Civilisation drives a wedge between us and nature. We prefer the artificial to the elemental, an iPhone to a sunset. When we hit a problem we look to technology to get us out of a hole. Cremation did that very well – till we discovered just what awfulness comes out of those chimneys. Now we look to research scientists and engineers and people who can do clever things with liquid nitrogen to take us forward once more.
When death happens, though, many of us default to the elemental. Some of us like natural burial. Some of us like funeral pyres. Others like the way the Vikings did it.
I’m not aware of much call for sky burial. But we have some very good uplands in the UK and many hungry raptors. I’d like to think that the Natural Death Centre is on to this, campaigning for it, and I shouldn’t be surprised to hear that they are. Hill farmers are finding things very tough at the moment. Here’s how they can diversify.
Don’t know what sky burial looks like? If you have a detached eye and an unqueasy disposition, make your own assessment. Have a look at a video here