Human bones as decoration
January 27th, 2012 § 21 Comments
Decoration on the ceiling at the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutna Hora. Dec 17, 2011.
It was about 12 years ago, after dinner during a summer evening. I was watching a girl introducing a very unusual church in Czech Republic on an episode of Lonely Planet in the living room. It was a church with every decoration made out of human bones. I’ve seen a map made out of skulls in Cambodia, but that was for a painful political history. Nothing like this. In a holy house of God, scary human skulls were on display in plain sight? Since then this place has always been on my mind. Now, the dream of visiting this strange church I saw on TV came true. I jumped on a train in Prague and went on a day trip to a town called Kutna Hora.
The train ride was supposed to be an hour, but about 15 minutes before it reached my stop, it stopped. I wasn’t aware of what was happening, until another 15min had gone by, I started to think maybe my train just got broken down. I asked a passenger which confirmed my theory… Perfect, I wouldn’t be able to catch the connecting train and reach the church before it closes on lunch break. The train stopped in the outside of a town, and no English announcement what-so-ever. All I could do for this 45min of delay was to stare at this strange smiley face painted on a cement block.
At the transfer station, there was an information center where a lady nicely printed out the time and the platform of the train I needed to catch. It was then a short 10 mins ride, but the train was very small, most of the people just stood in the corridor, holding on to the old hand rail by the window.
Arriving at the main station “Kutna Hora hl.n.”, I was greeted by a rusty station name plate. Everyone walked out of the station, and pretty much headed to the same direction. It was like a 15 mins walk to the area called Sedlec, and there was nothing interesting on the way. There were some closed shops, and some dusty looking restaurants. Lots of traffic though, so I think this is probably just an area connecting the other livelier towns. After a few turns, the roads gets more quiet and I finally arrived at this church that I’ve been thinking of for 12 years!
Entrance that lead you to the bones. The Sedlec Ossuary. Dec 17, 2011,
The story of the Sedlec Ossuary was that in 13 century, the head of the Sedlec Monastary brought some soil back from Jerusalem and scattered it around the cemetery, which makes the people to believe it turned this cemetery ground holy. Since then, it became a very desirable burial site. However it wasn’t until 1870, when a woodcarver was commissioned by the House of Schwarzenberg to turn all those human bones into artsy decoration. It said that all the bones on display was from 1870 onward.
It was just really really really strange to stand inside such a place. I’ve seen the catacomb in Paris, but this is in a bigger scale…just look at that bone chandelier! Even this place isn’t huge, but it had a lot more interesting arrangement. I was amazed by how on earth someone could come up with the thought that beautiful art piece could be made out of human bones. I believed you have to be a really creative person, to stare at a piece of human bone and think that it fit perfectly inside a coat of arm; or you must be quiet patient to look for that one piece that could be a candle holder.
Down the stairs, it was a different world in front of me. Sedlec Ossuary. Dec 17, 2011.
They really lit up candles here, and let the wax drips on the skulls. Must be a macabre sight at night. Sedlec Ossuary. Dec 17, 2011.
The coat of arm of the House of Schwarzenberg. Sedlec Ossuary. Dec 17, 2011.
At the center of the room was the impressive bone chandelier, in which you can find at least one of every bone of a human body. Sedlec Ossuary. Dec 17, 2011.
I spent half an hour just being lost in this strange dimension created over a century ago. It was not scary to be in here. The place was light filled, airy, and clean. It actually felt very peaceful here… maybe it’s the magical effect of the holy soil from Jerusalem.
At any other church, it would be a heavily carved marble vase here. Sedlec Ossuary. Dec 17, 2011.
We visited a very similar ossuary in Brno – incredible experience!
Oh I didn’t know they have that in Brno too!
I would have made a stop over there just to compare
thanks for the note.
My husband would love this place but I don’t think I would. I feel creepy just looking at your photos!
haha, I take it as you never visited the Catacomb in Paris?
That one seems to have more bones , and it’s a dark tunnel underground
Great post. It is amazing what the human mind can create sometimes! I would love to see that place at night all lit up inside – creepy cool I bet when it is like that.
It’ll surely be a sight to remember haha.
I just found this :http://weburbanist.com/2009/10/30/7-wonders-of-the-undead-world-global-ossuaries/
My next goal would be to see the one in Portugal or Poland!
The one in Poland looks bizarre! It is “nicer” to see their artistic flair rather than the horrors of the Killing Fields in Cambodia. I was there in 2001 and will never forget walking inside the stupa sky high with skulls. A chilling and sad experience
I visited Cambodia too
but that was quite a long time ago and can’t remember well. But I do recall seeing a map made with skull. I definitely see the “nice” part of seeing things built for artistic reason.
That is artistically creepy.
sure it is! cheers
It’s strange how something like this can be so beautiful. Really, there is nothing more I would love than for my bones, when I’m gone, to be used in such magnificent art.
Are you aware of how they have stuck the bones together?
So beautiful.
Looking at the skulls, I did question myself if i’d like to be among one of them. hmmm…..this is probably not my cup of tea … yet
but it’s definitely a cool thing to consider.
I noticed some wire in between, I believe that’s how they hold the bones together. I could be wrong tho.
I visited something similar in Hallstatt in Austria – creepy!
I’m surprised to hear that there are actually more places like this existing! Creepy, but eye opening . Cheers
Wow that is so trippy! Amazing. I haven’t been to the Czech Republic yet but I’d love to go someday.
Thanks a lot! Definitely worth a trip there
[...] Human Bones as Decoration at Sedlec Ossuary [...]
The ossuary only makes the trip to Kutna Hora worth. It’s just art to see chandelier, coat of arms made of bones. I live in Paris, the catacomb is underground, wet, massive , not airy but not at all macabre. I’m sure I will love this place better. On my next trip to Prague , I will go to visit.
It was quite interesting to compare both places.
amazed to see they created a very different atmosphere with the same material. and I’m sure it’ll be a livelier town during summer
Well, beside the fact that the people who used to have them aren’t using the bones anymore anyway, there is the intrinsic beauty of the skeleton both structurally and aesthetically. It’s what makes it possible for us to function as living, *moving* beings–when the skeleton fails, the body fails. It has the elegance of great design: each piece, however odd it seems out of the context of the body to a non-biologist, is remarkably perfect for its particular purpose. To carry these beauties into a new and more esoteric, in this case intentionally spiritual, realm seems like a great way to both be practical and honor the dead. Not creepy at all, just intriguing and in its own way, lovely. I’m delighted you shared this distinctive place!
I’m glad that you enjoy this post
you sums it up so well, about every piece of bone is beautiful on its own, which I never thought about. The organic shape is unique and perfectly functional. It enables us to create something great. Thank you so much for sharing what you think. Really appreciate it.