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Sunday, July 13, 2008

You Can’t Die Here

Good to know. 

It is forbidden to die in the Arctic town of Longyearbyen.

Should you have the misfortune to fall gravely ill, you can expect to be despatched by aeroplane or ship to another part of Norway to end your days.

And if you are terminally unlucky and succumb to misfortune or disease, no-one will bury you here.

The town’s small graveyard stopped accepting newcomers 70 years ago, after it was discovered that the bodies were failing to decompose.

(2) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1634 hrs
Foreign Affairs

  1. At least (presumably) you can give birth. On ancient Delos you could do neither.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 13, 2008 at 1948 hrs


  2. What’s wrong with a Viking funeral?  Set the ship afire and kick it out to sea.

    Posted by James Wigderson on July 13, 2008 at 2022 hrs


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