The Sedlec Ossuary ( Kostnice Sedlec) is a Roman Catholic Church in Sedlec, The Czech Republic, famous for its unusual, organic decorations.
Unlike other churches that like to use religious paintings and religious jewelery as decorations, this one uses between 40,000 and 70,000 human bone. Built especially as an ossuary in 1400, the macabre decorating started in 1870 when the Schwarzenberg family hired a woodcarver to arrange all the heaps of bones in order. You can see the result in the photos, but just so u know, there are 4 giant bell-shaped mounds in each corner of the chapel, an enormous chandelier which contains at least one of every bone in one’s body in the center of the chapel, and a signature of the artist, executed in bone, of course, and other “works of art”.
It is unknown if the cathedral needs mortgage bonds. They have so many bones in residence it seams like they could vouch for the cathedral.
Friday, May 30, 2008
The Skeleton Church
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13 comments:
we have in portugal one church like that to... it is in evora!
Small correction: the first photo is of a larger church in the town/village of Kutna Hora, and the others are of the smaller church which hosts the Sedlec Ossuary with all its magnificent skeletal decorations.
FUCK!
Until today i thought that at my city ( Evora, Portugal) exist the only church decorated with bones. The church name is CAPELA DOS OSSOS.
Damn, christians are really sick.
I see dead people ._.
Tomascz, this is NOT a mainstream Christian practice. However, it IS a mainstream Christian teaching that death is simply a 'gateway to larger life', and therefore is not necessarily something to be feared or hated
Is this a working church? I can't imagine getting married or having a child baptized there, although a funeral or Good Friday service would certainly be impressive.
Sorry to disappoint you guys, but these skelotonian churches may say they are christian or whatever, but trust me, although true Christianity accepts death, we do not glorify death. The only 'gateway' to a larger life is Jesus Christ. The only religion I know of that embraces death as something to glorify in is Satanism and all different variations thereof. Christianity is more than the buildings they supposedly occupy. Christians are not suppose to be scared of death. I am very picky as to which churches I enter, and trust me these would NOT be one of them. Find the story behind these churches and you might just find something you did not expect.
I think that the history of the churches would be rahter interesting. Depending on the age of these churches it could be that people allowed their bones to become a part of the church, funerals/tombs were only for the very wealthy. If you were middle class, this would be the only way to avoid a massgrave with the rest of the poor.
In that light I find the above comment by "belle" to be rather ignorant. Everyone should should look at the context of art. Context meaing when and why it was produced and how society as a whole has changed.
Being a sagittarius, and thus obsessed with the study of theology, I have some corrections to make.
Belle, you don't know much about other religions do you? Let me clarify something for you.
Satanism: Simple belief, "I am part of God, therefor I AM God"... this is the kind of logic that led to Satan/Lucifer being kicked out of heaven, and thus is a logical root-word for the name of the religion. often confused with devil worship. Satanism and Devil-Worship are NOT the same!
Devil-Worship: A belief that the foolish attempt to appease demons/devils might provide one with the opportunity to usurp their power. This is about as likely to work as trying to kill a bull at the rodeo while wearing neon red coveralls armed with a whoopie cussion.
Tomasz... It's not just the Christians that are "sick"... each religion has some perspectives that others find "disturbing".
I cannot deny that my personal beliefs are no exception to this... I KNOW some things I think are normal would be seen by others as nausiating. HOWEVER, I realize this and don't partake in such activities unless ALONE out of courtesy to others (no, nothing I do is illegal or even remotely immoral by the standards of most religions).
I cannot think of any religious or cultural practice that I personally find "disturbing"... but it's hard to be "disturbed" by something that you find fascinating to study.
-PV2 L. D. Derry (WV-ARNG, MP)
P.S. My wife (who has passed away) was an ordained interfaith minister, she and I both knew more about obsure religions than most "christians" know about their own. We shared the belief that different religions are just different perspectives. I hope nobody has been offended by my comment, my intentions are to inform.
Visit my Forum: the "Omnifaith Sanctuary", encouraging peaceful cohabitation through understanding and acceptance -> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Omnifaith/
This is plain awesomeness! I'd so love to go there and also get married in that place. Though, probably no woman would like to get married in such a place, lol!
I'm a woman and I would LOVE to get married in a place like that! It's gorgeous, and though a bit on the morbid side, I appreciate the beautiful art, designs, and patience it displays
That's so cute! Deformed Elephant Surgery and Jokerkitty are getting married! Can I be your Best Man! Would be a great opertunity to visit that church...
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