Earth Wounds
Written by Katya Zielonko
Earth Wounds, written by Kevin Alexandrowicz and Devon Rawlings, is a unique, thought-provoking and visually stunning telling of Viking Age funerary customs. From graves as far and wide as Iceland to Finland, Earth Wounds discusses the stories of people left behind in their graves. By using the positioning of the body and the materials left behind, Kevin and Devon use the graves to tell inspired stories about those that came before us.
With limited evidence of the funeral practices found within the Viking Age we are at a loss of the intricacies and meanings of what was left in the graves of the dead, and further, why bodies were positioned as they were. Why in some graves are they placed face down? Why, in other graves, are they curled into the foetal position? Why were stones placed around or on top of the bodies? We will never know the true answer to these questions, but with creative minds like Devon and Kevin’s, we can develop and discuss stories as to why.
This book expertly mixes archeological evidence with art and creativity, delving into the importance of funeral customs and using the unknown to consider the effect of death on culture and art. They showed a tremendous amount of care and respect towards the dead. Kevin states that this book is ‘the middle ground, … to explore the themes surrounding death in the Viking age’ and after finishing the book I fully agree, he and Devon managed to contribute to the middle ground, discussing themes of death in sagas to archeological evidence.
From the careful choice of words in their storytelling, to the even more careful positioning of stones in the graves. They followed their creative path towards what did and what might have occurred. This book is not your typical historical publication, it is a unique experience with thought-provoking photographs, drawings, stories all intermixed with scholarly discussion. To really immerse yourself in the story, find the right setting to delve into the discussion, perhaps by sitting outside on the Earth that we will all return to.