Real Sharik Hora
In another instance where fans come up with some fantastic stuff, Peat got this great email from Rui in Portugal.
Hello Peat,
First of all congratulations on some excellent books, I really enjoyed all.
When I was reading the books, the Sharik Hora temple reminded me of a chapel in the city of Evora in Portugal.
It’s called the bone chapel and the inside of the chapel is ‘paved’ (for lack of a better word) with real human bones.
I have collected from the Internet some photos were you can see what I mean.
In the chapel entrance there is a phrase that states “Nos Ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos” (“We bones, lying here bare, are awaiting yours”) … :))
Note: none of the photos are mine, and none of the links as anything to do with me, I just did a search and found them.
So here you have a real “Sharik Hora temple”:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capela_dos_Ossos
http://viagemehistoria.com/capela-ossos-evora/
Rui
(Portugal)
Rui also included some great pictures including these:
This chapel really is just like the Sharik Hora though originally Peat was actually inspired by the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutna Hora. This one is in the Czech Republic instead of Portugal.
Peat originally heard about this “Church of Bones” from a friend.
The differences between the two are quite interesting: the Capela Dos Ossos was created by a priest to show how brief life is, but the Sedlec Ossuary was created for more of a practical reason; in the 1200s a priest brought back some dirt from Golgotha, which made it “Holy Soil”. He then spread it on the grounds and then everyone wanted to be buried there. However, at some point they needed to build over the old (and now extremely large) cemetery, which left them with the problem of a very crowded cemetery that needed to be moved. What exactly do you do with all of the bones?
Well, they decided to hire a woodworker who would arrange all of the bones into this chapel including the chandelier above and this huge coat of arms below.
Who would’ve thought making buildings out of bones would be such a “common” thing to do. Does anyone else know of another building like it?
You can read up on the Sedlec Ossuary here and here. And of course, do a standard Google Image search for both of these comes up with some fantastic results.
Posted by Rebecca
God! That is crazy! I didn’t know there where real bone chapels! Wow …
Also in Poland we have something like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_Chapel_in_Czermna
Wow….I hadn’t ever really thought about things like this being a reality. I guess it makes sense, but it is still rather odd. It looks really freakin’ cool t’boot.
I want me a bone-chapel.
There’s one like that in Rome.
The capucin monastery in Via Venetto
It’s actually the crypt under the church:
http://www.cappucciniviaveneto.it/cappuccini_ing.html
I really love the chandelier and coat of arms. Almost want to make miniatures.
Hello, well I know of another Chapel of Bones in Portugal, in Alcantarilha, a little village in Algarve.
http://www.guiadacidade.pt/pt/poi-capela-dos-ossos-de-alcantarilha-17353
In the site there are various pics from the Chapel.
Also I found out while looking for the pics, to show you, that there are two more Chapel/Church of Bones in Portugal, beside the ones from Alcantarilha and Évora. they are situated in Lagos and Faro. Also in Algarve.