Russian Historian Arrested for Grisly Display

Though the man has not been officially named at the time of this writing, a prominent Russian historian has been arrested by police for desecrating graves since 2010. Authorities say the 45-year-old man had dressed the remains of over 25 dead, young women in his apartment in some sort of bizarre display. He kept photographs of the women's nameplates and gravesites in order to better identify their remains and swathed them in clothes and cloth.

Those who knew him says he showed no outward signs of insanity, though he was "quirky." The historian had recently written and spoken about necrology, an interest in the dead, and said that his own interest was sparked at age 12 when a funereal procession forced him to kiss the forehead of a dead 11-year-old girl.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

'The Grim Eater'

A New Zealand funeral home noticed a man who appeared to be in his 40s attending several funerals between March and April who didn't seem to know the deceased. Eventually, employees noticed the man was carrying Tupperware containers in his backpack, which he filled when mourners were not watching. When an employee pulled him aside and told him he was welcome to attend funerals (they are public events), he could no longer take food home with him, he quit coming.

Funeral home employees say he was always quiet and polite. The media nicknamed him "The Grim Eater."

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Mummified Baby Missing

For years, a mummified baby's corpse -- thought to have belonged to an ancestor of the family -- was kept by the Peavey family.  They bought it birthday cards, and even a dried fish for a pet.  After a living relative mentioned the mummy in daycare, authorities seized it and sent it for testing.  Tests proved the mummy was at least "decades" old and had died of natural causes, but could not definitively prove whether or not it was related to the Peavey family, and so a judge ordered it interred in an unmarked grave.

Authorities say the gravesite, unknown to many, had been disturbed over the weekend, and though the casket was retrieved, it was empty.  Mr. Peavey's car and home were searched, but police found no evidence of his involvement in the felony disturbing of a grave.  Peavey's attorney said his client has no information to give them, and was deeply troubled over the matter.

The Peavey family says the child was a family heirloom, passed down for generations.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Philippine Tribe Raises the Dead

The Filipino Hanunuo Mangyan tribe's kutkot ritual is a time-honored funereal tradition in which the recently deceased is unearthed, swathed in clothing in such a manner as to resemble a sinakot (sort of a mummy), further dressed by contributions of clothing and jewelry from the surviving family members, then said to have been revived.  Kutkot actually means "unearthed."

However, the tradition of kutkot is a dying form.  Few today know the ritualistic manner for tying the funereal cloth so that it resembles the human form.  Fewer still are continuing the practice, having fallen victim to modern influences, according to researchers and reporters.  Elders say the younger generation simply cares not to learn, or perform, the kutkot ritual.

Many of the indigenous tribes and peoples are being threatened by the spread of industry throughout the region, while others have migrated to other parts of the world in search of work.  

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

British Undertakers Refusing Burials

Amid rising burial and cremation costs and the world recession, British undertakers have adopted a growing practice of refusing burials to families who cannot afford to pay several hundred pounds in fees upfront. While both undertakers and families are upset over the matter, as one professional put it, "[The business] is getting more and more like a money lending service."

While the government does offer grants in various amounts to help families pay these funereal costs, there is often a shortfall.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Sex Change Curse

A letter recently published in a New Zealand newspaper warned whomever stole a flower pot from outside a home in Gulf Harbour that s/he was about to suffer a gradual sex change. Apparently, the flower pot contains the ashes of the writer's grandmother, who also happened to be a witchdoctor. She surrounded the area with sex change icons which will cause the thief to slowly switch genders.

The author of the letter said he was a medium who was in contact with his grandmother's spirit, but she could not direct him to the makeshift urn because she was unfamiliar with the area to which it had been moved.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

"They're He-eere!"

A Louisiana real estate agent was showing a stately, split-level home, half of which was perched atop a circular mound, when he came across a stack of about 100 bones in the cellar. Obviously disturbed, he contacted officials. A forensic investigator from Terrebonne Parish said the bones were so old, dirt had seeped into the marrow!

The real estate agent soon learned the previous homeowners would find errant bones about the property whenever they were mowing the lawn or raking leaves. They casually tossed them into the pile in the basement and forgot to mention it.

It is thought the circular mound beneath the home is an Indian burial ground.

Neither the former homeowners nor the real estate agent returned calls, but The OddBlog believes this could be what's wrong with the market... in Terrebonne Parish, at least.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Grave Robber Detained

Families were shocked to learn their deceased loved ones' remains had been disturbed by a thief who stole their jewelry and precious mementos. A policeman discovered the break-in at the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in London on the 24^th.

Many graves have glass "niches" in which loved ones place special items, such as jewelry, photographs, and other effects. 23 year-old Michael Vail is alleged to have smashed several of those containing expensive items in order to steal them. He has been charged with breaking and entering, along with improperly interfering with human remains.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009