After spending a semester in Ireland and taking courses on prehistoric histories, it’s interesting to see just how much our ancestors thought about mortality. If you look at areas that were populated by prehistoric, nomadic peoples, you noticed that there areas where they lived and worked are barely decorated, and populated by only those items that are essential. Burial sites, by comparison, are commonly covered by megaliths and microliths and located geographically in the most stunning spots. What’s more, many structures (such as Newgrange in Ireland) are aligned with the heavens . Newgrange itself, it built so as to receive optimal sunlight on the winter solstice.
Looking at the way they lived and died and worshiped, you get the sense that the way they understood it, life was fleeting but death was eternal. It’s an interesting perspective, and one that I think modern cultures should embrace more. We are so intent on clinging to the light that it gets a little weird, and as Jae Rhim Lee discusses in her TED Talk, it’s not having a very positive effect on our planet.