Savannah Bonaventure Cemetery

Visiting a beautiful cemetery gives the opportunity to appreciate pieces of art -both sculptures and mausoleums- in an environment of absolute peace and tranquility. I have a deep respect for the remains of the people there, but the place itself does not have the slightest esoteric significance for me. So I take it as an open-air art gallery.

A grave can tell you things about both the deceased and his relatives. I am not referring so much to tombs that are in a state of neglect, because when a couple of generations pass it is not so easy to know where someone is buried, and people get older and it is difficult for them to come to care for and maintain the tombstones. That doesn’t give me a negative impression. But when one finds tombs that, after decades are spotless, and also have ornaments that you can tell have been put there recently, it speaks of the respect and tradition of a family.

There are tombs from which the deceased continues to speak to the world. From hilarious and quirky epitaphs to reproaches to those who are still alive, or manifestations of their -not- beliefs. Those who could not leave without making a joke or some extravagance. There are many legends of epitaphs that never existed (such as Groucho Marx’s “Excuse me, I can’t stand up”, or Miguel Mihura’s “I was already saying that this doctor was not worth much”, but there are real examples of brilliant epitaphs -in this list I only include those that I have managed to document online-:

• “I told you I was sick”, William H. Hahn Jr.
  

• “And that’s all, folks” Mel Blanc, the dubber of the cartoons of the 60s and 70s, who dismissed episodes of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies with that phrase.

• “Go away, I’m asleep“, Joan Hackett.

• “For the record, I did not want to“, Uralde family.

• “When I was born, everyone laughed and I cried. I lived in such a way, that when I died, everyone cried and I laughed.

  Such is Marijuana“, Raúl García.

• “I am a writer but then nobody’s perfect“, Billy Wilder.

Equally brilliant was Mark Twain’s response when the New York Times published -erroneously- his obituary: “The Reports of My Death Are Greatly Exaggerated“. Other notable epitaphs that are collected in books on the subject: “Here you lie and you do well, you rest, so do I” in Valencia; “I’m dead, I’ll be right back” in León; “Mommy, we’ll be very late. Wait for us awake” in Madrid and ‘Excuse me for not attending your funeral’ in Murcia.

In my case I can not be sure what will happen to me, mostly because I will not be in charge, but I have always considered cremation as the most appropriate. I am not sure about the ashes either, but not in an urn, which creates a place to go and in the end everyone forgets, they don’t have time, and there the urn stays. I think it would be better to scatter the ashes like The Big Lebowski somewhere close to wherever I die. Why should I say where I want my ashes to be scattered over… who knows where am I going to die?. And besides, by the time that time comes, it won’t make a difference to me. And if I say, scatter them on the beach in Miami… who’s going to take a plane for that? It does not make any sense to me. Wherever it is as long as it is a respectable and evocative place. Whoever gets on charge, can make do.

But if I had a tombstone, I would put as epitaph “What a scam they have really set up for you down there” or “Neither light at the end of the tunnel nor nothing at all, enjoy while you can” -or something like that 😉.

Bonaventure cemetery

The Bonaventure Cemetery in the city of Savannah (Georgia) is one of the three most beautiful cemeteries in the world. The other two are Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris and La Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires.

Founded in 1846 on a former plantation, it extends over 100 acres of wooded grounds and manicured landscapes, offering a unique blend of history, art and nature.

It is so big that you can go around by car, and when you get to the area you want to visit, you park on the side of the road and go on foot.

It is famous for its elaborate mausoleums, ancient tombs and the omnipresent presence of Spanish moss hanging from the oak trees, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere.

The Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is an epiphytic plant commonly found in the southeastern United States. Although it is called a “moss,” it is actually not a true moss, but a bromeliad that grows hanging from trees.

The SSpanish moss is omnipresent in the streets of Savannah and in this immense cemetery it creates an ethereal and calm atmosphere.

The cemetery houses the graves of many historic Savannah figures, including members of prominent families, Confederate soldiers and other notable citizens.

The grave of Private Patterson, killed in France in World War II, had a small U.S. flag planted next to it.

Although already a national tourist attraction, Bonaventure Cemetery was prominently depicted in the novel “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” by John Berendt, and later in the movie of the same name. The “Little Wendy” or “Girl Bird” statue – which adorned a grave and was chosen for the beautifully rendered cover of the film – became such a famous tourist attraction that it had to be moved to another location because of the large influx of tourists who came to see it. It was gone when I went there. Now it’s a statue of another girl that gets all the attention, and they’ve had to fence it off.

The Christian symbol consisting of a superimposed “P” and “X” is known as the Christogram or Constantinian Cross. The “P” represents the Greek letter “rho” (Ρ), and the “X” represents “ji” (Χ), which are the first two letters of the Greek word “Christ” (Χριστός). This symbol is used to represent Jesus Christ and is an emblem of Christianity. The Christogram was adopted by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in the 4th century, who used it on his standard during the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.

The Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah is beautiful. It has that air of wealthy southern/confederate society and those big trees and hanging moss give it a peaceful haven feel. I’ve also been to Recoleta and Père Lachaise and, being so different from each other, I can’t say which one I like better.