Will be visiting this summer from the US, and I hope to be a polite guest. I would think it bad form to walk on ancient grave markets like this fellow, but maybe I'm wrong?

by American-_-Panascope

40 comments

  1. I would say don’t do it. Simple human decency and respect.

  2. Avoid them if you can, I always do. And don’t dance or pish on them.

  3. Don’t do it purely because it might damage any inscription. No superstitious mince

  4. Grave tourist here: It is common to walk across grave markers that are not a specific burial site, i.e., a crypt such as this. You literally couldn’t navigate Westminster Abbey otherwise unless a tap dancer. Raised markers, it’s a no.

  5. If you can walk round, sure some are easily bypassed.

    But theirs alot of old churches where they have had so many they place them on main routes, aide ways, central nave. Theirs grave markers of notable all over.

    Thry had to keep making space over the centuries.

  8. I’ve been to plenty of churches where the grave markers *are* the flags used for the path. If they’re isolated like above, avoid them as a tourist. If they’re not, consider them to be acceptable to walk on. Such grave markers often have markers of walking erosion like the middle being more eroded than the edges.

    It’s not a “never”. But if you can, it’s easier to avoid them as a rule for a foreign tourist.

  9. I’m pretty sure they aren’t going to complain 🤷🏻‍♂️ and if they do the etiquette is run 😂 be respectful and everyone will be fine.

  10. better to walk around if you can, but there are places where that’ll be impossible due to the density of them. in those cases just don’t like dance a jig on them.

  11. I’ve been playing far too much oblivion. Thought this was an RPG screenshot 🤦

  12. It’s questions like this that remind me people like to have an opinion about everything, regardless of whether they’ve never thought about it before or not.

  13. I try not to walk on them anywhere. I find it tacky when people do it on purpose if they’re capable of avoiding it. In some places its either impossible to avoid or easy to do so accidentally and i don’t sweat it in those cases.

  14. Have respect for them don’t walk on them, walk around them.

  15. Some churches use them as paving, which I’ve always thought is rather disrespectful. I’d always avoid walking on them unless they are, in fact, the only path available.

  16. If you don’t want people walking on your grave then don’t make it part of the floor.

  18. Common practice is to have respect for graves regardless where they are.

    Don’t go out your way to walk over them if it’s possible to avoid it.

    Not everyone will follow this but you should.

  19. M8 there’s one up in Edinburgh people parked their cars on

  20. My understanding is, It depends very much on the church/religion. If the grave marker is used as part of a path or floor then it’s probably one of the churches where walking on them is good. The paisley abbey’s floor is literally made of grave stones. The guide told us that rich people would pay more for their family stone to be in the busy parts so it would get wallked on more. Apparently when people walk over rich people’s names they kick the sin away, so the person has a better shot of getting into heaven.

  21. As an atheist – I still would never walk on a grave, I could avoid. Just seems dis-respectful.

  22. Pick a side from the Covenanters’ War and only walk on the others’ graves

  25. dude stepped on the markers in 2015, got captured in google maps, and now he is being thrown shade in Reddit lol

  26. It is perfectly acceptable to walk over most of them when they are in churches like this.

  27. Usually a reel in the Lowlands, otherwise it’s a Highland Fling

  28. I’ve always stopped at the edge of the first grave for a few seconds and silently asked for permission to stand on there collective graves. Whether it being a family funeral where we all have to stand on adjacent graves, or visiting a war grave.

  29. I honestly didn’t even see some of them the first time I visited the Glasgow cathedral

  31. I generally try to avoid them. Usually drop a “sorry there bud” (am Canadian but go to Scotland regularly to visit family) if I have to walk over one

  34. Ask them. If they don’t respond, they’re probably dead and don’t really give a fuck.

  35. i try and avoid them, if i can’t i walk over them

  38. I remember going to a very important historical site on the Isle of Harris I think. I can’t remember where exactly it was but it was the old grave of an ancient king. Me and my mum were looking at the stones surrounding it and my little brother (ten at the time) got IN the grave! My mum was mortified

  40. I was told, when I worked in the place in the photo that that it was intended for people to walk on these grave markers in order to read them. Don’t know how true it is. Also I noticed that it was usually North American visitors who were slightly miffed by people doing this. I guess North America has a different approach to this.

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