Today is the American holiday of Halloween is celebrated. The dead rise from the ground and roam the earth for one night. Then tomorrow, 1 Nov, is All Saints Day. What better time than to look at some of the European graveyards I have visited.
The first is a graveyard I visited on a vacation through England in 2013. This place was a special stop on our trip because my early ancestors were married in this church in the 1500’s. This church yard is in Escomb, England. The church has been in existence since the year 675 AD. You can just feel the old souls lingering when you walk into this graveyard.
Escomb Saxon Church with graveyard
Escomb graveyard – raindrops or ?…
The Dutch seem (to me) to hide their graveyards. I thought for the longest time when I first moved here that they didn’t have any visible. I remembering asking my Hubby what actually they did when people died. Silly, but after being raised in a country where you see graveyards nearly everywhere it was strange in a country with a dense population never to see them. Since that day, I have been educated. I have visited a few due to either death of family/friends, military war cemeteries, or just a peaceful place to go and think for a while. Dutch graveyards are actually the one place I have found that isn’t crowed with (live) people.
Park like graveyard in South Holland
This headstone was unusual. I couldn’t really make out the name and the bird (I am guessing a black bird) I could see from across the graveyard. It would give someone the creeps after dark I am sure.
Close up of this unusual headstone
This graveyard in Hindeloopen was a bit crowded. Located right outside the church it seemed like they almost stacked the graves on top of each other.
Graveyard in Hindeloopen
My guess is this grave belonged to a sailor.
Grave of a Sailor?
Those who never made it home.
British and Australian Air Force buried in Hindeloopen
The stormy weather can make the graveyard can make it seem more haunted. A gloomy resting place for the departed souls, put a gate and a lock on it and it reeks of STAY AWAY, or to someone like myself maybe a challenge to get entrance. This one I came across in Overijssll. No, I didn’t get in.
War Graveyard in Overijssll
Outside looking into the War Graveyard
That my Halloween short tour of the graveyards here, in Europe.
Happy Halloween everyone!
The Cedar Journal 2018 Pumpkin
© The Cedar Journal, 2018, all rights reserved.
The Cedar Journal 
Really cool
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Thanks! Both for stopping and for commenting.
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Thank you very much for this informative graveyard tour on the day before All Saints Day!
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No problem. I have seen some pretty strange stuff today already and looking forward to more “normal” sights on the Saintly day.😊
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There is something so interesting about graveyards! All that history, and to me, it’s more peaceful than creepy…although also sad, especially the graves of the young soldiers. Thanks for sharing this!
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Ann- thanks for your comments. It is pretty cool to see the difference in the different locations. There is also some limited room for graveyards in The Netherlands. After a period of time the graves are recycled. So you almost never see anything really old.
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I find graveyards historically, artistically and personally interesting. You can learn a lot about people by meandering through a cemetery. Thanks for the tours.
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I have always been intrigued by cemeteries – pretty much combines my fascination with art, architecture and Halloween into one place. I have the pleasure (or oddity depending on your point of view) of having my weekly training runs in a very old (and hilly cemetery). This gives me the opportunity to take in the different headstones dating back to early history. Keeps my mind off the pounding being done to my body thinking about how an individual is being remembered, guessing the occupation and interests from the grave markers – also learned about the tradition of placing small stones at the marker. Definitely great source of ideas while designing and building tombstone decorations out of insulation foam for our haunted trail. Thanks for taking us through your local resting grounds. That bird is likely a Raven which seems very fitting for the setting – Nevermore, Nevermore.
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Cool. Glad you enjoyed. I guess the small stone thing has eluded me. I also not sure what Raven’s represent but it was creepy in the full daylight, I would be a bit freaked if I saw it after dark. Thanks for stopping.
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This gives some more background on the stones: https://www.quora.com/Why-do-people-place-rocks-on-headstones-What-is-the-significance-of-that-act The Raven was immortalized by Edgar Allen Poe in his similarly named poem – very dark poem tied to death and famous for its Nevermore lines. Coincidentally our youngest 4lb agility poodle was named after that poem – our other poodles all have names of Egyptian and Greek gods of the dead.
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I kind of knew about the stone leaving. I know many of us veterans have done that along with promises we have made our combat buddies (I.e. a shot of whiskey). I have also seen coins. Very interesting tradition. Not surprising that the Raven is connected to Poe and his writing. Thanks for sharing.
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Dear Cedar, Spooky Stuff is over now, in the USA. We already have Christmas Music on our radios. I want to thank you for your comment on our canoe blog, Length of the Grand, but for some reason, the system would not let me comment on your comment. (?)
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Very interesting. Thanks for taking us with you.
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Your welcome.
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