Merry Cemetery

File:Sapântsa.jpg

Merry cemetery tombstones

The Merry Cemetery (Romanian: Cimitirul Vesel pronounced [t͡ʃimiˈtirul ˈvesel]) is a cemetery in the village of Săpânța, Maramureş county, Romania. It is famous for its colourful tombstones with naïve paintings describing, in an original and poetic manner, the persons who are buried there as well as scenes from their lives. The Merry Cemetery became an open-air museum and a national tourist attraction.

The unusual feature of this cemetery is that it diverges from the prevalent belief, culturally shared within European societies – a belief that views death as something indelibly solemn. Connections with the local Dacian culture have been made, a culture whose philosophical tenets presumably vouched for the immortality of the soul and the belief that death was a moment filled with joy and anticipation for a better life (see also Zalmoxianism).

The founder

The cemetery's origins are linked with the name of Stan Ioan Pătraş, a local artist who sculpted the first tombstone crosses. In 1935, Pătraș carved the first epitaph and, as of the 1960s, more than 800 of such oak wood crosses came into sight. The inscription on his tombstone cross says:

Romanian De cu tînăr copilaș Io am fost Stan Ion Pătraș Să mă ascultaț oameni buni Ce voi spune nu-s minciuni Cîte zile am trăit Rău la nime n-am dorit Dar bine cît-am putut Orișicine mia cerut Vai săraca lumea mea Că greu am trăit în ea

English Since I was a little boy I was known as Stan Ion Pătraş Listen to me, fellows There are no lies in what I am going to say All along my life I meant no harm to anyone But did good as much as I could To anyone who asked Oh, my poor World Because It was hard living in it

Funny epitaphs

Romanian Sub această cruce grea Zace biata soacră-mea Trei zile de mai trăia Zăceam eu și cetea ea. Voi care treceți pă aici Incercați să n-o treziți Că acasă dacă vine Iarăi cu gura pă mine Da așa eu m-oi purta Că-napoi n-a înturna Stai aicea dragă soacră-mea

English Under this heavy cross Lies my poor mother in-law Three more days should she have lived I would lie, and she would read (this cross). You, who here are passing by Not to wake her up please try Cause' if she comes back home She'll criticise me more. But I will surely behave So she'll not return from grave. Stay here, my dear mother in-law!

Gallery

• 

  The Merry Cemetery crosses in pale blue color

• Cimitirul Vesel de la Sapanta3.jpg

  The tombstone of Stan Ioan Pătraş (1908 - 1977), the Merry Cemetery creator

• Cimitirul Vesel de la Sapanta2.jpg

  The church behind the Merry Cemetery

• Cimitirul Vesel de la Sapanta1.jpg

  The gate decorated according to the ritual of Maramureş

• Cimitirul Vesel de la Sapanta4.jpg

  Short description of the life of a villager carved on the cross

• Cimitirul Vesel de la Sapanta5.jpg

  Profile of the Orthodox Church located near the Merry Cemetery

• Rumunia, Sapanta, Wesoły Cmentarz -Aw58- 28 kwietnia 2012 r..jpg
• Rumunia, Sapanta, Wesoły Cmentarz -Aw58- 28.04.12 r..JPG
• Rumunia, Sapanta, Wesoły Cmentarz -Aw58- 28 IV 2012 r..jpg
• Rumunia, Sapanta, Wesoły Cmentarz -Aw58- 28 IV 2012 r..JPG
• Rumunia, Sapanta, Wesoły Cmentarz DSCF7052.jpg
• Rumunia, Sapanta, Wesoły Cmentarz DSCF7027.jpg

See also

• Tourism in Romania

External links

• Photos of the Merry Cemetery
• Brandon's Photos of the Merry Cemetery
• More epitaphs and photos (in Romanian)