#funeral science

[churchburn]

[eae-angels-things]

Thought I’d share some of my restorative art projects for school

[jjadmanii]

snow saying “it’s the thing we love the most that destroy us” like katniss didnt just take the song that holds his fondest memories with the one girl he loved and turned it into the soundtrack of his downfall 😭😭 gurl

[writingwithcolor]

[Running Commentary] Zombies are Zombies: Cultural Relativism, Folklore, and Foreign Perspectives

She obviously started getting into media in Japan, and (from my research into Japanese media and culture), Japan’s movies about zombies are mostly comedic, since due to traditional funerary practices the idea of zombies bringing down society is ridiculous to a lot of Japanese people. 

Rina: OP, this you? https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-zombies/

Marika: Counterpoint: Parasite Eve. Resident Evil. The Evil Within. 

Rina: Literally all the grody horror game franchises that people forget were developed and written by Japanese people because the characters have names like “Leon Kennedy” and “Sebastian Castellanos” 

~ ~ ~

Based on the reception we received the last time we did one of these, the Japanese moderator team returns with another running commentary. (They’re easier to answer this way) (Several of Marika’s answers may be troll answers)

Our question today pertains to foreign perspectives on folklore—that is, how people view folklore and stories that aren’t a part of their culture. CW: for anything you’d associate with zombies and a zombie apocalypse, really.

Keep reading for necromancy, horror games, debunking the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, Hong Kong jiangshi films, Japanese disaster prep videos, and Vietnamese idol pop...

Essentially, in my story there’s an organization who wants to end the world. They think this one woman in particular, a woman of mixed Vietnamese (irreligious, Kinh) and Japanese descent who spent her formative years in Japan, is the person to do it because she’s (for lack of a better term) a necromancer; powers are semi-normal in this world. She prefers not to use her powers overall, but when she does she mostly talks to ghosts and spirits that are giving people issues. She could technically reanimate a corpse but she wouldn’t because she feels that would be morally wrong, not to mention she couldn’t start a zombie apocalypse in the traditional sense (plague, virus, etc.) in the first place. 

(Marika (M): Your local public health officials would like to assure necromancers that reviving the dead will not provoke a zombie apocalypse. This is because necromancy is a reanimation technique, and not a pathogenic vector. Assuming that the technique does not release spores, airborne viruses, gasses, or other related physical matter that can affect neighboring corpses in a similar way, there should be no issue. However, necromancers should comply with local regulations w/r to permitting and only raise the dead with the approval of the local municipality and surviving family.)

M: I think it makes sense for most people of E. Asian descent, including Japanese and Vietnamese people, to find it culturally reprehensible to reanimate the dead. I imagine the religious background of your character matters as well. What religion(s) are her family members from? How do they each regard death and the treatment of human remains? Depending on where she grew up, I’m curious on how she got opportunities to practice outside specialized settings like morgues.

M: It’s true, space in Japan is at a premium, even for the dead. You note that most of Japan cremates, but, surely, it must have occurred to you that if there aren’t that many bodies in Japan to raise…she doesn’t exactly have much opportunity to practice with her powers, does she? I yield to our Vietnamese followers on funerary customs in Vietnam, but you may want to better flesh out your world-building logic on how necromancy operates in your story (And maybe distinguish between necromancy v. channeling v. summoning v. exorcisms). 

She obviously started getting into media in Japan, and (from my research into Japanese media and culture), Japan’s movies about zombies are mostly comedic, since due to traditional funerary practices the idea of zombies bringing down society is ridiculous to a lot of Japanese people. 

Rina (R): OP, this you? https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-zombies/

M: Counterpoint: Parasite Eve. Resident Evil. The Evil Within. 

R: Literally all the grody horror game franchises that people forget were developed and written by Japanese people because the characters have names like “Leon Kennedy” and “Sebastian Castellanos” 

R: And yes, the Tofugu article uses Resident Evil and those games to support its theory, with the reason that they are set in the West. But that only suggests that Japanese people consider zombies a Western thing, not that Japanese people consider zombies nonthreatening if they were to exist. 

M: Same with vampires - series like Castlevania also use Western/ European settings and not “Vampires in Japan '' because vampires just aren't part of our folklore.

(M: Also, realistically, these series deal with individuals who quickly perish after their bodies are used as hosts for the pathogen in question, rather than the pathogen reanimating a corpse. Although the victims are initially alive, they soon succumb to the pathogen/ parasite and their organic matter then becomes an infectious vector for the disease. It should be noted, infecting ordinary, living humans with viruses to grant them elevated powers, is not only a major violation of consent and defies all recommendations made by the Belmont Report (in addition to a number of articles in the Hague Convention w/r to the use of WMDs) and is unlikely to be approved by any reputable university’s IRB committee. This is why the Umbrella Corporation are naughty, naughty little children, and honestly, someone should have assassinated Wesker for the grant money.)

R: wwww

From what I know Vietnam didn’t have a zombie movie until 2022. 

R: Do you mean a domestically produced zombie movie? Because Vietnamese people have most certainly had access to zombie movies for a long time. The Hong Kong film Mr. Vampire (1985) was a gigantic hit in Southeast Asia; you can find a gazillion copies of this movie online with Viet subs, with people commenting on how nostalgic this movie is or how they loved it as a kid. 

M: “Didn’t have a [domestic] zombie movie” is not necessarily the same thing as “Would not have made one if the opportunity had arisen.” None of us here are personifications of the Vietnamese film industry, I think it’s safe to say we couldn’t know. Correlation is not causation. It’s important to do your research thoroughly, and not use minor facts to craft a narrative based on your own assumptions.

(R: …Also, I did find a 2017 music video for “Game Over” by the Vietnamese idol Thanh Duy which features… a zombie apocalypse.)

(R: The MV has a very campy horror aesthetic and zombie backup dancers (which I love, everyone please watch this lol). But the scenes at the beginning and end where people are biting their fingers watching a threatening news report clearly establish that the zombies are considered a threat.)

So at one point, she laughs about the idea and remarks how ridiculous it is to think zombies could end the world. What I’m struggling with are other ways to show her attitude on the issue because I’d assume most non-Japanese readers wouldn’t get why she thinks like that. Are there any other ways to show why she thinks this way, especially ones that might resonate more with a Japanese reader?

R: The problem is this does not resonate in the first place. Your line of thinking is too Sapir-Whorf-adjacent. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, otherwise known as linguistic relativity theory, claims that language shapes cognition—that you can’t conceive of something if you can’t express it in your language. This is a very weak theory that you can easily bring evidence against: think of the last time you felt an emotion you had a hard time putting into words; just because you didn’t have the language for it doesn’t mean that you didn’t feel it, nor does it mean that you won’t be able to understand or recognize it if you feel it again. Similarly, it’s not a sound assumption to say that if some kind of subject matter does not exist in a culture, then people of that culture couldn't possibly conceive of it. This excerpt from linguist Laura Bailey sums it up quite well. 

M: Just because ghosts may be more culturally relevant doesn’t mean that zombies (or vampires, or whatever) are nonexistent in a Japanese or Vietnamese person’s imagination when it comes to horror and disaster.

R: Really,  if anything, Japanese people are much more attuned to how easily a society’s infrastructure can be destroyed by a disruptive force without adequate preparation. Japan is natural disaster central. A Japanese person would know better than anyone that if you aren’t prepared for a zombie epidemic—yeah it’s gonna be bad. 

M: Earthquakes, tsunami, typhoon, floods: Japan has robust disaster infrastructure out of necessity. 防災 or bousai, meaning disaster preparedness is a common part of daily life, including drills at workplaces, schools, and community organizations. Local government and community agencies are always looking for ways to make disaster and pandemic preparedness relevant to the public.

M: Might “zombie apocalypse prep as a proxy for disaster prep” be humorous in an ironic, self-deprecating way? Sure, but it’s not like Japanese people are innately different from non-Japanese people. Rather, by being a relatively well-off country practiced at disaster preparation with more experience than most parts of the world with many different types of disasters (and the accompanying infrastructure), it likely would seem more odd to most Japanese people within Japan to not handle a zombie apocalypse rather like might one handle a combination of a WMD/ chemical disaster+pandemic+civil unrest (all of which at least some part of Japan has experienced). Enjoy this very long, slightly dry video on COVID-19 safety procedures and preparedness using the framing device of surviving a zombie apocalypse.

M: Living in Los Angeles, I’ve often experienced similar tactics. We do a fair amount of advance and rehearsed disaster prep here as well. In elementary school, the first and last days of class were always for packing and unpacking home-made disaster packs, and “zombie apocalypse” simulations have been around since I was in middle school for all kinds of drills, including active shooter drills, like the one shown in this LAT article. The line between “prepper” and “well prepared” really comes down to degree of anxiety and zeal. So, it wouldn’t be just Japanese people who might not be able to resonate with your scene. The same could be said for anyone who lives somewhere with a robust disaster prevention culture.

M: A zombie apocalypse is not “real” in the sense of being a tangible threat that the majority of the world lives in fear of waking up to (At least, for the mental health of most people, I hope so). Rather, zombie apocalypse narratives are compelling to people because of the feelings of vague, existential dread they provoke: of isolation, paranoia, dwindling resources, and a definite end to everything familiar. I encourage you to stop thinking of the way Japanese people and non-Japanese people think about vague, existential dread as incomprehensible to each other. What would you think about zombies if they actually had a chance of existing in your world? That’s probably how most Japanese people would feel about them, too.

[mortuarymorticia]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[ 09.09.2024. ]

happy september, studyblr ! 🍂🥮🍁

i cannot believe that next week are my midterm exams! this accelerated program is no joke. i’m on week four of my ten week fall term & i’m taking two huuuuuuuge, level three classes.

❔ : what’s ur biggest goal for this week?

embalming class : notes ( ✏️ ) / homework ( ✔️ )

funeral service management: notes ( ✔️ ) / paper ( ✔️ )

today’s to do list:

• embalming notes.

• fold & put away laundry.

• make kabobs for dinner.

• dishes.

• exfoliate & shave.

• work a shift.

🎧 : EWU true crime.

📖 : misery - stephen king.

👟 : 2,104 steps.

💧 : 64 oz.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[coffinup]

I know I’m a bit late, but I wanted to say HAPPY PRIDE!

The deathcare profession is becoming a lot more diverse as more and more young people come into it, and it’a great to see. I personally work with several fellow lgbtqia+ people at my funeral home and it’s such a nice feeling of solidarity in an industry that is historically white, male and cisgendered.

Along with the progress though, I also think it’s very important to talk about what everyone can do to help protect themselves and their identities when their time comes.

I think of a case years back of a trans woman whose hair was cut and who was put in a suit by her family’s request for her visitation, because she’d passed away in an accident, and her parents were her next of kin, they completely disregarded and disrespected her identity after she died.

If you are a queer person, especially someone who identifies with a different gender than you were assigned at birth, and don’t feel comfortable with the idea of your family being in charge of your end of life care or funeral arrangements, there are a couple of things you can do:

-Fill out an Advance Directive. This is sometimes called a Durable Power of Attorney or a Living Will. This dictates that, should you be incapable of making your own medical decisions due to coma, illness, injury, etc, the person you ASSIGN is in charge of those decisions.

-Sign a Designee form. This is crucial if you want to designate a specific person to make decisions about your body disposition and funeral care. POWER OF ATTORNEY ENDS AT DEATH. Your power of attorney will NOT be able to make post-death decisions on your behalf. You need a Designee form for that!

Both of these forms can assign any willing person that you chose to be in charge of these decisions. This person does not have to be related to you, they could be a friend, roommate, non-married partner, metamore, in-law, whoever you feel the most comfortable with, and who is willing to sign the form.

You are NEVER too young to have these forms. If you are a young person, re-visit them every couple years and make sure the other person on them is still willing to be your POA/Designee. You can re-do these forms as many times as you need. In most states they should also be FREE and require only a notary public and witnesses!

Forms should be available on your state’s .gov websites!

I wish all of you a peaceful and happy pride season, and as always,

Memento Mori

[lostghoulie]

my pretty little instruments ♡

[askdrhanniballecter]

[ModPost!

Just so everyone is aware, I am a Mortuary Science major, so most of my information comes directly from scholarly articles, textbooks, and actual morticians (my professors).

XOX, Jay]

[nobodysdaydreams]

More Narnia Thoughts on Uncle Andrew (the ultimate cringe fail villain man).

Okay new people who have recently followed me as I’ve (very bravely) been posting about other non-MBS fandoms. More Uncle Andrew thoughts.

As much as I’d like a Narnia spin off about his childhood, I’d also love to see him in a spin off about Digory’s life after Narnia, because Uncle Andrew goes to live with them after Digory’s mother gets better so that Aunt Letty can finally be relieved of the burden.

What on earth must that have been like for Digory?

The books say Uncle Andrew was too scared to try magic again, and became “nicer than ever before” but was still a bit of a creep and liked to talk up how hot Jadis was and how he totally had a chance (so we know he's still delusional).

But imagine what that was like for Digory (and Polly when she visited every summer).

They’re living this idyllic life with Digory’s wonderful parents in the estate they’ve inherited, and then at 3pm the man who ran unethical scientific experiments on them stumbles downstairs after sleeping in until the late afternoon to pour himself a glass of morning brandy muttering under his breath “a dem fine woman, shame about that temper” as he hobbles back upstairs. Polly visits Digory’s family for Christmas and Uncle Andrew is just… there. What would they even get him as a present besides brandy and cigars? I’d suggest a self-help book, but I think most of the advice would go over his head.

My point is: if someone ever wrote or made a tv or movie spin off about Digory and Polly after Magician’s Nephew and how Digory became the professor and what his life was like during those in between years, I would enjoy it, but it better include the comedic potential of Andrew in the background of every scene being an absolute disaster and human train wreck (even if he is no longer actively doing crime).

[sleepyminty]

Floor of technological science gameplay

[morbid-critter]

Alright so I’ve wanted to say this for awhile and it is actually my primary reason for creating this account lol. Just to clarify first though, I love horror, and more importantly I love unrealistic horror so please take everything I say with a grain of salt and do not think I’m trying to tell anyone how to write as that is not the case, I simply am really interested in this kinda thing and believe in the sharing of knowledge.

Anyways,

Embalmed bodies don’t really rot.

Embalming is the preservation of the body by replacing the blood with embalming solution and some formaldehyde, it makes the body a unfavourable food or nutrient source for any kind of bug or microorganisms which would cause decomposition.

If someone in your story is dead and you want them to be a rotting corpse then most realistically they’d have had a direct burial since embalmed body’s arnt supposed to decompose and typically if there was an open casket an embalming would have had to have taken place.

Again this does not mean you have to change your story or how you write in anyway at all, just wanted to share the reality for anyone interested.

-<3

[lilbabysy]

Dead dummy, great for organ study! 💀🪦⚰️

[mortuarymorticia]

Hey ! I've just started taking courses in mortuary science. I know the course load is heavy so I was wondering if you could share any tips or study tricks that helped you so far ?

Xx

hi there! welcome to the world of mortuary! i love meeting other students of the science so i’m super glad you reached out!

tip one: schedule yourself study time.

most classes recommend that you make time to study during the week but i find it more usefully if you block off hours during the day to dedicate to studying. even if you think you’ve covered everything for the day.

tip two: invest in stuff like a practice suture kit, anatomy flashcards/an anatomy skull & grid paper.

they’ll really come in handy, especially if you aren’t well-versed in science to begin with. i’m a former literature major & having visual guides was game changing.

tip three: make connections.

form study groups, exchange contact information with classmates, start a group chat. this field is small in a lot of ways & you never know what connections you’ll make. this is especially true if you’re enrolled in online classes; don’t become solitary just because you aren’t in person.

tip four: don’t feel pressured to take on more than you can.

if you aren’t already in a funeral home & are worried about the practical experience but don’t want to do school and work, don’t start working in a funeral home. this field isn’t going anywhere & despite what people say, you don’t need in-house experience to excel in the program. most schools have clinicals built it & they’ll help place you in a funeral home if you aren’t already in one. similarly, take a course load you can handle. most funeral service programs are accelerated so they’re harder — don’t be ashamed of taking two courses a term.

i’ve got more but those are my essentials! feel free to message anytime! 🖤🪦🦇

[graveboydiaries]

Working in a funeral home is either getting off four hours early or never going home

[coffinup]

Something that is interesting that you see when you actually work with dead bodies is that how the common idea of “bloat” as a stage of decay isn’t necessarily a stage as much as a condition that CAN happen. A lot of bodies that aren’t found until after rigor has completed will have some sort of tissue gas in a part of the body, but not always throughout the whole body. Some people get it immediately after death, which is why I dont consider it a stage. It mostly stays in the abdomen area, but can spread to the face. Tissue gas is caused by bacteria called clostridium perfringens, and it causes a condition called “gas gangrene” in life when it affects an area with poor blood circulation. Swelling in other areas of the body is usually caused by edema, which is fluid buildup. Not all bodies will have a uniform “swelling” when they begin to decay, especially if there are wounds or if there are pests/vermin/scavengers that get at the body.

It also highly depends on the ambient temperature and environment!

I see some bodies with no tissue gas at all. And a lot of people are embalmed or cremated before it can set in. You’re more likely to get it after death if you have poor gut health/diet or an active bacterial infection when you die.

Decay starts at varying states depending on the person’s body composition, health at death, surrounding environment/temperature, etc.

[fated-mates]

This is a bit different than our usual Halloween adjacent episodes -- we're talking about the rise of romance centered around ghostly secondary characters (Jen) and funeral homes and mortuaries (Sarah). These two themes have become more and more prevalent in romance over the last few years, and we talk about how and why they've risen and what they might mean -- considering the way romance reflects the world we live in.

We talk about the pandemic, about grief, about community and about the way humor and love find their ways into the cracks left by death.

We read dead people.