Why I Want a Shroud

I most decidedly want a shroud upon my death. Shrouds are both traditional and counter cultural.  Humans have wrapped their dead for almost as long as they have had cared for their dead, but as a society we have moved away from the shroud.  Perhaps we have moved away from the shroud because people view shrouds as cheap and something the poor have to do instead of a nice treasure box (casket).  Maybe it has more to do with the desire to separate death from our lives.  A nice box acts as a perfect barrier to the reality of the body after death.  No one has to handle the body intimately if it’s in a box, whereas a shroud allows for a more intimate interaction with the body.  The body must be handled as a body, and not just a heavy box.  The body still looks like a body in a shroud.  No one can escape the reality of death if you are gathered around a body that still has the shape and form of a person.  I think the combination of our desire to push thoughts of our own death far from our consciousness, and the rise of a death care industry, which prettily displays treasure boxes for the dead has lead to the shroud’s disfavor among North Americans.

I know I want a shroud for my burial.  In the first place, shrouds are simple and inexpensive. Yes, there are shrouds on the market that are pricey and beautiful, but I just want to be wrapped in either cotton or wool, and I do not want a highly crafted shroud.   I would love to be lovingly wrapped in an old blanket.  When we are babies, we are swaddled.  Later our parents tuck us in bed at night.  When we fall ill, we are wrapped in blankets as we heal.  Why would I want anything else in death?  Why would I want to be placed in a box and kept separate?  I know death is a messy thing.  I just want a gentle and intimate burial.  I want to be wrapped, placed on a shroud board and taken to the church for prayers.  I came into the world naked and simple; I would like to leave the world the same way. 

I do not wish to add to the conventional death mystique when I die.  I wish to have a simply stated funeral.  I do not wish to cover up the reality or the tragedy of death.  I do not wish to be put in a fancy box to display any wealth I might have.  I simply wish to go back to the earth in a gentle manner.  Shrouds have much less negative space in burial.  If a body is buried in a coffin, the coffin has to breakdown along with the body.  In a shroud burial, the only thing left to decay is the shroud and the body, making ground settle much less.   Overall, I wish to have a shroud for my burial because of its simplicity. To me, nothing can beat it.  In life, I do not like a lot of fuss.  I like to have fun, but I do not like fuss.  I hope I can have that in death.