Open-air cremation

On 24-26th March 2009 the Royal Courts of Justice in London will review Britain's cremation laws and decide whether Baba Davender Kumar Ghai deserves the legal right to a Hindu religious cremation on an open air funeral pyre.

I know several Pagans who would like an open-air funeral pyre, so I think we should support this campaign. If it uses too much wood, this could always be offset by planting more trees (I'm willing to bet that it is more environmentally friendly than most crematoria). Other than the possible environmental impact, this doesn't harm anyone else.

Also, gas-fired crematoria use a huge amount of gas.

Anglo-Asian Friendship Society funeral pyre campaign (you can register your support by filling in the comment box on this page)

The pioneer of the revival of cremation in Britain was William Price, an eighteenth century Druid.

Some ancient pagans also cremated their dead, probably for similar reasons to Hindus.

I'd quite like my corpse to be pushed out to sea in a burning longship (Viking-style), but failing that, either an open-air cremation or a woodland burial would do. Although a burial mound would be good. I will of course have plenty of grave-goods for future archaeologists to examine. Maybe I should be buried in acid-free soil so they can examine my bones and analyse them.