Anyone ever grave-haunt?

[Khephra]

I used to have direct access to Indy's famous graveyard, Crown Hill. Once I lived near it and then, once I'd moved away from the area, I had the chance to come back quite often. I was taking art classes at IUPUI and the Prof. was into going to the Hill and having students draw gravestones. I'm not talking rubbings--actual landscape or monument still lifes.

Sometimes my Goth friends and I would hang out there too. We never did do anything that I'd think was illegal, but we loved hunting down the forgotten tombs and and broken-down gravestones.

And people wonder why I'm into Lovecraft.

[solinvictus]

1. Bass Cemetary outside of Birmingham

It's an old settlers graveyard with a couple of empty mausoleums. Vandals have damaged it badly and idiots have driven trucks all over it. I've been there a few times on cold winter nights. It's really neat in the full moonlight, except you have to park a mile or so away, then walk to it.

[Khephra]

2. I really thought there's be more of us here

I guess the usual goth/horror/lovecraft/darkness group isn't in tonight. Maybe they're on the hunt?

:evilgrin:

[southerngirlwriter]

3. Constantly.

I drew a couple of pencil sketches in a cemetery today.

My favorite grave has some pull over me that I can't explain. It's the grave of an 8 year old who died of diptheria in 1895. (I've found out everything I can about her family.)

Her grave has a statue of an angel on it. One one of the angel's wings are broken. From examining it, it seems to be the work of time or vandals -- not the artist.

Still, it haunts me like I have no words to describe. I go there often.

On the 100th anniversary of her death, I went there (illegally) after dark to leave flowers and pay homage. There were four other people there, none of whom knew each other. We compared notes -- we'd all been drawn to it, had all taken photos of it (all black and white photos, all in black and silver frames), and -- well, you won't believe me if I say much more. A large number of other coincidences.

[solinvictus]

6. Chattanooga

Probably thousands of Civil War era graves here because of the battle for Missionary Ridge, Chickamauga battlefield, control of the Tennessee River, and the taking of Lookout Mountain. Lots and lots of casualties.

[southerngirlwriter]

11. Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville

has a huge section filled with Confederate soldiers. The place is over 250 acres. Wandering around it is like taking a history course.

[Lizz612]

4. All the time

This college has a 400 year old graveyard right on campus. You have to walk through it to get down to the Point, the prime bonfire spot. Its very small but very old, and a lot of graves are lost. My friends think its creepy, but I don't think of it like that anymore.

[southerngirlwriter]

5. "my" cemetery is 200 years old.

I hate it that some of the oldest markers are illegible. The sexton told me recently that most of today's will disintegrate even faster, because they're silk-screened (I think that's the right term) instead of chiseled.

[Khephra]

7. How does one become an undertaker?

[southerngirlwriter]

8. What do you mean by "undertaker" ??

I've heard that term used to refer to everyone from embalmers to cemetery sextons.

If you explain exactly what you mean, I can probably tell you. :-)

[tigereye]

10. I have always liked cemeteries

they are beautiful in a way and make one ponder. Now embalming, no thank you. :)

[arwalden]

9. I Love To Visit The Bruton Parish Cemetary In Colonial Williamsburg

http://www.kimshockey.com/photo/williamsburg.html

[mitchum]

12. Sure, I practice Palo Mayombe!

oops...I thought you said grave-rob. Nevermind...

[Redneck Socialist]

13. We used to party in the graveyards all the time

when I was growing up. The town I grew up in had two big one and the other juvenile delinquents and I used hang out there and drink and what not.

As long as we picked up after ourselves, didn't leave beer cans lying all over the place no one seemed to mind. We never got hassled by the cops at least.

[FDRrocks]

14. I used to drink liquor in the graveyard constantly...

When I was in highschool... It was just a convenient place to stash a bottle before school and hide out and drink after.

One time I found myself hanging out with people who had gotten some drive-thru Burger King and decided to kind of 'picnic' in the graveyard across the street (right on a major highway too, worst goddamn place for a hole house ever). I wasn't eating so I started hurdling over tombstones and caught one with my right shin. I swear to god the goddamn thing chipped my bone, it was that deep. I considered it karma. I'm not religious or very sentimental about dead bodies, but I don't participate in graveyard athletics anymore.

[tainted_chimp]

15. Hollywood Forever Cemetary

Love to go there and wander about. It's beautiful.

Lots of famous old movie people there.....Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, John Huston ,Peter Lorre...

[SoCalDem]

16. In college, we used to climb the fence to the cemetery

and sunbathe on the marble slabs.. It was perfect.. the "shiny" attracted the sun, and the marble stayed cool.. College girls are so irreverent :evilgrin:

[wickerwoman]

17. I met one of my ex-es in a Glasgow cemetary on Christmas Day.

It was my first Christmas away from home and nothing else was open so I went to this fantastic cemetary built into a hill. The road wound around and you could look into all the big family tombs.

At the top of the hill, I met the groundskeeper and he invited me out for drinks. It was fun while it lasted, and certainly one of my coolest first date stories.

[TreasonousBastard]

18. When I was living in Germany....

many of the cemetaries were actually parks used daily by everyone. Great place to have lunch or smoke a joint. Or drop some acid after dark.

Working down in the Wall St. area years ago, St. Paul's had a "Jazz Lunch" in their cemetary. They set up some tables and had a very mellow trio playing. For 2 or 3 bucks you got a sandwich and a soda. Some people were wierded out by it all, but a lot of us had a great time.

Here, there are several historic cemetaries in the area, and some are open to the public. Benches for relaxing or picnicking are few and far between,though.

I like the idea of a cemetary as a park, and not some fearsome thing. Without getting wierd about it, there is a link between the living and the dead. I understand the problems with the vandals, but the gates break that link.

[cleofus1]

19. when I was young

I used to love to get drunk in graveyards. I've partied in graveyards in Japan, California and New Mexico. No vandalism...no busting things...usually no music (although I remember sometimes a car stereo or a boom box did accompany us). Never really felt spooked. It was always at night usually after 2:30 am.