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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Education / Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under (35176 Views)
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Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by spartoo: 7:14pm On Jul 21, 2016 |
I have pondered on this for a while so I decided to make a little research. The "six-feet" idiom came to be during the Great Plague of London in 1665. With 20 percent of London’s population succumbing to the Bubonic plague, the death rate had reached over 8,000 per week. The disease continued to sweep the country due in part to the shallow graves that bodies were buried in, or so they believed at the time. In an effort to limit the outbreak, The Lord Mayor of London enacted a series of rules in regard to the plague, which included a mandate that all graves be buried a minimum of six feet deep. The law fell into disuse for a time as dead bodies were not responsible for the spread of the disease. The law was eventually overturned in England and its colonies, but this didn’t last long. By the 19th century medical science had seen a huge increase in the use of human cadavers for teaching purposes. While most bodies used were executed criminals, the indigent or donated bodies, the increasing demand led to a shortage of corpses. This demand created a new type of criminal, the Resurrectionists; criminals who stole corpses, also known as “body snatching.” Grave robbing became a lucrative business. Grave robbing became a very profitable business. Some grave robbers were able to dig up four corpses per night in less than two hours to sell to the medical colleges. They could perform this task so quickly because during this period many bodies were buried only six inches below the surface. As the fear of being exhumed and displayed in an anatomical theatre for dissection haunted the aristocracy, the law reverted to the old standard of being buried six feet deep. Modern American burial laws vary from state to state, with many states requiring just a minimum of 18 inches of soil on top of the casket or burial vault. Given an 18-inch dirt buffer and the height of the average casket, a grave as shallow as four feet would be sufficient, but old habits die hard and six feet deep is now standard. 34 Likes 7 Shares
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Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by sinaj(f): 7:31pm On Jul 21, 2016 |
Nd I didn't knw all this while 2 Likes |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Nobody: 8:39pm On Jul 21, 2016 |
I will prefer cremation when i die very soon/sooner. ![]() ![]() 33 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by tsamson(m): 8:44pm On Jul 21, 2016 |
Hmm |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by babyfaceafrica: 9:00pm On Jul 21, 2016 |
Noted 1 Like |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by spartoo: 9:26pm On Jul 21, 2016 |
crotonite: I like ur spirit.. not scared of death, yea? I read that cremation is more hygienic 3 Likes |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Nobody: 9:35pm On Jul 21, 2016 |
spartoo:why should one fear death when [s]he must surely die. well, i don't think cremation is the most hygienic mode of corpse disposal, it is just an instant decomposition and that is why i prefer it. 21 Likes 6 Shares |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Nobody: 9:43pm On Jul 21, 2016 |
spartoo:Me I intend donating my vital organs soon as the doctor certify me flat line. There are lives to be saved, Think about that. 28 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by spartoo: 9:50pm On Jul 21, 2016 |
aaronson: u hav a point.. jst keep ur vital organs in good shape 17 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by spartoo: 9:52pm On Jul 21, 2016 |
crotonite: jst don't worry about th decomposition part my friend .. ur loved ones will take care of that ![]() 2 Likes |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Nobody: 10:13pm On Jul 21, 2016 |
spartoo: ..... ![]() ![]() 14 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by izsmike: 11:09pm On Jul 21, 2016 |
Just to prevent theft.. And we Africans r just copy copy. We dnt knw why dey do it yet we practice it like we own it.... 4 Likes |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by spartoo: 11:39pm On Jul 21, 2016 |
izsmike: most of our daily activities are borrowed, even eating with a spoon ![]() 14 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by dynamo77(m): 12:33am On Jul 22, 2016 |
This is a very reasonable topic I have always thought about it too and whenever I ask questions, I never get direct answers |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Talk2evan(f): 12:58am On Jul 22, 2016 |
Same here 1 Like |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Nobody: 1:51am On Jul 22, 2016 |
Thanks. Very educative 2 Likes |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Hadeya(m): 3:42am On Jul 22, 2016 |
Nice one!! |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Nobody: 4:43am On Jul 22, 2016 |
Op, so yhu want to hear stories that touches the heart after burying the dead in a shallow grave abi? Dont yhu know scavengers like hyena and HUMAN BEINGs with hyena like behaviours can dug out the dead and do something nasty with it??! Abeg park well small 1 Like |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Psalmuel92(m): 5:19am On Jul 22, 2016 |
Never knew! |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Layooluwa(f): 5:50am On Jul 22, 2016 |
Wow, I didn't know too |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by pendusky(m): 6:37am On Jul 22, 2016 |
crotonite: just checked ur dp, seems u have cheated dead since a decade ago ![]() 5 Likes |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by haryomikun(m): 7:30am On Jul 22, 2016 |
crotonite:I swear down. Burial seems so lonely. |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by power900: 8:13am On Jul 22, 2016 |
why even bury a human being, cremate the fucking being and smoke the fucking ashes men!! |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by spartoo: 8:41am On Jul 22, 2016 |
power900: so u also prefer cremation? 1 Like |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Nobody: 8:42am On Jul 22, 2016 |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by chudyprince: 8:45am On Jul 22, 2016 |
crotonite:your entourage might probably smoke your ashes too ![]() |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by sinaj(f): 8:58am On Jul 22, 2016 |
mrkayusfit:of wot ![]() |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Nobody: 8:59am On Jul 22, 2016 |
1 Like |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Nobody: 9:05am On Jul 22, 2016 |
haryomikun:exactly, 1 man big coffin in a deep underground. especially when the perverted exhumers target ur grave God forbid. 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Nobody: 9:08am On Jul 22, 2016 |
mrkayusfit:do you fear death ![]() 1 Like |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Nobody: 9:11am On Jul 22, 2016 |
pendusky:lol... dat is not me ooo. me still young ![]() |
Re: Why Do We Bury Dead Bodies Six Feet Under by Nobody: 9:12am On Jul 22, 2016 |
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