The Unique Ways of Honoring the Dead

Hallstatt, Austria is like any other small European town with charming buildings and cozy streets. But what makes it truly exceptional is its way of honoring the dead. The town is built on a narrow strip of land between the steep mountaintop and the Hallstätter See lake. Space is limited, so the deceased are put in huge ossuaries in chambers carved into the mountainside. The bones are pushed to the back as a newly dead inhabitant settles into the grave site. But what fascinated me was the creativity displayed by some of the skull designs. At first, I thought it was macabre, but then I read that it was commonplace in Hallstatt to decorate skulls with floral, painted, or ornamental designs. In stark contrast to Western tradition, where we mourn the dead in reverential silence, celebrating death in Hallstatt was surprisingly refreshing. The locals believe decorating skull increases the connection with the dead, keeping them vividly present in spirit or in photographs as well. This ancient ritual and unconventional perspectives of remembrance distinct this idyllic village from anywhere else I visited.