Imagine receiving a fine or facing jail time simply because a family member passed away. In a handful of locations around the world, governments have actually passed laws making it illegal to die.
From ancient islands aiming to maintain absolute religious purity to modern municipalities battling severe bureaucratic red tape over full graveyards, the prohibition of dying is a very real, documented phenomenon.
Ancient Islands and Religious Rules
The earliest recorded prohibition of death occurred in the fifth century BC on the Greek island of Delos. Following instructions from the Delphic Oracle, officials purged the entire island of dead bodies and strictly forbade anyone from dying or giving birth on its grounds. A similar rule emerged on the Japanese island of Itsukushima.
Immediately after the Battle of Miyajima in 1555, the victorious commander ordered troops to remove fallen bodies to the mainland, scrub the buildings, and dispose of blood-soaked soil. To maintain the purity of the Itsukushima Shrine, no deaths or births have been permitted nearby since 1878. Terminally ill individuals and pregnant women nearing their delivery dates must travel to the mainland.
Brazil’s Threat of Posthumous Penalties
In 2005, the mayor of Biritiba-Mirim, Brazil, filed a public bill to make dying illegal for his 28,000 residents. The mayor threatened to penalize the relatives of the deceased with fines or jail time. He proposed this severe law because the local cemetery, inaugurated in 1910, was completely full.
More than 50,000 people were buried in just 3,500 crypts. By November 2005, up to twenty recently deceased residents had to share a single crypt, while others were buried under walkways. The town struggled to find new burial space because 89 percent of its land consists of underground rivers supplying water to São Paulo, and the remaining area is protected tropical jungle.
Europe’s Satirical Cemetery Protests
In Europe, banning death often serves as a satirical political protest against environmental regulations. In 2000, the mayor of Le Lavandou, France, outlawed death after officials denied planning permission for a new cemetery due to environmental concerns. He publicly called it an absurd law to counter an absurd situation.
The French towns of Cugnaux and Sarpourenx followed suit in 2007 and 2008 for the exact same reasons. Similarly, the mayor of Lanjarón, Spain, issued an edict prohibiting his 4,000 residents from dying until the government purchased land for a new graveyard.
The British Royal Palace Myth
A persistent rumor claims it is strictly forbidden for commoners to die inside a United Kingdom royal palace, such as the Palace of Westminster, because doing so legally entitles the deceased to a state funeral. This is entirely false. Historical figures including Guy Fawkes, Walter Raleigh, Spencer Perceval, and Alfred Billson all died on the grounds of the Palace of Westminster, and none received a state funeral.