Whether or not you know what the word taphophile means, I’m pretty confident that you are one – just judging by the fact that you took the initiative to visit sixfeetabovethegrave.com.
Did you get a special feeling from the atmosphere featured in the video above?
I’m not surprised!
Now before you start thinking that there could be something seriously wrong with you, let me briefly give you a breakdown of the prefix & suffix that create the word taphophile.
The prefix tapho- is of Greek origin, and it refers to English words like “grave, tomb, bury“. The suffix -phile stems from the Greek language as well, and it is translated to indicate fondness for a specified thing.
So, once they are slapped together – you get the word taphophile.
An old school way of defining a taphophile is to simply say that a person is a lover of cemeteries. However, as time has progressed – the unofficial meaning of the title has changed a bit as well.
ta•ph💀•phile
/ taâphoâphile /
(noun)
• a person who is interested in cemeteries, funerals, and gravestones.
(plural taphophiles)
I am truly sorry for boring you with a thrown together English lesson, but I felt it was necessary to help you answer the question that still remains… are you a taphophile?
Admit it. You are, and so am I.
Welcome to the club!
Embrace it.
There are people like us everywhere – out & about exploring cemeteries, cleaning graves, sharing photos of tombstones & other memorials.
There’s also tons of people that are jumping on the death positive bandwagon, and they are learning more about funeral cultures of the past & present – and the possibilities of the future.
I personally find it very inspiring. It’s comforting to see people come out of the shadows to share their passion & insight for being fond of cemeteries, interested in the history behind those that are resting in them, and even willing to openly discuss topics like death & dying.
It’s safe to say that we’re not alone in being (what some may refer to as) odd or weird.