From the 7th century onwards, burials were firmly controlled by the church. As the population grew, churches began to run out of space for new burials.
This is where graveyards came in. A graveyard is a burial ground, often located within the church grounds. However, there are differences between a graveyard and cemetery.
Definition
The words graveyard and cemetery are often used interchangeably, but they mean different things. A graveyard is an area of land where people are buried. It is usually adjacent to a church. A cemetery is a larger plot of land that holds graves and tombstones. It can also hold urns that contain cremated remains.
In the past, most people were buried in graveyards that were on church property. As churchyards became full, they were expanded into cemeteries, which were separate from the churches. This allowed more people to be buried in a smaller space.
Graveyards have long been used in superstition and legend characteristics, often being used at night times for supposed black magic ceremonies or clandestine events, such as devil worshipping, grave robbing (gold teeth and jewelry are preferred), thrilling sex encounters, etc. Despite these, they still serve the same function as a resting place for our ancestors and provide comfort to those who visit.
Origin
Before the 19th century, most places that people were buried in were church graveyards. With rapid population growth, these spaces began to fill up and new places for burying, independent of church graveyards, started appearing. These new sites were called cemeteries.
The word comes from the Greek koimeterion, which means “dormitory.” As early Christians adopted this term, it came to mean where a person sleeps spiritually rather than physically.
In the past, when families chose to be buried on their own land, they often used a section of the yard as a graveyard. This was usually a smaller space that didn’t have the formally manicured look of a cemetery.
For those living in rural villages, the journey to a church for burial was long and dangerous. In these cases the church would sometimes grant them burial rights in their chapel but this could cause a conflict as it would reduce income from the funeral services.
Meaning
Despite the fact that people often use the words graveyard and cemetery interchangeably, there is a difference. A graveyard refers to a specific place where the mortal remains of a deceased person are placed in a tomb or crypt. It’s usually located on church grounds, and it differs from a cemetery, which is a burial ground that’s not associated with any particular religious institution.
During the Middle Ages, wealthy or influential Christians were generally interred inside the church, in a crypt beneath the floor of the church. Less wealthy congregants were buried outside, in a section of the churchyard called the graveyard.
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Variations
A graveyard, also referred to as a cemetery, is a burial ground with a number of plots. The plots are typically organized into rows and often have more headstones than the churchyards of old. They are usually larger and are more well maintained than churchyards, although they may be less manicured. They also tend to be more modern and are used for family plots, rather than for shenanigans like the graveyards of old.
Graveyard Deck Variations
A graveyard deck can be very effective when playing against a control deck. It allows you to play low elixir threats, such as skarmying the bridge or Bats in the back, while still attacking the tower. This deck also works well when defending against a two tower push.