Incorruptible Corpses

Corpses!

Today I learned via HowStuffWorks.com's podcast: "Stuff you Missed in History Class" about incorruptible corpses. Apparently there are hundreds of examples of bodies that have not followed the usual eaten-by-maggots road to becoming a skeleton in under a year, and have in fact not been eaten by anything or become skeletons at all. These corpses are of varying states of decay, but some of them are amazingly well preserved. Some of them are Catholic, and some of them are not. I've compiled a list of URLs to look at the best photos I found on the web of these incorruptible corpses. Of course you can always read more about them on HowStuffWorks.com. There are even some books out there that might be worth reading, but as I haven't read them yet, I won't recommend one yet.

*keep in mind, I selected these links because of the pictures, not for the content*

Guanajuato, Mexico mummies: This link is to the HowStuffWorks.com site about the mummies. The site doesn't have many pictures, but this is one of the best pictures of the child-mummies found in Mexico, preserved by the dry, salty ground. Note that they look quite dead. Some of the Saints faired a little better, although that may not have been an act of god. See below.

Tollund Man: Do read Seamus Heaney's poem about the Bog Man. This Denmark man was hanged, obviously, and buried in a peat bog that amazingly preserved his pre-common-era body. They say you can even see hairs on his chin.
(Also you could read his translation of Beowulf. It's quite melodious. It captures the rhythm of the original (so they tell me) as well as the grandeur and excitement.)

St. Bernadette: A wannabe nun who was so sick that at first even the nuns didn't really want her, but all that changed when she was exhumed to see how her decomposition was coming along and lo! she was virtually unchanged. The fact that her skin looks so lifelike is partially due to the fact that some doubting-Thomas Catholics (darn them) coated her face and hands with wax.

Catherine of Bologna: A 600 year old corpse sitting upright! Click the right arrow for two more pictures of closeups, but only if you really want to see a creepy closeup of undead corpseface and corpsehands. She is NOT in the same condition as she was the day she died, but still, pretty amazing considering you and I will most likely be showing a little somethin' skeleton before she is.

Saint Sylvan: Scroll about halfway down to see several pictures of this 1700 year old corpse. He was martyred--check out the neck wound. Here's another site with some better closeups.

Saint Vincent de Paul (#4): for those of you who love second-hand clothes, here's something that might make you feel vaguely uncomfortable. Also, the site has a pretty good picture of Saint Bernadette (#1) and Saint John Vianney (#2).