Merry Cemetery
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The Merry Cemetery (Romanian: Cimitirul Vesel pronounced [t͡ʃimiˈtirul ˈvesel]) is a cemetery in the village of Săpânța, Maramureş county, Romania. It is famous for its brightly colored tombstones with naïve paintings describing, in an original and poetic manner, the people who are buried there in addition to scenes from their lives. The Merry Cemetery became an open-air museum and a national tourist attraction.
The unusual feature of this cemetery is that it diverges from the prevalent belief, culturally shared within European societies – a belief that views death as something indelibly solemn. Connections with the local Dacian culture have been made, a culture whose philosophical tenets presumably vouched for the immortality of the soul and the belief that death was a moment filled with joy and anticipation for a better life (see also Zalmoxianism).
A collection of the epitaphs from the Merry Cemetery exist in a 2017 volume called Crucile de la Săpânța, compiled by author Roxana Mihalcea [1], as well as in a photography book titled The Merry Cemetery of Sapanta by Peter Kayafas.[1]
The founder[]
The cemetery's origins are linked with the name of Stan Ioan Pătraş, a local artist who sculpted the first tombstone crosses. In 1935, Pătraș carved the first epitaph and, as of the 1960s, more than 800 of such oak wood crosses came into sight. The inscription on his tombstone cross says:
Romanian
De cu tînăr copilaș Cîte zile am trăit Vai săraca lumea mea |
English
Since I was a little boy All along my life Oh, my poor World |
Funny epitaphs[]
Romanian
Sub această cruce grea |
English
Under this heavy cross |
Gallery[]
The tombstone of Stan Ioan Pătraş (1908 - 1977), the Merry Cemetery creator
Short description of the life of a villager carved on the cross
Profile of the Orthodox Church located near the Merry Cemetery
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Merry Cemetery crosses
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "The Merry Cemetery of Sapanta". Purple Martin Press. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Merry_Cemetery_in_Săpânța,_Maramureș. |
- Photos of the Merry Cemetery
- The Merry Cemetery of Sapanta on Purple Martin Press
- Brandon's Photos of the Merry Cemetery
- More epitaphs and photos (in Romanian)
Coordinates: 47°58′17″N 23°41′44″E / 47.97139°N 23.69556°E
- Cemeteries in Romania
- Eastern Orthodox cemeteries
- Historic monuments in Maramureș County