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Urn

Urn

noun

Urn a large or decorative vase, especially one with an ornamental foot or pedestal.

a vase for holding the ashes of the cremated dead.

Cremation

Cremation is one of the most controversial topics in human history. Whilst some cultures and religions support cremation, there is still a lot of controversy surrounding it. Despite the support or not, cremation is one of the longest standing memorial traditions of human history and therefore so is the Urn.

Cremation Urns

Funerary Urns (also called cinerary Urns and burial Urns) have been used by many civilizations. After death, corpses are cremated, and the ashes are collected and put in an Urn. Pottery Urns, dating from about 7000 BC, have been found in an early Jiahu site in China, where a total of 32 burial urns are found,[1] and other early finds are in Laoguantai, Shaanxi.[2] There are about 700 burial urns unearthed over the Yangshao (5000–3000 BC) areas and consisting of more than 50 varieties of form and shape. http://asian.allanbarker.com/yangshao_pottery.htm#:~:text=A%20Neolithic%20Yangshao%20culture%20painted,circles%20and%20worked%20by%20hand.

A cremation Urn otherwise known as a funerary Urn or burial Urn is a type of vessel. These vessels are commonly used in burials to hold the cremated ashes of a loved one. Throughout history religion has been known to use urns to house vital organs and/or property of a deceased and then place them around the deceased’s coffin.

Cremation Urns around the ancient world

Educators agree today that proper cremation began during the early Stone Age around 3000 BC. By the end of the Stone Age cremation had started to spread throughout northern Europe. Around the start of the Bronze Age cremation had spread into Spain and Portugal. Cemeteries were developed for cremation in Hungary, northern Italy and of course, ancient Ireland where Cremated remains and Irish urns were deposited in large memorial sites and groundworks for Example Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth.

The Urnfield culture (c. 1300 BC – 750 BC), a late Bronze Age culture of central Europe, takes its name from its large cemeteries of urn burials.

In ancient Greece, cremation was usual, and the ashes typically placed in a painted Greek Urn . In particular, the lekythos, the shape of an Urn, was used for holding oil in funerary rituals. Romans placed the urns in a niche in a collective tomb called a columbarium (literally, dovecote). The interior of a dovecote usually has niches to house doves and was similar in appearance to an Urn Columbarium. Cremation urns were also commonly used in early Anglo Saxon England, and in many Pre-Columbian cultures.

In some later European traditions, a king’s heart, and sometimes other organs, could be placed in one or more urns upon his death, as happened with King Otto of Bavaria in 1916, and buried in a different place from the body, to symbolize a particular affection for the place by the departed.

In the modern funeral industry, cremation urns of varying quality, elaborateness, and cost are offered, and urns are another source of potential profit for an industry concerned that a trend toward cremation might threaten profits from traditional burial ceremonies. However many families seek out more unique and higher quality Urns online from the actual artisan, rather than choosing a factory-made generic Urn from an Undertaker or Funeral Director.

Biodegradable urns are sometimes used for both human and animal burial. They are made from eco-friendly materials such as recycled or handmade paper, salt, cellulose, or other natural products that are capable of decomposing back into natural elements, and sometimes include a seed intended to grow into a tree at the site of the burial.

Besides the traditional funeral or cremation ashes urns, it may also be possible to keep a part of the ashes of the loved one or beloved pet in keepsake urns or mini Urns or Small Urns

It is even, in some places, possible to place the ashes of two people in so-called companion urns.

Cremation Urns or funeral Urns are made from a variety of materials such as wood, natural stone, ceramic, glass, or steel. The Brass type Urn is considered the lower end of choice, as mass-produced and as such does not offer any form of uniqueness. So standard in fact, that some US larger Retail chains offer factory-made Cremation Urns. https://www.pinterest.ie/pin/110056784629858188/

The scattering of ashes has become popular over recent decades. As a result, urns designed to scatter the ashes from have been developed. Some are biodegradable, and some recyclable after being used.

Ceramic Cremation Urns

Ceramic Urns have a vast and ancient history. Throughout much of that history, people have been creating vessels and other works to use for funeral ceremonies. Many of these vessels or Urns were used to hold the remains after cremation, other Urns were used for funeral rites and rituals or to memorialize the departed. This history extends over 10,000 years and includes most of the civilizations of the world.

A variety of clays occur naturally over much of the earth and it is an abundantly common material. Because of clay’s amazing capability to be shaped and fired to stone-like hardness ceramic technology arose independently in various places and times in human history. It is perhaps the oldest technology of humanity, and ancient a revered skill and the most tradional material for an Urn.

Some of the most beautiful ceramics in the world are the ancient funerary vessels remaining from different cultures. One of the greatest Western civilizations to create a well developed ceramic Urn technology was the Greco-Roman culture. The ancient Greek culture had a long tradition of cremation that carried over into the Roman Empire and spread over much of the ancient western world. Over time the Urn ceramics used for funeral rites took on many different forms.

Irish Wake Toasts

Sometimes it can be hard to find the right words for an Irish Wake Toast at a time of great emotion. Here are some popular Irish Wake Toasts directed toward the deceased or the surviving family and friends. Mix and match Irish Wake Toasts until you find your own sentiment. We offer a lovely set of Irish Wake Tumblers – see the link at the bottom of our blog More on the Irish Wake history and current customs can be found by clicking here.

“Those we love don’t go away, They walk beside us every day, unseen, unheard, but always near, Still loved, still missed and very dear.” 

“The grief of our loss may be with us for a long time, but the joy of our memories will stay forever.”

Condolence Messages in Irish:

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha – May they rest in peace

Ní maith liom do thrioblóid – Sorry for your loss

Mo chomhbhrón ort agus ar do mhuintir – My condolences to you and your family

Comhbhrón ó chroí – My deepest sympathy

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine – In the shelter of each other, people survive.

Click here to see and hear how to say it.

A Toast from the song – The Parting Glass

a) Of all the comrades that e’er I had
They’re sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e’er I had
They would wish me one more day to stay

b)…since it fell into my lot
That I should rise and you should not
I’ll gently rise and softly call
Good night and joy be to you all

More Traditional toasts…

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; Love leaves a memory no one can steal.”

“May the Irish hills caress you. May her lakes and rivers bless you. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.”

“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”

“Lord, we are grieving now for someone we loved and cherished. The experience of death and bereavement can stir up in us feelings of fear for the future and lack of confidence. Renew our confidence…” 

“May joy and peace surround you, contentment latch your door. And happiness be with you now and bless you evermore.”

“May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future.”

“Always remember to forget the things that made you sad. But never forget to remember the things that made you glad.”

“May you be in heaven a full half-hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”

“Dance as if no one were watching, sing as if no one were listening, and live every day as if it were your last.”

Irish Wake Toasts are traditionally with Irish Whiskey.

The toast itself is to speak with heart, about the person and the impact their life may have had on those they loved. Or simply to wish them rest and peace.

With a glass in hand, all in attendance raise that glass to the person lost with water of life ( Uisce Beatha * – Meaning water of life but the Irish Language for Whiskey) and the toast or toasts are spoken.

Many families look for a special glass, a glass they will always keep and use on special occasions to remember the lost person , in a way, to bring them along to the happier occasions in life.

Some families buy our Wake Toast set of Ceramic Tumblers, others ask us for Irish Crystal Tumblers.

Defining a new and enduring tradition.

The idea is that each family member ( Partner & Adult Children)  is presented with a Whiskey Tumbler that they will use for the Wake Toast, but will keep their own glass to bring to other family gatherings in the future.

If you would like to know more about our individually handmade Irish Wake set click here.

If you would like to know more about our Irish Hand Cut Crystal Tumblers and “The Parting Glass Collection” through our premier brand partnership with Gifts of Ireland – Click here.

Aidan, the owner of Gifts of Ireland, and a friend of mine, has offered Irish Urns visitors a 10% discount if you use this coupon code  PARTINGLASS

**Uisce beatha Pronounced ‘ishka bah-ha’, English-speaking countries simply took the first word– uisce— and mispronounced it, giving it the phonetically written name ‘Whiskey’.

Plant an Irish Oak Memorial Tree, in memory, as an enduring gesture to help heal the heart and the planet. Click HERE for more information A handwritten card will accompany the Planting Certificate.

The Parting Glass Collection of Irish Whiskey Tumblers – Click here

History of Irish Cremation

The earliest metalsmiths were buried in megalithic monuments known as wedge tombs. However, around 2200 BC these began to be replaced by separate burials of one or more persons either in simple pits or in stone-lined graves known as cists that are sometimes found clustered in cemeteries. In keeping with earlier burial practices, the remains were cremated, but in a new development, unburnt bodies were also interred, usually in a crouched position. Highly decorated pots known as Food Vessels and – very occasionally – other personal possessions accompanied the dead. Gradually, cremation became popular once more, and the burnt bones were placed in large decorated pots called urns, which were inverted in the graves. Different types of urns – Vase, Encrusted, Collared and Cordoned – were used, and in some cases, Food Vessels and tiny vessels called Incense Cups were placed with them, accompanied occasionally by daggers, beads, pins and ceremonial stone battleaxes.

From about 1200 BC, climatic deterioration and other factors resulted in a period of development and innovation. The dead were cremated and sometimes placed in undecorated urns, often buried at the centre of small ring ditches. Metalsmiths made spearheads, rapiers, axes of a type known as palstaves and a range of smaller tools. After 900 BC the production of large numbers of weapons, especially swords, and the deposition of hoards suggest a period of violence and uncertainty. Other weapons and tools were produced including shields, cauldrons, spears and axes as well as tools such as chisels, gouges, punches, tweezers, sickles and knives. Bronze horns were cast in moulds and these are among the oldest known musical instruments from Ireland. Crude, coarsely-made pottery was used for cooking, storage and as containers for the cremated bones of the dead. Wooden trackways were constructed across bogs, and at Doogarrymore, Co. Roscommon, two wooden wheels from a cart used in the 400 BC were found in association with such a trackway.

Bronze Age urn unearthed in Donegal after 4,000 years

Bronze Age urn unearthed in Donegal after 4,000 years

By Eileen Magnier

North West Correspondent RTE

In a very delicate operation, not for the faint-hearted, a Bronze Age burial urn was brought to the surface today approximately 4,000 years after it was buried with cremated remains in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal.

The urn was one of a number of very significant Bronze Age finds made during an excavation of the site where the HSE plans to build a new €21m community hospital.

Led by Excavation Director, Tamlyn McHugh of Fadó Archaeology, the dig first revealed a large Bronze Age burial capstone with rock art.

Then, on land nearby used locally as allotments, the burial urn was found in a small ring ditch.

Specialist archaeological conservator Susannah Kelly was called in to carefully remove the urn.

She first wrapped it in cling film and the in resin bandages to protect it before it was slid out of the earth

Even though she has done it before, working on urns like this is something very special, she said, because you are the first person to see it in 4,000 years.

The urn has been taken Dublin where Ms Kelly will conserve it.

An osteoarchaeologist will examine the cremated remains to try to find out more about the person or persons whose remains are in the urn.

Tamlyn McHugh said the dig was a great opportunity find out more about our history and highlights the importance of having archaeologists work on sites like this ahead of a development.

In this case, they found a number of different kinds of burial types from the Bronze Age, she said.

In the case of the specific area where the urn was found, it will return to being allotments and the local community will be consulted about how the discovery might be commemorated.

Irelands ancient history in a snip

Ireland’s history can be broken up into various periods, or ages. First -Mesolithic period,8000 – 4000 BC, when the first habitation appears on the island. Second – 4000 and 2500 BC was the Neolithic period when the hunter-gatherers of the Mesolithic eras learned to use stone tools and first discovered agriculture. Next came the Bronze Age, from 2500 BC. When the Celts came along 2000 years later, they instigated the Iron Age. Up until then they had been working with stone. As metal tools were much stronger and longer lasting than stone, it meant that people’s lives became much more efficient and their activities much more effective. This allowed more time for them to take up other, more creative pursuits, and saw the beginnings of artistic development in this civilization.

Plant an Irish Oak Memorial Tree, in memory, as an enduring gesture to help heal the heart and the planet. Click HERE for more information A handwritten card will accompany the Planting Certificate.

The Irish Bronze Age dates from approximately 2500 BC to 500BC. The period is characterised by the wealth of new, innovative and exciting metalworking techniques. The population of Bronze Age Ireland was highly organised.

Archaeological discoveries from this period include domestic sites (fulacht fiadh, enclosures and campsites), burials (wedge tombs, ringbarrows, cists and flat cemeteries) and ritual monuments (henges, hillforts, timber circles and cursus monuments). Sacred landscapes such as bogs, pools, caves, coastal sites, river fords and mountain tops, were the settings for communal activities. These activities included the burial of hoards of weapons, jewellery or tools and other votive offerings like bog bodies, bog butter, weapons and vessels deposited as offerings to the gods. These artefacts offer an insight into the complex and ritualistic aspects of Bronze Age Ireland.

Archaeologists divide the Bronze Age into three periods: Early, Middle and Late. These divisions are founded on the advancement of technological and cultural developments.

Early Bronze Age began in Ireland in approximately 2500BC. This period saw the introduction of several significant innovations, most notably the development of metalworking. Copper and gold were amongst the earliest metals used.

Hear about the origins of the Irish Wake, the ancient practice of keening and rural funeral ‘games’.

PODCAST: Hear about the origins of the Irish Wake, the ancient practice of keening and rural funeral ‘games’. With kind permission from https://www.aftering.com

The modern Irish funeral traces its history from the neolithic to the present.

https://soundcloud.com/aftering_podcasts/history-of-the-irish-funeral

This program investigates the mysterious intentions of ancient pagan ceremonies and how customs became blended into the funeral rite of the Irish Catholic church. How the middle ages brought Viking burial on a large scale to this island of Hibernia.

Irish Wake Toasts are traditionally with Irish Whiskey.

The toast itself is to speak with heart, about the person and the impact their life may have had on those they loved. Or simply to wish them rest and peace.

With a glass in hand, all in attendance raise that glass to the person lost with water of life ( Uisce Beatha * – Meaning water of life but the Irish Language for Whiskey) and the toast or toasts are spoken.

Many families look for a special glass, a glass they will always keep and use on special occasions to remember the lost person , in a way, to bring them along to the happier occasions in life.

Some families buy our Wake Toast set of Ceramic Tumblers, others ask us for Irish Crystal Tumblers.

Defining a new and enduring tradition.

The idea is that each family member ( Partner & Adult Children)  is presented with a Whiskey Tumbler that they will use for the Wake Toast, but will keep their own glass to bring to other family gatherings in the future.

If you would like to know more about our individually handmade Irish Wake set click here.

If you would like to know more about our Irish Hand Cut Crystal Tumblers and “The Parting Glass Collection” through our premier brand partnership with Gifts of Ireland – Click here.

Aidan, the owner of Gifts of Ireland, and a friend of mine, has offered Irish Urns visitors a 10% discount if you use this coupon code  PARTINGLASS

**Uisce beatha Pronounced ‘ishka bah-ha’, English-speaking countries simply took the first word– uisce— and mispronounced it, giving it the phonetically written name ‘Whiskey’.

Plant an Irish Oak Memorial Tree, in memory, as an enduring gesture to help heal the heart and the planet. Click HERE for more information A handwritten card will accompany the Planting Certificate.

You will hear about Wakes, Keening and the incredible sexualized games played by mourners in rural Ireland. How 19th-century families took photos of their dead and how that practice has returned. As the Irish diaspora traveled so did their funeral customs. You’ll learn how the Wake has become Americanised and what the Irish funeral has now become.

Aftering.com would like to sincerely thank all those who agreed to take part in the program. Many thanks to Dr. Maeve Sikora, Dr. Ned Kelly, Dr Stephen Harrison, Dr Jenny Butler, Clodagh Doyle, Michelle Collins, Dr. Laura Kelley, Michael Burke, Dr Ciaran Wallace, Dr. Lisa Marie Griffith, Gus Nichols, and Peadar Farrelly, Dublin City FM and Broadcast Authority of Ireland.

Sound clip of Kitty Gallagher is From the Alan Lomax Collection at the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Used courtesy of the Association for Cultural Equity.

Meeting the founder behind a unique artisan range of Irish Cremation Urns

Podcast: Bob Hamilton shares the story of how he came to set up this special business.

It’s hard enough to set up an ordinary company but what’s it like to have the extra responsibility of dealing with customers who are bereaved. Bob Hamilton describes how he came to set up Irish Urns. He has developed a network of award-winning artisans who create his Irish handmade cremation urns. He explains the measures he takes to ensure each one can ship safely across the globe. He also shares the technical challenges of developing a dignified and appropriate Irish design for these unique handmade objects.

Plant an Irish Oak Memorial Tree, in memory, as an enduring gesture to help heal the heart and the planet. Click HERE for more information A handwritten card will accompany the Planting Certificate.

Press here to play interview.

Cremation in Ancient Ireland

Newgrange Cremation burial Chamber c.3,000 B.C. – Painting courtesy of Tina Negus

The Library of Ireland offers drawing and more information –just click. Urns with ashes and burnt bones have been found in ancient graves in every part of Ireland. Cremations in Ireland were carried out by the Stone Age people between 7000-2000 BC. Cremated remains were placed in stone structures such as passage tombs as well as small stone basins, which are thought to have served as resting places for the deceased. In ancient pagan Ireland, ashes and bone fragments were deposited in an ornamented urn, generally made of baked clay, but sometimes of stone instead. Cremation was extensively practiced in pagan Ireland. Read More Here

Why are people choosing Cremation?- Why is cremation on the rise?

Newgrange burial Chamber Meath Ireland Built c.3,000B.C. for cremated remains.

Why are people choosing Cremation. Why is Cremation is on the rise.

As recently as 2016 the scales tilted toward cremation and in 2018 c54% of people choose cremation over burial in the US.

There a prediction that over the next 20 years that Cremation will continue to grow with some commentators suggesting that by 2035 nearly 80% of people will be cremated in the USA?

Cremation in the UK is close to 75% already and further growth is expected.

In Ireland, Cremation is also growing at pace with c10% of funerals now involving cremation and closer to 30% in Dublin as more crematoriums have been developed.

What are the main reasons for this change across the world:

For some, its cost, with Cremation being around 30% less expensive than Burial as even a quality Urn is considerably less expensive that a casket.

Grave plots are becoming harder to secure in advance and the price is rising each year. With c 30% of people depositing Urns in existing family plots, cremation is considerably cheaper.

Another suggestion is that people often see Cremation as a cleaner and more environmentally friendly approach. No embalming chemicals required which means less environmental pollution and Cremains are considered to be sterile and not damaging to the environment.

Cremation also allows families the opportunity to scatter the remains in a special place, often chosen by their loved one prior to death. This is often preferred as the family can return to a beautiful location rather than a cemetery.

Cremation allows families hold on to the cremains in a special urn until they feel it is time to scatter the Ashes and often keep the urn as a keepsake, filled with notes from loved ones, or personal items, e.g. reading glasses, watches, photos that help them remember their loved ones in a particular way.

Another reason is that Families can choose to have a humanist ceremony in the crematorium where more time can be allocated to remembering the departed in words, images, videos, eulogies and less time on religious ceremony.

Ancient Cultures and Cremation? – From Ireland to Australia

Cremation appears as a popularly practiced funeral rite in many ancient cultures going back thousands of years. From the Ancient Greeks to the Ancient Irish. There is speculation that the practice of cremation could date back over 40,000 years. There is evidence of it being practiced in Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Europe.

The Ancient Greeks practiced cremation as early as 1000 BC. Cremation is mentioned in the epic poem the Iliad. The later Romans continued the practice of cremation observed by the Greeks and cremation is also mentioned in Virgil’s Aeneid. It eventually became seen as a status symbol of wealth and position among the Romans.

Cremation in ancient times was also heavily practiced outside of Europe. Hindus in India believed that being cremated and having their remains scattered on the Ganges River was a sacred rite. A similar rite, practiced in Bali, saw the deceased bodies carried to a tower made of bamboo and burned, the cremains then scattered on the water. Some of these rites and traditions still exist and are practiced by communities in these countries.

Cremation then is as old as civilization itself. As long as humans have had the knowledge of fire and a need to honor the deceased cremation practices have existed.

What is the Cremation process? – What to expect when cremating a loved one

Cremation is an ancient practice present in many cultures across the world including Ireland. It is fundamentally a process of transforming the body of the deceased into cremains that can be interred in an urn or scattered in a location that holds meaning for the deceased and their loved ones.

The process begins when the deceased arrives at the crematorium. Their body is identified and the proper authorization for the cremation is granted. The deceased is then prepared and placed into the container that will be cremated with them. This is then moved to the cremation chamber where they undergo the cremation processes. The body and container are changed using heat to reduce them. After cremation, any remaining metal from jewellery or surgical implants are removed and the remains are ground to a powder. Cremation produces 3 – 9 pounds/1.3 – 4 KG of cremains, depending on the size of the body, container and the cremation equipment and processes used, the processes takes 2 – 3 hours approximately. The cremains can then be housed in a temporary container or placed in a bespoke urn  provided by the family.

The cremains can then, typically, be stored at a funeral parlor to be picked up at a future date. This allows the deceased’s loved ones time to decide what they wish to do in accordance with any last wishes or for further funerary preparations to be made. Many people are choosing cremation as a more environmentally, economical and convenient option to a traditional burial.

If you are interested in watching the processes of cremations this YouTube video by Jason Ramasami may be useful.

If you have any specific queries or concerns not addressed here or in our FAQ’s  section please do not hesitate to contact us

photo credit: Tale Billed Fælleskrematoriet i Ringsted via photopin (license)

Newgrange Cremation Burial Chamber

Tina Negus shares her interpretation of the inside of the world heritage site at Newgrange County Meath. A 5,000-year-old monument to the Irish. Thank You, Tina.

Newgrange

Its breathtaking winter solstice illumination makes Newgrange a passage tomb of global significance. But did you know Ireland’s quintessential wow moment is 5,000 years old?

Newgrange

Yep, 5,000 years. That’s older than Stonehenge. It’s older than the great Egyptian pyramids, too. And five millennia later, it hasn’t lost any of its wonders.

Arriving at the iconic tomb is a wow-moment, to say the least. Standing outside the 80-meter mound, shored up with spiral-engraved kerbstones and topped with white Wicklow quartzite, a guide reveals the myths and history behind the monument. Newgrange could have been designed as a tomb or a temple – in reality, nobody knows which. The truth will be shrouded in mystery forever.

Let there be light…

Once the scene has been set for you as a visitor, you’ll step inside the passage tomb itself, squeezing through standing stones carved with spiraling rock art and graffiti dating back to the 1800s.

This inner sanctum is where a lucky few (chosen by lottery from thousands of applicants annually) huddle together to witness the annual winter solstice illumination. In this moment, when megalithic engineering and nature lock sensationally into sync, a shaft of light can be seen snaking 19 metres up the passageway, ultimately bathing the chamber in light. There are goosebumps, to say the least…

If you’re not one of the lucky ones, don’t fret. All visitors are treated to a simulated solstice, with an orange beam of light artificially showcasing the effect. It’s a tantalising little taster – little wonder legend suggests that this was the site where mythological hero Cú Chulainn was conceived.

Subterranean secrets…

Newgrange isn’t the only passage tomb in Ireland, of course. In fact, it’s not the only passage tomb at Brú na Bóinne. Together with nearby Knowth and Dowth, Newgrange was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1993.

The Tri Spiral of Celtic and pre Celtic Culture – an interesting experiment

The Calming Celtic Harp – Carolan’s Dream –with the kind permission of Mark Harmer

Video -You may have visitors when it’s your time to go – – Martha Jo Atkins

Watch Video

‘To Ashes’ An Educational Video -Behind the scenes look at the Cremation process

People ask me what happens when the curtain closes in a Crematorium. Some are simply curious, while others gain comfort from understanding the process. This video should help. Click or Tap the ” To Ashes” link below.

To Ashes

Music to calm the Soul

The world famous Irish fiddle player, Zoë Conway has been very generous in allowing me use her music filmed in Carlingford on the Irishurns website. We hope it might sooth some souls – The song is called Faoiseamh a Gheobhadsa or ‘I Will Find Solace’. Click or Tap here to play.