Merry Graveyard? Yes, you read it right. There’s no mistake in
the text, though the combination of the two words – merry and graveyard or cemetery – may sound
like a bad joke to some people. We generally see death and everything linked to
it, a cemetery included, in a solemn, sad way.
Romanians have a saying: “A face haz de necaz.”
Meaning: grin and bear it.
The carved oak wood crosses display a unique blend of folk art and tradition.
Visitors are attracted by the merry colors and especially the moralizing
epitaphs on the crosses. The few satirical lines manage to give another aspect
to the most unfortunate moment in a man’s existence – death. The originality of this graveyard is the totally opposite view on death, that is normally regarded as a sad event.
This is the basic idea, in my opinion, of this
oddity – Sapanta’s Merry Graveyard. Sapanta is a village in Maramures county,
Romania. It has become a major attraction for tourists after 1990 due to its colorful
wooden crosses with the native paintings that represent scenes from the life of
the buried persons and even poetry in which those persons are described.
The creator. It all started with the crosses sculpted by a
talented peasant, a local artist, Ioan Stan Patras ,born 1908 - died
1977. In 1935, Patras, who had just a minimum of education, sculpted the first
epitaph for a boy who drowned in the Tisa river. After writing the merry epitaph, Patras painted it with egg paint. This blue color came to be known as “albastru de Sapanta”/ Sapanta blue. Since
then, for 43 years, the whole cemetery was populated with over 800 such
crosses, carved from oak wood. After Patras's death his work was continued by
one of his apprentices who is restoring now the old crosses, while sculpting
new ones for the people who leave this world in their community.
Present day status.The cemetery became an open-air museum and a
tourist attraction.
Some of the crosses have paintings on both
sides. On one side there is a description of the deceased’s life, on the other
a description of the reason of his death. Most of the texts have spelling
mistakes and many are written in archaic variants of the Romanian language.
Sapanta’s merry graveyard is considered the most
important cemetery in Europe and the second in the world, after the Egyptian
one in the Kings’Valley. This distinction was offered to Sapanta’s
Cemetery, in 1998 in the USA within the Symposium for Funeral Momuments. At
that time the odd cemetery had already been included in the UNESCO world heritage.
There are historians who consider that Patras
inspired himself from the Dacian culture. Dacians view death as a stage of evolution in a person’s existence. Their philosophy was based on the
immortality of the soul and the belief that somebody's death was a joyful
moment, as that person was getting to a better life.
Two hundred meters away from the cemetery, that
unlike most cemeteries, is situated in the centre of the village, tourists can
visit the memorial house of its creator. The museum displays both Patras’s life
and also traditional costumes specific to Maramures and handicraft: icons,
paintings, earthen pots created by Patras along his life.
One of the funniest epitaphs given as example is the one for a mother-in-law. I will try an approximate translation:
One of the funniest epitaphs given as example is the one for a mother-in-law. I will try an approximate translation:
This heavy cross covers bellow
Had she lived for 3 more days
She’d have been reading these lines.
Beware you walking the path by
Don’t wake her up, I beg you try.
If she enters through my door
She’ll start to criticize me more.
But I’ll surely behave
So she can’t return from grave.
Stay here bellow,
my dear
mother-in-law.
The Merry Graveyard from Sapanta is, according to L’Express, the first, being followed by other
cemeteries: Pere Lachaise in Paris (
France), La Recoleta in Buenos Aires (Argentina), Grave Wood in New York (SUA),
or Arlington National Cemetery (USA).
What do you think about this? In my opinion, no matter how funny or merry the epitaphs or colors are, the bitter truth is the same.
This is a fabulous place anyone would enjoy visiting. Those grave markers are glorious. What a great way to do it--celebrate, honor, kid around. Enjoyed your translation indeed.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed a unique thing in Europe, and I'm sure the creator had no idea his attempt would become famous one day.
DeleteThank you for checking the post, Flossie!
It sounds like a lovely epitaph for those who have passed. When I think of those who I loved that have passed on, I think it would be wonderful to have a description of their lives on their grave markers. I actually love haunting old cemeteries, looking at the dates and markers, and wondering about the lives the people lead. For me it is as much about history and how those who have left us lived during those times.
ReplyDeleteI tend to think of cemeteries as serene tranquil places, so I'm not sure what I would make of the bright colors, but it sounds like a highly unique place. I bet it gets everyone talking about family and reminiscing about the departed.
Enjoyed your translation!
The epitaph idea was great. It surely is fodder to gossip for those who knew the deceased and all the things they did while alive. It is a unique place though I'm sure nobody thought about it at that time. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Mae!
DeleteLovely view into another culture and wonderful homage to that cemetery. Many lives and much living energy rests there and is focused there. <3
ReplyDeleteEven for us, here in Romania, it's unique. Thanks for stopping by Paulette!
DeleteIntriguing post, Carmen! The colors are beautiful. I've always believed that death is the greatest adventure of all, besides love. Love this saying, "Grin and bear it." Something my Irish mother has said to her children often...
ReplyDeleteI love your idea about death as a great adventure. Yes, an adventure into unknown and nobody teaches us how to deal with it. Thanks for visiting, Mary!
DeleteCool, love learning about new places and legends. ..would love to visit. Thank you
ReplyDeleteYou will find the whole country interesting. A mix of the old traditions with the new, of the wildest scenery with the modern facilities. Anyway this cemetery is an oddity for everyone.
DeleteThank you for dropping by, Dawn!