Walking over the dead : a terrible story about my ancestors
This seemingly uninteresting patch of grass tells a frightful story. It is located in the Old Cemetery of my native town in Belgium, and has been used as common burial pit during the 13 epidemics of plague and cholera that occurred in the city between the 10th century and the 20th century. The last one was a cholera epidemic in 1866. In order to slow down the disease propagation, the bodies were thrown in the pit as soon as possible and covered by a layer of lime. The rumor says that the survivors were so keen to get rid of the sicks, that people were still alive when they were thrown in the pit. There is a story of a lady who was fine when her husband left home in the morning to go to work. When the man came back home at night, he did not see his wife and asked the neighbors. He was told that his wife had started to display some cholera symptoms during the day, and that she had been immediately thrown into the pit, most likely well alive. This story was told to me by my grandmother, because the sick lady was her own grandmother, aka my great-great-grandmother.
There is no sign to remember these sad episodes, so most people who walk by here are ignorant of these events, that were confirmed to me by a local historian. For those who know, the only indication is the large stone slab erected against the wall (at the back of the image), with a representation of Sint Macaire, a patron and protector of the plague sick. Mother Nature seems to know about this sad story: I have never seen a flower or a sapling able to grow in this patch of grass.
Your story gave me the shivers, I feel so blessed living in this time and age. (The immune therapy I got last and this year to treat the cancer only exists for 3 years.) I’m glad to see this place is undisturbed...
Oh Etienne - what a truly disturbing time in history. And what a terrible story for your Grandmother to have to relate to you. This is truly a stark place hiding a dark secret.
