Pyres have been used historically to cremate large numbers of bodies in some of humanity’s darkest moments, such as concentration camp prisoners in Nazi Germany. Bonfires, for example, are often part of modern-day remembrances or acknowledgments of those who have passed on. While Hindus and Sikhs still conduct funerals using pyres, this cremation approach has been used in secular contexts. For several thousands of years, adherents to the Hindu and Sikh faiths have executed pyres to honor the deceased, and they still do today. Historically, these death ceremonies have been a part of Roman and Viking cultures. In ancient societies, these rituals were used for offering burnt animal sacrifices to various deities. The word “pyre” itself is an anglicization of the ancient Greek word for fire. Often the structure is made of wood, which is generally flammable. In effect, this ceremony is an open-air cremation.

Strictly speaking, a pyre or funeral pyre refers to the structure on which a body is placed to be set on fire and burned. While burials and cremations are common ways of tending to the body, historically pyres were also ways to “send off” the dead in various cultures.

The details of a funeral or last rite tend to become the responsibility of surviving family members or as specified by the dead person while alive. They provide opportunities for those who knew and loved the dearly departed to not only celebrate that person’s life but also grieve together and comfort each other. Funerals are primarily how we honor the lives of the deceased.

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