Heathen burial

This is the grave of my dog who died recently. She was called Puppy (somewhat inappropriate, given she was over 10 years old….the name somehow stuck)

• The dog, as a heathen, was buried facing north. Christians were buried facing east.
• Heathens were buried with some of their possessions. I have put the dog’s bowl and collar on top of the grave for the purposes of the photo, but they will be buried alongside the dog. Christians were never buried with their possessions.
• The swastika is often found on heathen burial urns, especially in England, and seems to be associated with Thor’s hammer, representing perhaps the Mjolnir flying through the air. It could also represent the cyclical nature of life. It is quite often found on Chinese grave stones too.