Do you have to recycle the dead if a will specifies this?

Question

My nan who recently passed over onto the other side has caused uproar in the family by insisting, in her will, that her body is recycled.Not organ donation, which wouldnt be so bad,but something quite macabre.She has left implicit instructions that we feed her to the creatures at the local Bird of Prey park.This is causing our family great distress.She was 83 when she died-just in case that helps.

Answer 1

Umm. nice avatar. I had the same one but I changed mah hair when I saw your icon. Your question is kind of confusing. Why not just bury her?

Answer 2

This is not as odd as you might think. Something similar was practiced by Tibetians, Zoroastrians and some native American tribes.

"Sky burial is a ritual practice common in Tibet that involves a priest's cutting the human corpse into small pieces and then placing it on top of a mountain and expose it ritually, especially to birds of prey. It was also common in some American Indian cultures[citation needed], and in older Zoroastrian practices.

This way of disposing of a human corpse is not, as some believe, a ritual to honour the birds of prey. The majority of Tibetans adhere to Buddhism, which teaches rebirth after death. Because the soul disintegrates at death, there is no need to keep the body, as it is now an empty vessel. Birds may eat it, or nature may let it decompose. Therefore, the function of the sky burial is simply the disposal of the remains. Other reasons of why the body may not be buried is because the rugged Tibetan terrain makes the ground too hard to dig, and with fuel and timber scarce, the sky burial is more practical.

This way of burial is also more ecologically friendly than most common methods used in other cultures. The nutrients contained in the remains are not wasted and no pollution is caused."

Still, I don't think it's going to go over well with the family and the authorities. Perhaps instead, you could have her cremated and scatter her ashes from the top of a beautiful mountain. It would still involve recycling and keep the spirit of he wishes pretty much intact. Good luck!

Answer 3

You shouldn't do it, you and your family should do the right thing, she might've not been in the right mind, she was very old after all, nobody would do something like that, you guys need to do the right thing and bury her the way it should be or cremate her body and throw the ashes in the ocean.

Why go through that trouble, this could bring negative consequences to you and your family, (Not just with the laws of this earth, but the ones above and can affect you spiritually, big time) what if the birds don't eat her remains, and then you would leave that all over the place? It is morally wrong and unethical, not only that but actually it is against the law, and as you say it is macabre and sinister, weird not normal, she is no longer here, she wouldn't know, trust me, and she is not watching, once a person is dead, that's it, they go to a place of rest till the day of judgment, when Jesus returns, tell your family to do the right thing
Peace to you!

Answer 4

Can I assume you are in US? I'm in UK. Several years ago an eccentric Lord bequeathed his corpse to the dogs at Battersea Dogs Home, saying he might make a nice meal for them.

The courts rejected this part of his will as the living person has no rights to his or her own corpse once dead.
US law follows the same principles as UK law ( apart from executing minors and the mentally subnormal) so the chances are that this would be the result there too.
You could say that burying somone is a way of recycling ( we are still using the dinosaurs), and that organ donation is a noble thing to do, and is in the spirit of recycling too.

Answer 5

I don't think your Nan, Grandma, really knew what she was talking about. I would not honor her wishes. If you do this, then your stress will become worse over the years. If your Grandma was cremated, then take her ashes in an airplane and spred them over a lake. BUT DO NOT go to a park and do that. Birds do not eat human ashes. Contest the wish. The lawyer will help you, and if he doesn't , make him go to the park with Nan's ashes. What in the world was wrong with your Nan? Did she actually figure , that some poor goose would want to eat her or that her carcass was worth that much that it should be re-cycled ? Just contest the will. If you can't figure it out, the I suggest to you, to throw the whole container , with Nan's ashes, into the mouth of a large alligator. (make it an eatable container.) Good Luck.

Answer 6

even if everyone aggreed to actually do it, wld the bird keepers help u guys feed the penguins with human meat? She may be a respectable figure in ur family, but senescence wld take over her mind at some point and her ability to make sense wld be impaired. So just think of other things which can be done that is close to her wishes if it makes ur family feel better? Anyway, was she a comedian or something? Cos i've heard something similar to this in a stand-up comedy.

Answer 7

My friends Nan donated her body to the body farm. Seems just as bad.

It had to be done, her will was upheld.

I'm sorry that she is putting her loved ones through this. I've often thought that funerals are the start of the healing process, and this has thrown a big spanner in the works.

I hope you are able to come to peace with this. Good luck and God bless.

Answer 8

My condolences for your family's loss.

Legally you must follow her will, or spend time and money in court contesting it. But I would think the Bird Park won't allow you to do it anyway. That must be a health code violation some how. If it's not doable without breaking the law then you are okay.

Answer 9

It depends on several factors. Will you not inherit if the will isn't executed exactly to Nan's wishes? Are there city ordinances against such things? Do you have to obtain a permit for this? Trying to get a permit will take forever, so if you can get at Nan's money without doing it, I would suggest forgoing her wishes and just bury her.

Answer 10

Well I would contest her 83 y.o. state of mind specifically for burden and trauma of her survivors. No one could be expected to carry out a wish such as this. If she wanted to be picked over there are medical schools that would appreciate having a cadaver to study and that would fulfill the recycling portion of her wish.. Consider that.

Answer 11

First things first.
Can she be fed to the Bird of Prey Park? I agree with the several that said she should be cremated and her ashes spread over the park. I would think it would be illegal to do it any other way.