As to the latter, before we call it “barbaric”, put yourself into the time and place of the people who were actually there to witness such momentous events, gruesome though they may have been – in many/most cases, there was someone in the crowd of witnesses who had deep feelings for the deceased – regardless if the former were in the minority.

Remember, it’s been a common practice throughout human history to save locks of hair of the dead before burial, to dip cloth into their blood (witness historical accounts of the deaths of Christian martyrs), and even (in the US in the 1800′s through the early 20th century) to photograph our recently-deceased children in their “dressed-up” burial clothes. (Should we toss out the blood-stained pillow on which Lincoln’s head rested when he died in the Petersen house across the street from Ford’s Theater? Was it barbaric to keep it? Should it have been tossed into the trash can? Of course not.)

This is not barbarism; for ages we humans have felt the need to retain physical tokens of affection of the dearly departed. It serves to give the living witnesses a physical item to hold, to see, to FEEL – all for a simple, very human reason: to help ease awful grief.

For this same reason we rub the noses on bronze statues of our heroes, saints, etc. We laugh when our children do the same – who would scold them for “barbarism” when they participate in this worldwide custom? Have any of us walked past a statue of Lincoln that did not have its nose all shined up? Why not? – because we know it is good to be allowed to literally feel a physical connection – and thus remember better – those whom we should revere from the past.