Slog - Comments on Dead Lovers http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers The remains of a couple were recently found in the northern Italian city of Mantua: The archeologists believe the two died young and were buried in this loving way for reasons that will never be known. To some archeologist and reporters the discovery of the "hugging" skeletons is touching and sweet. "...I've never been so moved because this is the discovery of something special," says one archeologist. But there is nothing "special" in this or any other grave. As there was sorrow on the day the two were buried, there should be sorrow even on the day they were exhumed... Copyright 2008 Tue, 13 Feb 2007 12:38:17 -0800 Tue, 06 Mar 2007 22:30:09 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Levislade And so it has always been, and always will be - so why not just accept it as part of the world and appreciate the sentiment and aesthetic beauty of these eternally entwined lovers?

]]> Levislade http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630414 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630414 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 12:45:51 -0800 Comment by Aaro)))n Edge -- the emo, romantic in me does find this nice though... dead or not and regardless for how long.

]]> Aaro)))n Edge http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630418 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630418 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 12:48:42 -0800 Comment by Baxter By burying them in this way, they brought focus to the love these two shared in life, rather than on the negativity of their death. Yes, death is permanent, unfortunate and inevitable, but if we dwell on it, we miss out on the one life we get. Of course, I'm counterpointing to a man who criticizes rainbows so this is probably a fruitless endeavor.

]]> Baxter http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630458 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630458 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:06:13 -0800 Comment by Gitai Don't get depressed over people that even if they'd lived full lives would be dead by now.

]]> Gitai http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630467 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630467 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:10:50 -0800 Comment by michael strangeways uh, maybe they were choking the shit out of each other...

]]> michael strangeways http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630471 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630471 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:11:01 -0800 Comment by rodrigo Charles Mudede is clearly the Weekly's Uptight Seattlite.

]]> rodrigo http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630475 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630475 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:13:32 -0800 Comment by monkey I don't know it as fact but the news report I saw on this said that often times when a husband would die the wife would be killed so they wouldn't be buried alone.

Happy Valentines Day!

]]> monkey http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630498 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630498 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:26:11 -0800 Comment by not alone Sure - you could look at it as 'yea but they're still dead' - but what this photo suggests to me, and likely anyone else who finds it touching in some way, is a sense that at least these two did not die alone. Their posture suggests engagement, maybe even acceptance of death (though I may be projecting). As a professional talker about such things, most people I talk to fear dying alone, it seems inevitable. But this couple (whether family, friends or lovers) suggests the possibility of something different.

]]> not alone http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630501 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630501 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:31:12 -0800 Comment by nay sayers be damned Nothing in this suggests violence, murdered widows, negativity. At most these people were aware of impending doom. They didn't run in fear, they embraced a person they loved and ate it.
So sweet.
Plus, see how their tibias and fibulas form a cute little heart?! Soooo Cewt!!

]]> nay sayers be damned http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630505 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630505 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:34:32 -0800 Comment by elswinger "Death is eternally the negative, the final event that destroys all joy, the blackness that snuffs out even children, the nothingness above which each living thing is held by only a string of existence, the void from which there is no return, no hope, no signs of life, salvation, regeneration."

Bummer for you. I plan on having fun in the afterlife.

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630508 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630508 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:38:30 -0800 Comment by gfish ARCHAEOLOGICAL EMO TEAR

]]> gfish http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630576 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630576 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:21:11 -0800 Comment by ica I'm a big reader of Diesel Sweeties (online webcomic), and saw this image a while back when rstevens decided to use it for a valentine e-card.

http://www.dieselsweeties.com/sendcard/images/afterwedied.jpg

]]> ica http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630582 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630582 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:26:09 -0800 Comment by Brian Death is not a negative thing, we all will die. It is only negative if you are selfish and want to live forever and are pissed and afraid that you have to die. It is the fear that makes some people think it is negative. You do the best you can while alive and then you die. Simple. Some people do not do much while alive but hope for the wonderful afterlife so they can then have a great time and be happy. They are fools to waste this great time being alive! Once you accomplish something while alive you can then accept death as an inevitable natural process. If you do nothing great while alive then you will whine and moan about dying and go on about some great afterlife you are going to have your prize, which is like shitting on the concept of life, and living great.

]]> Brian http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630588 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630588 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:33:11 -0800 Comment by him Can't someone enjoy doing nothing in life? I look forward to death, then I can REALLY do nothing, afterlife or not!

Also, I thought the couple was canoodling in bed and one of them ripped loose a toxic Dutch oven.

ica- I'm dumb. I didn't understand the card. After they died, she totally fell on him???

]]> him http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630624 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630624 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:47:10 -0800 Comment by el fuego Italians... does everything have to be about l'amore? I'm sure over there scientists are feverishly trying to determine if the female remains are that of a supermodel.

]]> el fuego http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630728 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630728 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:29:40 -0800 Comment by Lloyd Clydesdale It's a magnificent day when you're looking into someone else's eyes and you realize that the two of you together is a simple truth.

]]> Lloyd Clydesdale http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630899 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c630899 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:11:07 -0800 Comment by Adam The first thing I thought of when I saw this picture was an evocative and mysterious poem by Octavio Paz "Los Novios" (translated as "A Boy and a Girl"). There's a haunting choral setting of the English version by the Nevadan composer Eric Whitacre that's really worth hearing. In any event, here's the poem and the translation:

[Los Novios]

Tendidos en la yerba
una muchacha y un muchacho.
Comen naranjas, cambian besos
como las olas cambian sus espumas.

Tendido en la playa
una muchacha y un muchacho.
Comen limones, cambian besos
como las nubes cambian espumas.

Tendidos bajo tierra
una muchacha y un muchacho.
No dicen nada, no se besan,
cambian silencio por silencio.

[A Boy and a Girl]

Stretched out on the grass,
a boy and a girl.
Savoring their oranges,
giving their kisses like waves exchanging foam.

Stretched out on the beach,
a boy and a girl.
Savoring their limes,
giving their kisses like clouds exchanging foam.

Stretched out underground,
a boy and a girl.
Saying nothing, never kissing,
giving silence for silence.

]]> Adam http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c631465 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c631465 History Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:59:12 -0800 Comment by bijoubaby that's beautiful...

]]> bijoubaby http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c631723 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c631723 History Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:08:12 -0800 Comment by Rick Oddly enough, on Monday 2/12 I heard a recording of "A Boy and A Girl" on Public Radio. I likely wouldn't have noted it except that I'm in a choral group that's preparing it for concert.

Like Adam, I immediately thought of the poem/song when I saw the picture.

]]> Rick http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c644861 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c644861 History Thu, 22 Feb 2007 10:40:13 -0800 Comment by ydmwn hkegnzm vewoz ofzm vbrfpkqu phbuoqa vifxg rxzhflyt lpvshn

]]> ydmwn hkegnzm http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c660600 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c660600 History Tue, 06 Mar 2007 22:29:26 -0800 Comment by frkgp tbncvzyop snxuktmze fcqe pygribjk fqdw ptjkanys akpgtdmho evpoquz http://www.efzhiv.ojht.com

]]> frkgp tbncvzyop http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c660603 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/these_dead_lovers#c660603 History Tue, 06 Mar 2007 22:30:09 -0800