A graveyard is a space where people lay their loved ones to rest. There are some differences between cemeteries and churchyards.
It is important to understand what these differences are. Some people may choose to get buried in a cemetery that is not associated with their church. This can be done for a variety of reasons.
Definition
Losing a loved one can trigger discussion and decision-making about many aspects of their funeral, burial, and final resting place. One question is whether to be buried in a church cemetery or a graveyard. These terms are often used interchangeably, but there are differences that can be important to families and friends planning for the future.
Graveyards are primarily used for the burial of people who have died as members of a particular church. In some cases, the church has no consecrated land to offer as a burial site, so they contract with local cemeteries or create their own landscaped graveyards in the countryside. Graveyards may be open or closed and contain both graves and mausoleums. Those who could afford it had a headstone, engraved with their names, dates of death and other biographical data and set up over the place of burial. The more intricate and beautiful the headstone, the more status it demonstrated.
History
In the medieval period, churchyards were the main burial grounds for a town or city and were used as a space for archery practice, markets, fairs and other public events. People would also visit and pay respects to the dead by placing flowers, candles or a mound of earth on their grave. It is believed that these actions were to ward off evil spirits from the graves.
The word cemetery is derived from the Greek word koimeterion, which means “sleeping chamber.” Unlike graveyards that were once on church grounds, a cemetery is an area that has been specifically designated for burials. It is also likely to have a lot more rules than a random patch of land beside a church.
Traditionally, cemetery authorities have not always re-used older graves due to the fact that some of those buried are still living. However, locating those family members can be difficult, and the cost of re-using their grave site is often prohibitive.
Locations
Many people use the words graveyard and cemetery interchangeably, and for good reason. While the distinction isn’t as significant as it once was, it is important to know the difference between these burial sites. Graveyards are primarily found on church grounds, while cemeteries are independent of religious affiliations and are typically located in neighborhoods.
Historically, the only people who were buried in a churchyard were those who regularly attended that specific church or had expressed a desire to be interred there upon their passing. As the population grew and the small church graveyards filled up, more space was needed for people’s final resting places, which led to the creation of independent burial sites called cemeteries.
Cemeteries are generally larger than graveyards, and they can be home to multiple religions and denominations. These more modern burial grounds are also often better organized than their forefathers, which is why they’re preferred by most people today. Cemeteries are a recurring type of location in The Lands Between, where they’re an excellent source of easy runes early on in the game.
Rules
If you are ever in a graveyard and feel like you are being watched or followed, it is best to remain in the safe areas such as fenced parking lots, chapels, family plots, churches, or the land beyond any exits. If you must leave the path to approach a gravestone, always keep the path in sight on at least one side and return to it as soon as you have finished. It is also a good idea to have someone with you who will stay on the path and call out to you every 30 seconds or so to make sure that you are still safe.
The main clue that you are in a graveyard is the single word “cemetery.” That indicates that the area was chosen specifically for burial and it has rules regulating what you can and cannot do. This is in contrast to the more random locations where people buried their dead before they started using cemetery’s.