In many poems like Rudyard Kipling’s “The Undertaker’s Horse”, the undertaker is seen as one who steals a loved one from your grasp, almost using the image of the undertaker and the Grim Reaper interchangeably.
“Answer, sombre beast and dreary,
Where is Brown, the young, the cheery,
Smith, the pride of all his friends and half the Force?
You were at that last dread dak
We must cover at a walk,
Bring them back to me, O Undertaker's Horse!”
So the question is, what kind of traits must a real mortician have? Here are just a few of the qualifications:Where is Brown, the young, the cheery,
Smith, the pride of all his friends and half the Force?
You were at that last dread dak
We must cover at a walk,
Bring them back to me, O Undertaker's Horse!”
- Flexible: Works odd hours and is often on call.
- Compassionate and Empathetic: deals with others’ strong emotions daily
- Dignified and Professional: must show proper respect to certain circumstances
- Good Communicator: Must be able to discuss potentially unpleasant topics
- Open-Minded: Deals with many religions and belief-systems
- Knowledgeable and Skilled: Has to know something about legalities, finances, human anatomy, embalming, religion, management, insurance, veterans, chemistry, and on and on
- Involved in the Community: Knowing many people on a personal level is important for serving every demographic.
Here is perhaps a better description of the Undertaker by Bennett Chapple:
The midnight hour, the darkest hour
That human grief may know,
Sends forth it’s hurried summons-
Ask me to come—I go!
I know not when the bell may toll,
I know not where the blow may fall,
I only know that I must go
In answer to the call.
Perhaps a friend—perhaps unknown-
‘Tis fate that turns the wheel-
The tangled skein of human life
Winds slowly on the reel.
And I? - I’m the undertaker,
“Cold-Blooded,” you’ll hear them say,
“Trained to the shock and chill of death,
With a heart that’s cold and grey.”
Trained—that’s what they call it
How little they know the rest-
I’m human, and know the sorrow
That throbs in the aching breast.
That human grief may know,
Sends forth it’s hurried summons-
Ask me to come—I go!
I know not when the bell may toll,
I know not where the blow may fall,
I only know that I must go
In answer to the call.
Perhaps a friend—perhaps unknown-
‘Tis fate that turns the wheel-
The tangled skein of human life
Winds slowly on the reel.
And I? - I’m the undertaker,
“Cold-Blooded,” you’ll hear them say,
“Trained to the shock and chill of death,
With a heart that’s cold and grey.”
Trained—that’s what they call it
How little they know the rest-
I’m human, and know the sorrow
That throbs in the aching breast.
F.A.Q. Are there qualifications to become a mortician?
All states in the US (Except Colorado) require some form of license to practice as a mortician. Some states offer separate licenses for morticians/embalmers and funeral directors. Most states require a degree in Mortuary Science (yes, that degree exists) as well as a 1 - 2 year apprenticeship.
All states in the US (Except Colorado) require some form of license to practice as a mortician. Some states offer separate licenses for morticians/embalmers and funeral directors. Most states require a degree in Mortuary Science (yes, that degree exists) as well as a 1 - 2 year apprenticeship.
Just love that Bennett Chapple poem!
ReplyDeleteHere in the UK the undertaking trade is wholly unregulated. Anyone can do it, no questions asked, no previous experience necessary. Curiously, this leads to fewer scandals, and of substantially lesser magnitude, than you are prone to in the US.
Another terrific post, Mr Rambler!