Hijhbb

[@bramorant5613]

That's how narrators work

[@williamjackson460]

That's a Ted-ed for you

[@cwa728]

Ironic, that you say he “brought it to life”.

[@robblequoffle8456]

Remus and Kiki animated this

[@antoninorex5857]

While I was Houseless and Living on the Streets, i would often seek refuge in a Cemetery for a peaceful night of Sleep.

[@christaastika2684]

have u seen ghost that time?

[@mauriceosullivan6832]

@@christaastika2684 why would you? People don't die in the cemetery.

[@aprilgarcia6119]

@@mauriceosullivan6832 do you think that spirits are only allowed to be where they died? If so, why? Just curious

[@gabanna837]

Well my boyfriend told me the only thing in cemeteries are spirits. He has seen alot of paranormal things in his life it affects him to this day. Not ghosts or anything like that, more scarier things.

[@mshaw6836]

@@gabanna837 Jesus saves🙏

[@hopelessromantic8682]

I find cemeteries peaceful and beautiful. My husband thinks I’m crazy, but I would absolutely hang out and have a picnic next to my Grandpa’s grave.

[@MC-ko2mx]

My friend does just that, with her mom and grandma. It's peaceful, there's miles and miles of green space, and even a lake. They get to spend time with her grandpa, and each other. And as a bonus, wild wallabies sometimes show up, and just chill. She's in Australia, if that wasn't clear enough.

[@Rumpleskin]

@@MC-ko2mx I would hope, a wallaby would scare me in missouri. Graveyard or not

[@Rumpleskin]

@@MC-ko2mx that used to be a common thing especially in the American south. Decoration day especially. Memorial day to yankees

[@hopelessromantic8682]

@@MC-ko2mx so cool! 😎 🦘

[@MC-ko2mx]

@@Rumpleskin That's very cool. I had no idea.

[@FIINKS]

The negative perception of cemeteries is a grave issue.

[@pear8875]

FIINKS Mate you’re just hurting yourself

[@FIINKS]

@@pear8875 It's DEADly.

[@pandaguan]

You're killing me, literally.

[@DmitriasBehindTheWheel]

A few dozen more groans will leave you buried in complaints.

[@brandonrobson2000]

It's dead important we implement a renaissance of cemetery celebrations

[@this_is_patrick]

4:46 He barely appeared in the video and I'm already sad that he died :(

[@aasthasrivastava3638]

that is Patrick 😂

[@realbratiskim]

At least he got to plan his funeral?? 🤔

[@deshantdevkota2563]

true

[@generalkranz2220]

F

[@kojoaustin8341]

i felt like that as well sigh

[@tiffanyli3429]

"hey dude, wanna go out to the cemetery for a cup of tea?"

[@nkamogelengmashele7350]

Sure i m down lol

[@hackman669]

@@nkamogelengmashele7350 Cemeteries should have a park like feel. In the US they are segregated by a little fence with nothing but headstones to remember the departed. Keep old grave markers for history. Instead host seasonal events, have a visitor center with gift shop and post cards, add a green belt with a pond, have benches and plazas. Owners of cemeteries would also benefit from the revenue due to visitor traffic.

[@raymonduy2382]

dude and tea in one sentence seriously sounds off to me

[@jqpublic3104]

My mum used to enjoy a walk around the local cemetery. She would read every tombstone she viewed. She is now in that cemetery and I will continue her tradition every time I visit her grave. I will read every tombstone along the journey to hers and find peace in my heart for those who have passed, even if be in anguish.

[@klittlet]

That's beautiful my friend, whenever I have the opportunity I'll do the same now

[@kiki53514]

we need to replace gravestones with trees...more symbolic of life and also environmentally beneficial :D

[@effe4901]

Yes!!

[@noasnobody8929]

Yeah but have you thought about how much acres of land a single tree takes up in a city

[@shivamwasp]

Cecile Wu look up capsula mundi

[@lestariabadi]

no as nobody not in a city, but a re-forested area

[@noasnobody8929]

@@lestariabadi yeah I guess that could work but still It will be such a hassle and it will just block the way for future city development

[@azizuladnan2957]

Before watching: What's so fascinating about cemeteries? After watching : You do learn something new everyday And also, can't believe the main character of this video died... Rest In Peace

[@tellurian1131]

shhhh spoilers

[@cramerfloro5936]

Also have you seen his friends mourning him? I find it kind of sweet how he befriended a biker gang

[@mintayza7784]

This video was riddled with coincidences: today a friend asked me at what moment is a person considered dead, the restaurant I went to had a biker gang, and my game skin was a well themed spirit and we mentioned London, New York and Hong Kong at a game of trivia.

[@paule.2687]

in the end, we all serve Death

[@LadySnowfaerie]

Humans do tend to have a 100% death rate. I'd be more surprised to learn that he didn't die in the end. :D

[@melanietoth1376]

I love visiting cemeteries. I find beautiful things, giant trees, sacred spaces, pieces left by loved ones that remain forever untouched. One cemetery in my city is now a park with trails and plaques for public history while still being a burial place. I've visited cemeteries in many countries to take photos and be near solid history. Where its appropriate I've also hiked and even picnickes in cemeteries ♡

[@idontevenknow9758]

The way we bury the dead also show our relationship with death in general. We mourn the loss but we also find peace within knowing our relatives are among us in our memories. I think it would be a cool idea to see cemeteries revert back to large, colorful gardens where people's remains are used to help the soil grow trees and flowers. It could be good mentally as it would maybe help people see death not as a fearful or terrible end but rather just a part of the cycle of life as well as a way to also celebrate the lives that their passed love ones lived.

[@JuhaStrauss]

I would prefer to bury the dead with no coffin and plant a tree on it; so the death can bring life, and if it is a fruit tree the better, that means food as well. Imagine if that becomes a common practice: the Cemeteries will be forests

[@MK-fr8nd]

a very great idea, bro

[@montyfatcat8871]

Read the Ender's Game series, that has a lot about burying people under trees after the first 2 or 3 books.

[@jasonzheng5145]

I thought that burying it in the ground without a coffin was bad for the ground, so if the coffin and the body rot together, then that would be counted as good

[@cjceriales1769]

So your a cannibal

[@jennifershay8980]

Even better, using bodies to protect forests from being cut down and developed

[@samarendra109]

4:52 , that guy in cloud. 😊

[@micanikko]

He was the guy who died in the end

[@richardsantanna5398]

He didn't look like a guy who'd have biker friends.

[@dr.nosborn6330]

@@richardsantanna5398 he was the lawyer of the bikers or a bussiness biker

[@DavidJames-mr6rd]

Maybe his name was McLeod

[@KD-qr8bo]

member of a 1% MC.

[@Steviemarie502]

Cave Hill Cemetery in my city of Louisville, KY is gorgeous, especially in the spring. Waterfalls and swans, huge and elaborate headstones and statues. It's such a beautiful and peaceful place!!

[@debbieportman7213]

Live there

[@chrissybarr7508]

I’ve always liked going to our town cemetery not just to see relatives headstones but it’s always a calming place to go if I’m stressed 😩

[@coryarnold3369]

Me too..Nice place to escape all the stress and noise for a little while and relax/reflect.I feel more focused and see things in a different perspective when I leave.

[@naly202]

In my country cemeteries are nice places full of flowers and greenery . I live in Transylvania! ( Romania)

[@pawanraj9475]

So i heard its gaurded by a vampire and the dead rise up at night to have a party their .

[@kaitlynlehman7414]

@@pawanraj9475 aww! That vampire sounds nice...I wish I could attend a supernatural party

[@misspositivealways803]

Yeah, same with me

[@naly202]

@@pawanraj9475 I'm holding a party next week. Wanna come? Well... It depends what scares you most : vampires or Covid19. Lol.

[@celestailthecosmosdragon430]

Yo i think im a vampire i have one fang and like the taste of blood (Im not kidding...)

[@farhatkhan1982]

There's a cemetery next to my house. I was scared all my childhood. Only if this video came earlier....

[@the_nowhereboy9052]

I know but instead I was attracted to them.

[@MyName-ho1xt]

@@the_nowhereboy9052 lol me too

[@jayfawn8478]

Goodluck with polluted ground water and occassional pestilence!

[@SalvaDORKiann]

I bought a house in front of one last year

[@stardust4001]

Grave is really thought of as a horror place in islam so i think thats why you must have fear instilled

[@0amburgh063]

“Graveyards takes up space and harms the soil” Alright man I got my man Hannibal Lector on speed dial no biggie

[@refundreplay]

"Traditional burial" DOES NOT pollute anything. Thats MODERN burial.

[@hackman669]

Traditional being?

[@aluna1234]

@@hackman669 more natural, no embalming, no concrete or metal. Wooden caskets so everything can return to the Earth one day

[@nanokia5828]

I would much rather donate my body to science when I die. Then they can finally figure out whats wrong with me

[@humanthatexist8257]

Same 😆

[@thelordnaevis4946]

Oh no 💀

[@cockycookie1]

Bruh

[@danielcooper3332]

I heard a story about how a guy donated his mother's corpse to science and after doing some research he found out the body was given to the military to test explosives.

[@roshanantony64]

Nahh i wanna go boom to spacae

[@pretentious_melancholic]

"Wadi Al-Salam" means valley of peace btw

[@pretentious_melancholic]

@@mariaaaa1128 perhaps it was used to mean river valley?, river is "nahr نهر" btw

[@blusun.]

@@mariaaaa1128 yeah it does, but it differs from dialect to dialect so it does mean valley in some dialects, and it does mean wadi in other

[@HellaBeed]

A wadi is a valley, ravine, or channel that is dry except in the rainy season.

[@freyavine6448]

I like that

[@Strongify03017]

@@pretentious_melancholic نويص

[@susisblusis]

Cemeteries are so beautiful especially if surrounded by trees. It's one of my favourite place to have a quite stroll as the view never stops to change during different seasons. Grave stones in many European countries are made in different styles and you are basically walking through a museum of sculptures and history. It's even nicer when the candles are lit during special events. Absolutely magical as weird as it might sound.

[@airabopanna]

They manage to make these old stories so fascinating. And the animations are incredible in all their videos.

[@aigelragay5024]

"Before we used to yeet the dead from a cliff" -Some guy a long long time ago

[@netajithevar296]

I read it as "The fascinating history of CENTIMETERS"

[@fuzzytheduck6821]

now there’s an idea

[@aarohisingh9231]

We all did

[@josephinedavid2391]

Lol haha me too

[@NekoJimin]

Centipede

[@desubysnusnu]

Americans can't relate

[@aleenr4425]

Graveyards guarantee a permanent green space, all the graveyards in Canada are beautiful with trees and plants!

[@hackman669]

Are cemeteries also included in the fabric of the community? Do they resemble a park or meeting area? Are there seasonal events that honor the dead?

[@CaptainQwazCaz]

4:46 *_top ten saddest anime deaths_*

[@namkedi]

CQC why is it so sad

[@fruv19]

This trip was truly fun wasn’t it?

[@balyeet6479]

@@fruv19 is this what I think it is?

[@johninocenio32]

@@fruv19 iS tHaT a jOjO rEfeRenCe!?!?

[@Farhan-kw3pg]

Remindes me of mob psyko

[@harryliangviolin9003]

What’s fascinating is the fact that a 5 minute video gives you more information than a day at school

[@InderjitSingh12]

its about interest. your teacher can show you these same videos and you would find it boring

[@technetium9653]

What school has history of cemeteries as a subject

[@morganstarchild3103]

That's sad but true

[@sherriebeazley8150]

I crated a family cemetery when my father passed away in 2007 and believe me I am comforted knowing he is on the land he loved while he was alive and its nice to just walk out there from the house and go anytime I want.

[@nzs316]

When my grandmother died in 1981 they opened up the family plot and I went to see it with my father. I could see the remains of my grandfather and below him were his brother. They were both in the military so I could still see the uniforms, hair and bones and whatever. It might sound a bit macabre but I never met my grandfather or my great uncle so it’s kind of touching the past. Making a connection…

[@l.r.4155]

Cemeteries now: Sad, Depressing, Spook Cemeteries then: *and then i saw her fACE*

[@awesomemantroll1088]

*Now I'm the grim reaper!*

[@elgustablo5503]

*Not a mace* *Of kraut in my mind*

[@jennifershay8980]

I’m the Grim Reaper! I’m gonna reap her soul tonight!

[@Rumpleskin]

-now I'm a believer "

[@nobodysbaby5048]

Meh.

[@Solace6428]

When I die I want to be buried in just a sheet, with a tree planted on top on me. No embalming, no coffin, nothing. I just want to give back to the earth

[@canned_can_chan4590]

When i die i want to be buried with a rose. Cause roses are hard to take care of so my family has to come see me huehueheuheuehue

[@nicoleb695]

Me too!

[@Heinz_Egbert]

@@canned_can_chan4590 bork bork(now that's smart)

[@chloe1227]

You wold have to be cremated unless you would want bone sin your tree! Lol

[@lenaissac243]

@@chloe1227 cremation actually renders the body useless to a tree or any plant life for that matter, ashes are inorganic and the best way to give back to the earth is exactly how Alana said; no embalming, no coffin, no nothing.

[@michaelv2297]

I only watched this one because i saw Remus and Kiki animated it. They're TedEd videos are always the best.

[@christina_anne]

i love this man’s voice

[@BobMcCoy]

*The animation is freakishly good*

[@godzillafart6531]

Arent uthat one guy thats gets thousands of likes on a comment

[@Mgkayoutube]

T: TOGETHER E: EVERYONE D: DESERVES (more) ED: EDUCATION

[@awesomemantroll1088]

Maybe I want to educate myself apart from the others. We don't have to do it "together!"

[@ultimatejim4343]

@@awesomemantroll1088 me when my mum finds my poop sock: 1:39

[@ipsitaparida4471]

@@ultimatejim4343 your what?

[@thanurirajapakshe3455]

The fascinating history of cemeteries is more fascinating than we thought. narrators voice made it so mysterious. The animations are very creatively made.

[@Pythonfan3]

In my hometown the old cemeteries are recognized as nice parks where you can spend your time. It has rich flora and fauna, so it's a nice and calm place to spend your afternoon at.

[@BlueEyes-WhiteDrag0n]

Why does a cementry have fence around it ? Because people are *dying* to get in edit: Wow so many likes I am so *Graveful* to you all ;)

[@hiteshpaighan4435]

Ha ha ha ....was that supposed to be funny

[@Michael-xm4ux]

To keep the walking dead trapped inside

[@ankita7337]

@@hiteshpaighan4435 Yes. It was Not a *dead* joke

[@kirarasmom4274]

😂

[@tuckertechnolord6126]

Aditya Waghmare like for the second pun!

[@magapiff1]

when I die I want my remains made into paint and have a painting of me made using it so I can fallow people with my eyes, watching, *JUDGING,* for all eternity

[@ogarnogin5160]

i want to be soylent green

[@georgeoldsterd8994]

You judgemental dead, you. 😁

[@sirsnailson7703]

2:34 maybe it's just me but isn't this how we all think of ancient Greece?

[@jamesmorris1657]

Cemeteries are home for some truly beautiful trees. I love walking in them.

[@xumo4732]

When I die, I want to be turned into a gem and be made into a pendant or a ring. That way my family wouldn't feel depressed whenever they see me. Unless they decide to sell me to auction then I will forcefully haunt them until they keep me well polished and safe.

[@Michael-xm4ux]

Excuse me for saying this: creepy af girl.

[@hiteshpaighan4435]

I would rather diee before doing that😁😁😁😁

[@mandya2531]

Its her choice guys, we have different options how to die

[@xumo4732]

Did I write something wrong?

[@somewhat2316]

@@hiteshpaighan4435 but you would allready be dead

[@aparnadasgupta1872]

What a fascinating concept! I always wondered what the history of cemetery would be. TED-Ed never ceases to amaze me. 👍👍

[@aparnadasgupta1872]

@@adithaiaiaia I know right!.. it's an intriguing topic..

[@CalpolMeister]

Lmao the biker gang mourning the glasses guy was an image I didn't know I needed

[@christophercowan1645]

I lived in a cemetery when I went to mortuary college in SF. Best experience of my life! Very peaceful AND safe!!!

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

This reminds me of coco from Disney, always remember the dead.

[@adityanaveensharma6589]

Indeed

[@genericspectator3094]

This a superb, funky little animation. Thank you Ted-Ed, for my life.

[@dustonpage1280]

I see mspa

[@rottenroads1982]

The Music at the end is beautiful. Simply beautiful.

[@sarahtuhro]

I loved this! I'm glad other alternatives to burials are becoming more popular.

[@edenmyers9849]

Someone should work on a project to restore cemeteries to how they were. We should celebrate the lives of those who have passed rather than be sad over their departure. It may also help sooth loved ones of the dead by creating a more lively and joyful environment

[@jennifershay8980]

Eden Rose Myers Agreed. Creepy cemeteries just make people more uncomfortable with death. More open, pretty cemeteries are more comforting for the families.

[@ichigopockychan]

@@jennifershay8980 I remember being in Hawaii and passing by a cemetery while doing a guided tour of Honolulu. My sister said that it was one of the most cheerful cemeteries she'd ever seen.

[@dimitris5866]

@@ichigopockychan Nature is quite amazing. It can change the mood or atmosphere instanly.

[@martalis7452]

You know I have all ways thought cemeteries were beautiful because they were allways full of light and greenery and tall beautiful trees so clearly we're been going to different cemeteries

[@georgeoldsterd8994]

Agreed. And they're even better due to the relative lack of living people.

[@wangson]

So incredibly well done across each and every aspect of this video. Absolutely captivating, and fascinating!

[@Spiritual_Healing_]

2:50 Customer : Wow! Such sweet milk. What fodder do you feed your cow? Farmer : GRAVEYARD GRASS Customer : 😳🤢

[@malishah4940]

Awesome video!!! Amazing animations + Interesting information = Ted Ed! ❤️❤️👍👍

[@9Tailsfan]

One of my friends was a superintendent at a cemetery. Bob Lynn , he ran Friden's Cemetery in St.Louis Mo. for 30 years.

[@malishah4940]

@@9Tailsfan Wow! 👏👏👏

[@rainfrog3727]

In 2015 I got my Master's Degree in Sociology of Community and Organizational Networks presenting a thesis entitled "When Death takes thou on Holidays". In it I explained how cemeteries changed through the ages, their cultural and spiritual importance, religious views and philosophies about the afterlife, the cultural, architectural impact and touristic significance certain death-related places maintain today. My primary focus was to understand to what extent would be possible, with the current technology, to convert common use cemeteries in parks, green places immersed in nature within our cities. Through interviews I tried to understand if the inhabitants of the cities would be favourable to a place dedicated to the commemoration of the dead, free from the oppression of the concrete and pollutions brought by the coffins covered with zinc, which would be replaced by eco biodegradable coffins and eco-burials, creating room for planting trees and treating lawns. In addition, I asked if these same places could be used by the residents and the tourists to carry out educational, cultural and recreational activities. Needless to say, when I looked for a PhD to expand my research to an international level, only one University in the entire UE demostrated interest. But the only choices they offered to me were to compile the research without a bursary (I'm not a resident in that country) or to look for a loan (not exactly an exciting option).

[@marianalj8128]

Your thesis sounds fascinating. Any chance I can get a copy of it? I'd love to read it.

[@zombieinfection1999]

@@monicasaenz141 and yet you took the time to write this comment when you could have just clicked away. Interesting.

[@cecilevalmont3709]

If you're in Germany, go visit the cemetery of Olsdorf in Hamburg. It's exactly what you're describing

[@prossiearinaitwe4768]

Maybe approach it from an environmental conservation perspective, it might attract funding.

[@sukanya5764]

As an Asian, I have always been more familiar with the concept of cremation. Burials seem strange to me because did no one consider that they will one day run out of places to bury the dead? Also, I feel like Parsi people (followers of Zoroastrianism) have a really interesting practice. They have places called Towers of Silence where the dead body is put in a convenient place for the carrion birds to pick away at. It sort of completes the ecological cycle...

[@jabezbroadhead2627]

Three towers. One for men. One for women. One for children.

[@MN-ly9mw]

Islamic burial system is the MOST sustainable. You burry with nothing (no coffin) but a biodegradable cloth. Within years, the body mixes with the soil and you can bury someone else there. Infact Islam encourages that. In that way, a tiny ground can have a village worth of people. Infact, cremation produces far more carbon.

[@MN-ly9mw]

Problem with the bird picking is the disease and rotting of meat - not sustainable either

[@Amarmi579]

That alternative to burials (bird feeding) makes more sense to me, because all the other alternatives mentioned in the video are going to contaminate as well as the tombstone way, right?

[@RememberYourSafeword]

The first time I ever met my great grandparents was in the cemetery- it still counts though, right?

[@jeremygarst394]

Hmm I would say no because by that logic I could say I met George Washington. But I hope you will meet them in Heaven.

[@Erin-rg3dw]

My grandmother used to take us on graveyard tours, showing us both where "the family" is and where their burial options were. Both sides of my family have lived in relatively the same area for a couple hundred years, so it's a bit of a family reunion to go visit.

[@ivanchernov3041]

Playing a gig in a cemetery is the most metal thing ever

[@Starla_Darling91]

Just make sure your audience respects it though ☺️

[@BodyByP2015]

Play cemetery gates by pantera

[@spicymayo623]

There's a cemetery in Hollywood that hosts bands and sometimes movie nights. It's really chill and the grounds are beautiful to admire while you go for walks I wish more cemeteries were like that.

[@kevinestrada977]

"It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart."- Ecclesiastes 7:2 (KJV)

[@martincarman1725]

How entertaining! I always visited my grandparents on my bike in Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City. There still are beautiful grassy areas loading with wonderful trees. Since many are fearful of what could be in the cemetery, punks stay away. It was always a safe place for me to enjoy.

[@marbahnongkhlaw2671]

I love this channel because the time duration of the videos are not long.

[@australianword3812]

"When I die, I want my casket to be filled with beer and have everyone celebrate" - unknown

[@CherryRedBanshee]

...Do we drink from the casket?

[@australianword3812]

@@CherryRedBanshee I'm sure my corpse won't mind

[@ogarnogin5160]

i want to be soylent green

[@julieschrader6464]

Do these videos give anyone else so much peace?

[@moonlilymad711]

We have a ton of small local cemeteries where I live. We enjoy riding backroads and trying to find the oldest grave we can. Some go back to the 1800s which is amazing when you think about it. Around here they have groups that mow and upkeep even the smallest little backroad place. Lovely video.

[@susanparker1374]

The animation is absolutely fantastic. It’s what held my attention.

[@yerodin1840]

I am from Germany and the ad shown before vid was by our military service, yt has got a nice sense of humor.

[@zhaoyj2000]

4:53 He's smiling while watching his dead body being turned into tattoo ink.

[@bluearrow3162]

Omg i never realised that!!🤣

[@jyotisrivastava1122]

lol 🤣🤣🤣

[@blackdaisy5295]

I love cemeteries!!! Everytime I travel to New places I always check out the local cemetery

[@annabeluwaemenyi5890]

That's a great idea. I love cemeteries, too! They're eerily beautiful and haunting.

[@ElusiveMoth5]

In one of the cemeteries here, people's BONES were exposed, from skulls to arms. The cemetery is currently in renovation because the older buildings are rotting where you see other people remains (the bone kind, not the flesh kind). It always haunted me as a kid.

[@EgoAmoTe]

I would like to be tree fertilizer 💁🏻‍♀️

[@oompaoomps2784]

*chop* *chop*

[@mfritz1830]

So, theres a misconception that you can be cremated and then buried at the bottom of a tree. But cremation destroys all carbon (even your dna) so you wont actually be beneficial to the tree. :(

[@mfritz1830]

@Emmanuel Papadakis yeah i was super bummed when i found out

[@lenaissac243]

@@mfritz1830 you can still be buried naturally! you don't have to choose cremation or traditional burial, a green burial would give back to the earth and would certainly be beneficial to any tree near you!

[@mfritz1830]

@@lenaissac243 but its not legal everywhere to do green burials. You cant even do home funerals everywhere, theres so many regulations

[@robertandrade2531]

I’ve watched this like 10 times over the past several years and I intend to keep watching

[@milkyway_939]

I grew up living next to one, and another right across the street:) I loved watching the rain out of my window and let my leg get wet lol the view: our garden and the cemetery. I was never scared of anything, but always some weird stuff happened to me at night. The craziest thing was when I woke up realizing “why am I smiling? And what’s pulling me?”. I opened my eyes, and I fell back in my bad. I almost choked on breathing in 😂 Everything has stopped ever since I moved to the US.

[@angusmacfrankenstein7227]

1:49-“Dammit! I left my keys in my previous life!”

[@Brayden15]

2:06 just that savage yeet into the pit with them smiling 🤣

[@familyforever6954]

The animation and this great narration is just 👌😣 *Perfection*

[@plevanger]

This was awesome! Loved it, learned a few things as well

[@robbridges5442]

I work at a cemetery and usually find it very peaceful edging stones and just making the place look good I enjoy it

[@tec-jones5445]

Loving this narrator. Helps with the spookiness and his voice works perfectly for these kind of videos.

[@AMA-fo7yw]

How about just burying people instead of placing them inside a box of metal, coffin, or whatever?

[@canned_can_chan4590]

Ikr

[@NotASovietSpy1]

its a sign of disrespect or something

[@straystars801]

many religions would find that inhumane, unfortunately

[@silverlake631bee4]

“Here they need this extremely expensive bed like box to lay in, but not enjoy”

[@pennyproud2474]

It would probably cause contamination with local water sources

[@user-ti3el7tl7t]

His voice is so good It makes me be concentrated

[@synsvids]

There's a cemetery near my neighborhood, and it's a very beautiful one. It had nice tall trees, green grass, and it's very peaceful and rather quiet.

[@ammarhossain5463]

Just imagine telling your friend "Yoooo, lets go to the cemetery!!"

[@jonathanandersen6886]

In Copenhagen, we often hang out in cemeteries during summer 😅 It is kind of cozy, really 😁

[@denispop3345]

The animation is done with so much quality! Thank you!

[@katalyst13x]

Mount Auburn Cemetery is still flourishing and beautiful as ever! Quite a few of my family members are buried there

[@jsc1jake512]

I like how that one guy was supposedly friends with a lot of bikers because they were at his funeral

[@TinyMedicine]

Reminded me of Over the Garden Falls. Lovely Animation TED-ED!

[@ri_noo]

Is that crossover between Over the Garden Wall and Gravity Falls? 😆 Sounds good 😆

[@AmieEss]

4:40 The phrase "you really get under my skin" suddenly has a literal meaning.

[@evashaw124]

I normally don't like factual videos, but i could watch these for hours on end and find them way more interesting than long documentaries!!

[@choryllis6646]

I think a garden where every plant (trees, flowers, shrubs, etc) was fertilized by a deceased person is a great idea for a cemetary. Because then you also get a very nice public garden out of it, and the nameplates/signs/headstones nearby don't consume as many resources as a coffin does.

[@TheLifeFormulaa]

Great video. The music, animations, and narrator mix so well together