Do You Have Taphophilia? - A Guest post by author J.P. Choquette

Today I'm changing things up a bit.  I want to welcome J.P. Choquette, author of six suspense novels, to join us and tell us a bit about her latest pursuit - taphophilia.  So, do you even know what that is?  Well, J.P. is here to share with us:

Do You Have Taphophilia?

Do you like to explore old cemeteries? Do gravestones with their beautiful, intricate stonework float your boat? Do you love nothing better than to meander through graveyards, reading tombstone inscriptions and photographing particularly unusual memorial stones? If so, you’re not alone and may be a taphophile. Taphophiles are those who enjoy everything from a quick, solitary walk through the local cemetery...to those who plan trips around visiting graveyards. Some aficionados are focused on a certain type of grave—say military—while others just enjoy being out and exploring new-to-them cemeteries.

Personally, I like the peacefulness I find in cemeteries, and the solitude. When my son was young, I would walk in one close to his school nearly daily as I waited to pick him up. I’ve visited very unique crypts in New Orleans, and seen the “grave mounds” of South Korea, but have never actually planned a trip around visiting a certain cemetery. Old stones are my absolute favorites. I usually don’t walk in the newer parts of a cemetery. I particularly like those that tell something about the person buried there, and the stones that have unusual or exceptionally beautiful carvings. Some stones and crypts are truly works of art.

Old gravestones in a Vermont cemetery.

 A Brief History of Cemeteries

Did you know that up until the late 19^th Century, most bodies were buried in the city in which the person had lived? This became problematic in a number of ways. Firstly, there were too many bodies and not enough space to bury them. Take for example, the Paris Catacombs. Secondly, it was far easier for diseases to spread. The solution? Garden cemeteries. During the mid-to-late 1800s, garden cemeteries located in the countryside became popular in Europe. Here, there were monuments, roads for carriages to traverse, walking paths and beautiful landscaping. A stellar example is the Gothic Highgate Cemetery in London, England (though this wasn’t perhaps an official “garden” cemetery, as it was still within the city limits).

In the United States, it was 1830 before similar types of burial grounds were created. Before that, stated author and associate professor at the University of Missouri,  Keith Eggener, people were generally buried in churchyards, town greens and sometimes on private homesteads. (Check out the article that features Dr. Eggener via The Atlantic.) Here in Vermont, for example, it’s not unusual to find a small cemetery located in one’s backyard. In fact, there is a house less than a quarter-mile from where I live with a small plot of six or so graves tucked under some trees. Eggener stated that while in the past, we had more of a connection to the infirm and dead (this was pre-nursing homes and during the time when wakes were still held in private homes), now as a rule we prefer to create a sort of boundary between ourselves and death.

Cemeteries can be very peaceful places to visit.

“Isn’t Thinking About Death Morbid?”

The cold, hard truth is this: we’re all going to die someday. For me, learning about things like Victorian death jewelry, early funeral practices, mourning rituals, and yes, even an occasional walk through the cemetery, reminds me of the preciousness of life. Rather than running through it with blinders on and pretending that we’re not all headed in the same direction, perhaps taphophiles are slightly better prepared for what comes next. You remember that old saying, carpe diem (seize the day)? Taphophilia reminds us to embrace every day as though it were our last.

I think too, that one can be a taphophile without spending a great deal of time thinking about death and dying. After all, some cemeteries like Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont, are completely fascinating in their own right. In fact, my son’s class recently visited it on a fieldtrip and the kids loved it...especially the soccer ball and race car!

This has been a brief introduction to taphophilia. I could go on and on about the subject. If you’re interested in learning more, check out the fascinating site, Cemetery Traveler. You’ll learn more than you ever thought possible about all things cemetery and graveyard related.  😊  

Thanks so much to Kay for letting me visit her great blog and share a little about one of my passions.

J.P. Choquette’s sixth Gothic-inspired suspense novel, “Let the Dead Rest,” just came out this week. And yes, it may include a mysterious gravestone in the woods. J.P. loves to go for long walks, sip hot beverages and read voraciously...just not all at the same time. Learn more at her website, www.jpchoquette.net.

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I want to thank J.P. for this most interesting article on taphophilia - the love of graveyards.  I have several friends who have visited many cemeteries and taken rubbings of their loved ones info.  They also tell me about the peace and tranquility to be found there.  When she and I were talking about what she might share here, she suggested this topic and I found it fascinating.  Will you find me in a cemetery before long?  Maybe, who knows?

I also wanted to mention J.P.'s new book that is just out - Let the Dead Rest.  I will be reading it before long and sharing my thoughts - goal is sometime in September, so watch for that.  I told J.P. that she pretty much had me with the cover - I love 'creepy' doll covers.

Good luck with your writing, J.P.!  I really enjoyed this.