Cremation vs a Skullgirl's Resurrection Abilities

[Armageddon Star]

After playing through a bunch of the story modes and seeing all the skeletons that Marie could summon, I was wondering about the extent of the Skullgirl's powers and one question came to mind; if she can raise corpses, why wouldn't more people in this world cremate their dead under Marshal law or something? Can a Skullgirl reconstruct a body from the ashes? Or is there just a cultural preference for traditional burials? If there's a thread talking about this or portion in the story/dev explaining it already I'm sorry XD

 

[ACreationist]

Perhaps Double has the Canopians convinced that buring bodies is sinful.

 

[CaioLugon]

lol good point, maybe she could still control the ashes and use it like sand manipulation or something.

 

[Colossi]

Squigly's c.hp confirmed as Marie counter.

 

[ACreationist]

I think that if the bodies are burned to ashes, they can't be controlled by the Skullgirl. So Double convinced the citizenry not to burn bodies, and to bury them all instead.

 

[BallotBoxer]

Cremation may not be popular, but there are other cautious customs:

Marie snaps Medici Tower like a breadstick, spilling coffins bound in chains

Two reasons why cremation isn't mandatory:

Perhaps Double has the Canopians convinced that burning bodies is sinful.

Exactly! Double is at the core of the biggest religion in the Canopy Kingdom. Worshippers of the Trinity might be dissuaded from cremation like the some of the followers of religions in our world.

But it is futile: don't worry about graveyards when the living are also ammunition. Most Skullgirl minions aren't cold corpses long-buried, but the bodies of the freshly murdered. Selene Contiello was surrounded by the skeletons of her recently-shot friends and family when she turned into the Skullgirl. Most of Marie's skeletons are gangsters, newly "recruited" Medici goons that she killed in her revenge warpath. I shudder to think of the seemingly-endless supply of skeleton soldiers for Skullgirl Nancy Renoir on a Grand War battlefield.

 

[Armageddon Star]

Perhaps Double has the Canopians convinced that buring bodies is sinful.

Good point, though I have to wonder if Double truly has that much sway over countless generations of people. I mean YES she is quite the manipulator, but a single nun (who seems mostly interested in 'hearing confessions' and moving the skull heart place to place instead of preaching and going into philosophical debates with people and evangelizing) in an entire religion changing the views of practically every follower? Most people I know of who developed or wanted to change an entire belief system usually gather only so many followers before breaking off of the original faith and forming their own thing: essentially leaving groups of people who wouldn't follow the founder and their ideals. Now grant it she could have been the original founder (and multiple spiritual leaders at the same time lol) and reinforced it over generations but…I mean many people in different centuries have abandoned old religious practices in favor of keeping up with the times, fitting in with the society, or safety/wellbeing in general.

You could say that she silenced all the opposers, but entire thousands of people vanishing quietly without a Skullgirl's intervention seems a bit much even for an unworldly shapeshifter. Or at least for that particular character. Even governments and major religions today usually can't wipe every person of a particular creed out. Though I could be wrong about both statements.

I surprised that cremation isn't a controversial topic in that world on par with some of the…less pleasant debates in our own. Though thats probably for the better. I don't want Partisan Double to create the eternal hellfire that is a political flame war in New Meridian. Though more chaos would help her cause.

 

[Armageddon Star]

Cremation may not be popular, but there are other cautious customs:

Marie snaps Medici Tower like a breadstick, spilling coffins bound in chains

That's actually what got me asking the question in the first place lol XD

Two reasons why cremation isn't mandatory:

Exactly! Double is at the core of the biggest religion in the Canopy Kingdom. Worshippers of the Trinity might be dissuaded from cremation like the some of the followers of religions in our world.

But would every person in that world (and even in that religion) be on board with it? Espeacially after countless generations of Skullgirls and plenty of time to observe and weigh pros and cons. (Granted there are still unpleasant practices today, but the are enough critics to pose a serious threat to them) And following just one nun? I mean I obviously don't know much about the structure in that religion but one person in total control of every single solitary sect of it? (I mean I know she can turn into multiple people, but in order to run entire groups of people with possibly multiple leaders at the same time?…eh Double needs to be in multiple places at the same time and needs to be an energizer bunny)

But it is futile: don't worry about graveyards when the living are also ammunition. Most Skullgirl minions aren't cold corpses long-buried, but the bodies of the freshly murdered. Selene Contiello was surrounded by the skeletons of her recently-shot friends and family when she turned into the Skullgirl. Most of Marie's skeletons are gangsters, newly "recruited" Medici goons that she killed in her revenge warpath. I shudder to think of the seemingly-endless supply of skeleton soldiers for Skullgirl Nancy Renoir on a Grand War battlefield.

Excellent point. I take it that's why Nancy was considered a very powerful Skullgirl.

 

[Blues Canti]

But would every person in that world (and even in that religion) be on board with it? Especially after countless generations of Skullgirls and plenty of time to observe and weigh pros and cons. (Granted there are still unpleasant practices today, but the are enough critics to pose a serious threat to them) And following just one nun? I mean I obviously don't know much about the structure in that religion but one person in total control of every single solitary sect of it? (I mean I know she can turn into multiple people, but in order to run entire groups of people with possibly multiple leaders at the same time?…eh Double needs to be in multiple places at the same time and needs to be an energizer bunny)

About the "Cremation is sinful, the dead will end up in Gehenna/whatever the Skullverse equivalent of hell is" thing, the Skull Heart appears to have come to the Skullverse quite long, long ago - if we go for the idea Double was around at the same time, she could've been the local equivalent of Jesus (that's not my own original idea, I can't remember who had it but it makes so much sense it's part of my headcanon now), have said "don't burn your dead or something bad will happen" and cause it to be recorded in the Skullverse "Bible". Seeing as the Canopy Kingdom seems to be deeply religious, they might've followed it to the letter and didn't question it at all.

Or they might just not know about cremation? That's a possibility, too.
Or maybe it's like in our world : Cremation exists, it's just that it's very uncommon.

 

[6Phase6]

I wouldn't expect religious reasoning to play much of a part in a ritual that directly leads to the zombie apocalypse every 7 years. Not unless we're lacking some critically important lore.
I think choosing burial would have to have a more practical purpose.

 

[Armageddon Star]

About the "Cremation is sinful, the dead will end up in Gehenna/whatever the Skullverse equivalent of hell is" thing, the Skull Heart appears to have come to the Skullverse quite long, long ago - if we go for the idea Double was around at the same time, she could've been the local equivalent of Jesus (that's not my own original idea, I can't remember who had it but it makes so much sense it's part of my headcanon now), have said "don't burn your dead or something bad will happen" and cause it to be recorded in the Skullverse "Bible". Seeing as the Canopy Kingdom seems to be deeply religious, they might've followed it to the letter and didn't question it at all.

Or they might just not know about cremation? That's a possibility, too.
Or maybe it's like in our world : Cremation exists, it's just that it's very uncommon.

For your first point on Double, I mentioned a few points on that in a comment to ACreationist. But to summarize what I said there with a real world expression, not everyone in this world is Christian and even in many Christian denominations there have been philosophers debating the meanings and purposes of Jesus'/prophets' commands and warnings over the centuries. So basically not everyone in the skull girls universe (unless it was canonically confirmed) would follow Double Christ and the religion she formed. And even in a religion hundreds of years old there would likely be many denominations/ heretics who would dissent if they found something illogical in her teachings. The comment explains it a bit more so I recommend checking it out (it's the seventh comment in the thread).

As for not knowing about cremation…eh. In my opinion it seems like a bit of a stretch considering how old the religion and culture is. I mean there's a good chance that some person in some anonymous village noticed that a dead body can burn into ashes…

Your final point about cremation though is probably the most likely factor in my opinion. XP