Crossroad grave
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A crossroad grave in English folklore and history is a grave for someone who had died by suicide, located at a crossroads, often on a parish border.[1][2] Until the Burial of Suicides Act 1823, suicides were generally not allowed a burial in consecrated ground,[3] and the burial far outside the community, sometimes with a stake through their heart, was seen as a way to keep their spirits from haunting the area.[4] The shape of the crossroads would also provide a cross, seen as a powerful symbol against all kinds of unwelcome powers.[5]
Some crossroad graves have had their names be linked to older graves in the landscape, such as bronze age and older tumuli.
References
[edit]- ^ "Digging into Crossroad Graves: Examining Britain's Strangest Historical Burials (Ft. Paul Whitewick)". June 15, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ "This is On EVERY Map. But It Doesn't Exist". June 15, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ Kincaid, Andrew (September 27, 2015). "A Profane Burial: Why the English Buried Suicides at Crossroads".
- ^ "Why Were People Who Died By Suicide Historically Buried At Crossroads? | HistoryExtra". www.historyextra.com.
- ^ Tours, London; Sill, Adrian, "Last Suicide Crossroads Burial", www.shadyoldlady.com, retrieved 2025-06-15
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