A bog body

[Angelcat]

Recently, I was in that in between sleeping and waking state early one morning when I had what I believe must be a past life memory. Here is what I experienced:

I seemed to be a small child, possibly a boy. I think I was searching for eggs belonging to birds nesting in the area. Anyhow, I hear a sound and I conceal myself in long grass close to a simple, wooden bridge. I had the feeling that this was Holland in maybe the 17th century, but I'm not sure. The area was wet and marshy with lots of tall grass. It felt like very early in the morning and there was a low mist and damp feel to the air. A small cart pulled by a horse and driven by two men drew up on the bridge. On the cart was a stout, young woman who was dead. The men pushed the body off the cart and it fell very close to where I was lying. I saw very clearly one leg belonging to this young woman and noticed that it was very white. The feet were bare and she appeared to be wearing a rough, woollen dress of mid grey colour. The two men, who were shabbily dressed, pushed the body down with long poles into a watery hole amongst the grass. At this point, I awoke fully.

Angelcat

This post and discussion is continued in the thread Strange burial

 

[Angelcat]

I did a Google search and apparently burying someone in a bog could be a punishment. If they had done something wrong and were deemed unfit to be buried in hallowed ground such as a churchyard, then they might be buried in a bog. Apparently, the body was often eviscerated and filled with stones so that it would sink.


I also found out that in the Middle Ages Holland had 250,000 ha of bogland. Such areas were often misty and a haven for wetland birds.


Bog bodies have been found in Holland and elsewhere in Europe. Most of them date from an earlier period than the 17th century. However, as I am not sure which century it was, I may have been living at an earlier time.


Angelcat


This post and discussion is continued in the thread Strange burial

 

[Angelcat]

The dress was very simple, little more than a sack. Actually, I think it was a dull green rather than grey...difficult colour to describe. I don't know whether she had been a prisoner or previously in an institution. I experienced no feelings about her. I don't think I knew her at all. I wasn't bothered by the fact that she was dead either. I think I was familiar with death and had seen bodies before. The only emotions I experienced were curiosity and some fear of being caught watching the event by the two men. I think because I was a child, I felt that maybe this was something I shouldn't see. I originally hid myself quickly in the long grass because I wasn't sure who or what might be approaching. I have a feeling that maybe I wasn't surposed to be in that area either. Maybe I was poaching on land that belonged to someone.


Last night when I got into bed I asked to see myself as I was then and what my name was. After a few minutes I saw a small, skinny boy of about 5 or 6 years old. Dirty, blond hair and dirty generally. Cute, little face with broken front teeth. Ragged, brown leggings that looked like they were tied on with cross-crossed pieces of brown fabric at the top. Brown tunic with a cloth belt with a a sort of bag attached to it. I started experiencing being him again and realised that I died at about 8 years old from what may have been a severe chest infection. I felt a tightness in my chest and couldn't breathe. My bones hurt and I felt very cold. I told myself to move on because this wasn't very pleasant. I then experienced running outside with great joy at the point of death. I'm not sure if I knew I was dead but I was very happy that I didn't feel ill anymore. I ran out of the village, which interestingly looked distinctly medieval. I then experienced flying toward a very bright light. So far, I haven't got a name, but will try again.


Angelcat


This post and discussion is continued in the thread Strange burial

 

[Sunniva]

Well, some of the most famous 'bog-bodies' are here from Denmark, but they come from all over Northern Europe. In archeology we work with the theory that they might have been sacrificed *however* that is based on one group of bodies, which leaves the rest for further interpretation.


Bog-bodies are known from most of prehistory, however the most famous and most well-preserved are from the early Iron Age.


This post and discussion is continued in the thread Strange burial

 

[traveler]

I found this a very interesting interpretation on the bog bodies. I also have heard archaeologists explain them as human sacrifices, probably because so many of them obviously died from violent acts. But how do we know they weren't just plain murders? In other cultures where sacrifices are done, the victim may be buried in a fancy tomb, or burned, or some such. The bog bodies were just discarded in areas most people would avoid.


Angelcat's memories shed a different light on this. Since shabbily dressed men were burying a woman openly (and casually), it was it doesn't look like ritual. It probably wasn't murder either, or they would have been hiding.


Maybe this was a common method of buriel in certain areas. If you live in a swamp, dry ground may be a precious commodity, not used for dead bodies. If these people were peasants, it makes sense that dead bodies were a common sight and buriels were nothing fancy.


This post and discussion is continued in the thread Strange burial

 

[Angelcat]

I have had some more memories of this life, but not about why this young woman was buried the way she was.


Skarpedinn, there was no evidence of peat being dug in this area where she was placed. It was a huge area of wetland with many grasses and reeds growing. There were expanses of water like where the bridge was. Many wildfowl nesting.


I believe my name was something like Deerkin or Derken (I'm spelling it phonetically). I was a little thief, but only because my mother and I were half-starved. My father was dead, as were my siblings. We struggled to survive.


I have had some additional memories of a market day with many merchants and much going on. After dark, when a lot of people fell asleep through drunkeness, there were rich pickings. On another occasion, in a forest, I came upon a merchant relieving himself nearby. It amused me that he was suffering diarrhea and in obvious discomfort - I think I had no liking at all for those who knew not starvation. I thought to myself with delight that he had probably eaten too much new pig! Anyhow, I stole one of his bales of sheepskins and hid it in the bottom of an old tree. I returned later, after dark, to retrieve it.


I have also remembered that not long before I died, the lice on my body crawled away. This caused my mother to start weeping because she knew it was a sign that I was dying.


Traveller and Sunniva, I think you may be right about people simply being buried in this way. I don't think her identitiy or why she was buried in this way is part of my own memories. Every time I try to get something more about her, I just get a replay of same event. If anything else comes to me about her at any time, you can be sure that I will include it on this thread.


Angelcat


This post and discussion is continued in the thread Strange burial