However foolish those boys might have been with their lack of preparation, sitting down and waiting in that gallery was a smart move and probably saved their lives
This, it is extremely rare that someone dies if they just sit down and wait to be found (I can only think of 2 cases I've heard of where that happened.) When lost, the best chance of survival is almost always staying in one place.
@@thelogicaldanger the phone battery running out might just have been a contributing factor in their survival, I mean if they had a torch or battery on phone some light they might have carried on walking looking for an exit in their panic before it's lights out, but being pitch black and having zero visibility likely encouraged them to stay put and wait for rescue
@@0therun1t21 I keep thinking about it and I simply can't imagine the feeling they must have had in that situation I'm glad the young'ins made it out alive 🙏
Fun Fact: The legendary French photographer Nadar (Gaspard Felix Tournachon) made the first underground photographs in the catacombs in 1863. For light, he unrolled magnesium wire across the area in frame, removed the lens cap, and lit the wire. He had to build a lab there to coat and process the wet glass plates. He also took the first aerial pictures in the same year, also in Paris in a balloon of his own design and construction named Le Geant.
Thank you for sharing these fascinating insights!!! I am quite impressed by Nadar and how intuitive he was to capture these moments and images from so long ago!!
When I visited the Paris catacombs, two things surprised me. One, you were allowed to enter and roam unescorted. And two, when I exited my backpack was searched as apparently it’s common for folks to steal bones from the tunnels.
A reliable torch with a strong battery and spares, back-up handcrank torch, chalk for markings, warm clothes, emergency supplies. And let someone know I went there.
My brother and sister in law visited the catacombs a couple of years ago. They said it affected them very much, seeing all the skulls of people who’d once been living beings like them. It reminded them that we’re only here for a moment, so we should make the most of our time here.
That's true. The Bible says we are like a vapor, or a mist. In a flash, we are no more. At most, according to scriptures, we could live up to 120 years as written in Genesis chapter 6.
I took a neurology class and we took a trip to the medical school where we got to hold a human brain that was donated. They didn’t say the person’s name to keep privacy, but what was it an experience I’ll never forget.
In the last century I was living in Paris and a girlfriend introduced me to a few people who would enter the catacombs on their own. It was an amazing experience, but should only be done with a group of people who know their way around.
So glad the boys had the good sense to stay put once lost. Imagine if they'd still been wandering blindly, passing by but never encountering the rescuers like ships in the night...
your life is still significant on a human scale, even if not a large scale. remember to invest in the place and time you're in, your legacy can be as simple as your family telling stories about you one day. i will never meet my mom or dad's greater family, but i have seen their faces in pictures and have heard about them from family members. my mom knows how to sew and preserve vegetables, and my dad still knows a lot about draft horses and dairy farming. the people resting in the catacombs probably knew a lot of the same things too, even an ocean away. we might not be here for long but we're not so different, even hundreds of years apart
@@seabirdflutter Well said. Those people's achievements, dreams and goals are now totally lost and forgotten, but are they meaningless because no one knows or remembers? I hope not. They had meaning at the time, that is what matters.
It feel like it's half 'n half in terms of being correct tbh. It's more like your life is "insignificant" in the sense that there are many others experiencing things, so don't even think about regarding yourself as being some "main character" as there's billions of others going about life 'n trying to survive, achieve their own goals, etc. But on the flipside, your experiences are still REAL and important to you, and the only thing we know for absolute certain is that you at least only get one chance at life, so it's good to chillax and try to enjoy it while ya can.
Just visited this year, when we also did the Paris Marathon. Fascinating to visit, they only let in a few people at a time. It's strangely not that creepy, it feels more surreal as you go down the stairs and start exploring the tunnels, with a few history lessons at the same time.
I've recently learned about a company that does human composting in Seattle. Not only does it not take up space in cemeteries, it also puts your body to good use.
@@AuskaDezjArdamaathnatural burial is also an option! :) there are lots of cemeteries that allow it now. The Ask A Mortician channel has several excellent videos on the legalities and ins and outs of alternative burial options including natural burial. :)
I'll never understand people relying on their phone as their only source of light. I have a wee torch on my keys so that if I need to prioritise calling over light on my phone, I can. And before anyone chimes in with a "that's youngsters for you", the last five handymen that came to my house to do works all asked me if I had a torch so they could do their job. Because they were all relying on their phones to light up whatever issue they were dealing with. Very handy 🙄
Flashlights and extra batteries would have been a great idea. Large lanterns (like Coleman) with large batteries even better. Water bottles in backpacks? It's like preparing for a nature hike--and many people don't do that either. And suffer the consequences.
I've been working around a village church recently as an archaeologist in Germany. They're making a new rainwater sewage and I'm there to collect the bones for reburial and/or document the graves. Anyway, there had been a church for at least 800 years, and 700 of that, the villagers have been buried there. There are so many bones. They're everywhere. Full burials, but mostly displaced bones and fragments of bones that had been destroyed when they made newer graves. And that is just the dead in one little village. It really makes things more imaginable in regard to how many people have already lived and died before us.
In the book World War Z, by Max Brooks, one of the chapters in the book is a French soldier telling the interviewer what it was like to fight zombies in the Parisian catacombs. Not only was there thousands who'd fled underground for safety from the zombie plague (ultimately failing to check for the sick coming in) who turned, but gas leaks and decomposition had created areas with flammable gas that meant you couldn't use firearms. Then talking about how zombies in damaged parts of the tunnels would attack from places you didn't know were risks; alcoves, under the water in semi-flooded tunnels, new parts the people had made down there, etc. Its little wonder the catacombs are the location chosen for horror media.
@billy-bg9rx hard preach. I wasn't a big fan of the film, it did nothing for me and I felt it was a massive detour from the book. As you suggest, it would benefit massively from a series that explored one of the bigger or more interesting interviews per episode.
How to react when getting lost is something you learn as a kid in Sweden because of our big forest and woods, these kids followed the first rule which is to stay put as soon as you get lost.
Corpse wax. What is this?? Just when I didn't need another rabbit hole (or catacomb???) to fall down! Thank you, FH for always helping me learn something new 😁
From WikiPedia (parts): Adipocere Waxy substance formed by anaerobic hydrolysis of fat Adipocere (/ˈædɪpəˌsɪər, -poʊ-/), also known as corpse wax, grave wax or mortuary wax, is a wax-like organic substance formed by the anaerobic bacterial hydrolysis of fat in tissue, such as body fat in corpses. In its formation, putrefaction is replaced by a permanent firm cast of fatty tissues, internal organs, and the face. +++ Adipocere is a crumbly, waxy, water-insoluble material consisting mostly of saturated fatty acids. Depending on whether it was formed from white or brown body fat, adipocere is either grayish white or tan in color. +++ Adipocere is formed by the anaerobic bacterial hydrolysis of fat in tissue. The transformation of fats into adipocere occurs best in an environment that has high levels of moisture and an absence of oxygen, such as in wet ground or mud at the bottom of a lake or a sealed casket, and it can occur with both embalmed and untreated bodies. Adipocere formation begins within a month of death, and, in the absence of air, it can persist for centuries.
@@sandyclaws5247 you could try your local church maybe. With the way everything is getting I wouldn't be surprised if they are trying to make money that way!😝🤪😜
The problems with burials in London is covered by The History Squad on YT in the video "Minister Buried 12,000 Corpses Under Chapel". Kevin Hicks is a supreme story teller.
When I visited this site 10 years ago, there were security guards at the exit searching everyone. I asked why and they said people steal bones. I can’t contemplate doing that, that’s bad luck/spirits haunting you for the rest of your days.
In Robert Macfarlane's fantastic collection of essays, Underland, he describes a multi-day trip through the Catacombs. But in his case, he went with supplies, lights, and most important, guides - people who really know how to navigate through the tunnels. It's a terrific piece of writing, but you couldn't pay me to try this!
The boys were only reported missing after 48hrs!? “Hey Pierre, our child Louis has been missing a day after exploring that underground tomb network people go missing in. Should we call for help” “Naaah, give it another day”
It sounds like their parents knew where they were - so first 12 hours or so would be "everything normal, no cell service, they'll turn out for dinner/breakfast". Then "argh. Something's not right. Hopefully it was a minor mishap and they'll turn out fine without us having to inform the authorities that they're doing some illegal exploration." Then "well. Time to go to the police, I dont care anymore if the boys think we snitched".
I know in some places it's difficult to get official rescue operations mounted until a certain amount of time has passed, though I don't know if that's the case in Paris. There's also, with teenagers, often some confusion about exactly where they went and who they're with. If both sets of parents thought the kid was at the OTHER house and none of them knew the kids had gone to the catacombs it could take a while before anyone realised they needed to worry. Anyway, I obviously don't know, just saying that with the information as presented we don't know enough to judge! The news stories I see from the time all say "It is not clear who raised the alarm or when".
In many places, if they're over the age to be an adult, the police aren't allowed to consider someone missing until after 48 hrs, unless there's evidence of something like kidnapping. This is to prevent the police from using a bunch of resources to look for someone who just might not have answered their phone for a while while doing errands or going on a trip (keep in mind, not 20 years ago even it was not guaranteed people had a cell phone, and even before that it wasn't guaranteed people had constant access to a phone at all where they went).
ah, the curse of the mobile phone.... we can use it for everything, it will always save us..... until the battery goes flat, or there is no signal. If they every go down there again i hope they go better prepared.
Take a (good) USB power bank too if you're taking a phone. It might take a few minutes to get charged up enough to turn back on, but that's better than eternity.
Using a good old fashioned ball of string/yarn sounds like a good idea for visitors, if you ask me. Together with a map, and electric torches. Sometimes it's sensible to use both belt and braces, to be on the safe side.
i’ve heard stories (all online, so definitely take with a grain of salt or two) that there are people who will sabotage explorers, like taking their maps or fucking up their reference points. not sure how real these stories are but very interesting
@@mommydommy333as you say read online so pinch of salt, try researching how many people got lost/found might see some more information then, I doubt it's an actual thing regularly happening
Yup, even today, 12 percent of collagen used in lip filler implants is from rendered human skin. (As certain sectors of society can't accept collagen from the other source - rendered pig skin).
This kind of thing was more common back in the day. Just as the lack of skeletons from the Battle of Waterloo was explained by the bones being disinterred and ground up for use as fertilizer.
I've been to the catacombs last year. The atmosphere is truly one of a kind. You are quite literally inside of a grave, surrounded by bones of millions. Above you, below you, all around you. It's neither scary nor melancholic, just very.. unsettling? It's surprisingly hard to describe being face-to-face with a wall made entirely of skulls. Thinking of how all of they could have passed away, and how all of us will join them after what, on a cosmic scale, are brief moments.
Naw. Let it be a sky burial or turn me in to worm food. There's a lot of nutrients to be returned to the world that will use it better then me. As much as I want to be part of a chandelier or be part of a thrown for a weirdo... no.
Of course the Catacombs were used as well by the French Resistance in WW2 to sneak round without the Germans noticing, with various levels of success I think, and grave wax wasn't the only thing taken from bodies in Paris, in the siege of the city in the Franco-Prussian war, bones were ground up to make flour!
Thank you for this video. Several years ago when we visited Paris, I told my sister I was interested in the catacombs. She said no, not for the reasons mentioned here, but because of the microbes and germs there. May the entombed there rest in peace.
Back in the summer of 1973 I went on a European concert tour with my university glee club. One of our stops was Paris and, while we were there, we visited the Catacombs. As we descended, we began singing "Down Among the Dead Men." All I can say in our defense is it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Very interesting. I've done a little bit of research on the Paris Catacombs, specifically for a story I wrote several years ago about a wealthy, arrogant tourist who decides to visit the Catacombs on his own after being denied access to certain areas while on a group tour.
@@tracynonumbers I suppose so, though without giving too much away, the phrase "Empire of Death" takes on more meaning for him after he decides to take a "souvenir" (that is, skull) from its resting place within the Catacombs.
@Stussmeister thanks! sounds rich and there's other places where, at the least, people have to mail back lifted artifacts or rocks, for example, after a severe run of bad luck subjective or sorcery, hey?
I remember visiting with my sisters when we were younger. My poor baby sister was only 10 and let me tell you, when she realized they were all REAL people she went quiet as a mouse. Never seen that kid so well behaved in my life.
Thank you for the history on the catacombs. I knew that they contained the remains of the dead, but I always thought that they were much older than just the late 1700's. I also appreciate now knowing why they are/were used to store the bones of the dead.
I'm sorry but I think you misunderstood; The catacombes started to be dug in Roman times and extended over the centuries. When the structure became to fragile ( and the best stone supplie was used) the city found their building matériel mainly in the ' Oise' and the 'Eure et Loir ' ; and the catacombes were no longer in use. Bones and corridors date both from an 1800 years time période.
@@bastiennietveld7128 Thanks for the reply. To clarify, I did understand that the quarries/mines themselves are much older. I meant that I thought their use as an ossuary started much earlier than the 1800's. I appreciate your knowledge on the subject!
Been there, done that, it's epic. Outside of the public areas, you need to have a head on your shoulders, maps and food/water plus supplies for a week in the dark before venturing in there. It's truly one of life's great experiences and you aren't the same afterwards, it seriously is that epic. It was the most amazing week of my life and I've seen things, a lot of things but this place still takes the cake.
Probably an experience up there with going to space, or your first plane ride, or seeing how deep the ocean is for yourself. Going so deep underground, seeing all the bones, and the history. Just wild! It's thousands of years old and used over much of that time. Pretty interesting vibes down there I'd imagine!
Bring brightly colored chalk with you if you choose to do something like that to mark your turns, haha. And definitely bring actual flashlights, I never understand people who rely on their cell phones for something like that... Your cell phone light is for like if you need to read a menu in a dark restaurant, not for exploring, lol.
French here. Just a quick note: Paris isn't just "well over 1,000 years old", it's at least twice older. The site has actually been occupied since the 3rd century BC. Also, it's now customary in French catholic cemeteries to only get a grave for 100 years. After that, the remaining bones are cleared from the grave and deposited in an ossuary, probably to save up some space.
That is why you bring a backup of everything. Two maps, food, water, light, communication device, ETC. anything that could save your life, have a spare.
The story of Theseus and the Minotaur provides one way to assure one may exit the catacombs. Sounds like you'd need a ton of "thread" though. For a light source, I think a headlamp would be better than a flashlight.
Has been done - "as above so below" it's called. I watched it years ago, not realizing it was a horror movie. I'm still being affected by it, years later! You have been warned...
@@LittleKitty22 Well yeah not everyone can handle horror movies. I personally can't handle most gore so horror movies that are very gory are a no go for me.
As someone who grew up in a house that had 50 years of cobbled together wiring and power outages any time there was a dark cloud in the sky, I have a undying hatred of anyone relying on only a cellphone for light. Flashlights, lanterns, headlamps etc are cheap and good ones aren't hard to come by. Glow sticks rated for 6-8 hours will glow for +20 hours and have usable light for 10-12 hours. A good modern flashlight can handle being under water a few minutes and should survive the shock of a drop from hand height. Hell even the cheapest of the cheap hand crank flashlights are durable enough to survive a drop or two.
@@john1v6 Yeah, the only real saving grace was the house was all concrete and metal roof, the only wood was some roof beams. It was originally a small doctor's office/hospital in the 20's then had "upgrades" through the decades and finally a whole re-wiring in the 90's. The only real issue was the fuses were the old screw in bolt style and the round bar style that had to be replaced when blown. The "cobbled" was just the initial 20's-50's wiring wasn't rated for both a refrigerator and a tv, so it was re-wired in the 60's, couldn't handle a washer and dryer so new wiring in the 70's, etc. Not like it was pieced together with scrap from behind a Home Depot slapped together.
Did they ever find the person who's camera was found? This was at least 10 or so years ago......a man/boys voice canbe heard to the 0oint of him getting worried and such. Was he ever found?
My question is, what did other large cities in other countries do with their dead? What made the conditions in Paris so special that only they had to resort to this? I think I see a "rabbit hole" ahead for myself lol!
In the 1840s some entrepreneurial Londoners bought land on Dorking , Surrey, and created a cemetery, literally a "second London, fir dead people"; they also set up a special train service transporting coffins from London to "the London Necropolis". It ran until 1941 when the station at Westminster Bridge Road was destroyed in the Blitz.
Was thinking this might initially had been related to the "found fottage" clip where the silent camera operator dropped the camera after becoming lost. Creepy as heck whether it was real or fake.
I visited the catacombs in the summer of 2015, and while I was expecting to be creeped out or filled with a sense of dread, first, I felt relief because Paris summers are pretty uncomfortable and the cool air down there was really refreshing after standing in a hot muggy line outside for over an hour! And once down there, I just found it fascinating, more interesting to me than most of the other museums I visited. Probably my favorite part of Paris!
If I EVER visit.. I don't understand why this isn't the standard when going alone. I'm bringing 3 or 4 lights and 2 or going to be head lamps with changeable batteries, dry clothes, batteries, food, water and maybe even a few packs of disposable warmers or reusable butane filled ones with fuel. You can pack all of this in cargo pants and a day bag or molle pouches and carry your water. It's only your life on the line if you get lost. What's a few lbs of stuff to carry? If you get lost, rushing and burning through your supplies and energy won't do you any good. Your best option is to be prepared and stay calm.
I visited the catacombs in 2004 as part of an organised tour around Paris, and almost instantly regretted it. Maybe it's just me, but it was emotionally difficult to watch all the "art" made out of human bones. I found it extremely morbid and disrespectful to the dead. Imo, they should seal them off, and let the dead rest in peace.
You're not looking at the 'art' in the correct light. These arrangements of bones were made out of respect for the dead whose bones needed to be disturbed and moved. They tried to make something beautiful with some of them instead of just throwing all of them in one jumble.
We visited the catacombs back in 2019. It was otherworldly. I remember one skull with a hole in it and wondering how and why that person had met their end. The big bones you see are femurs. They made a wall of them and roughly tossed all the rest of the bones behind them. If you are going to Paris, this is not to be missed.
With all the things to do and see in Paris, not to mention, the foods to enjoy. I didn't want to spend any time of the 3 days I was there visiting the Catacombs. The interest was there but the other activities canceled it. I was a weird kid though - loved to spend time in cemeteries.
However foolish those boys might have been with their lack of preparation, sitting down and waiting in that gallery was a smart move and probably saved their lives
Agree. Once you panic and start running around,that's it.
This, it is extremely rare that someone dies if they just sit down and wait to be found (I can only think of 2 cases I've heard of where that happened.) When lost, the best chance of survival is almost always staying in one place.
@@thelogicaldanger the phone battery running out might just have been a contributing factor in their survival, I mean if they had a torch or battery on phone some light they might have carried on walking looking for an exit in their panic before it's lights out, but being pitch black and having zero visibility likely encouraged them to stay put and wait for rescue
@@RS-xq6je Good point.
@@0therun1t21 I keep thinking about it and I simply can't imagine the feeling they must have had in that situation I'm glad the young'ins made it out alive 🙏
Fun Fact: The legendary French photographer Nadar (Gaspard Felix Tournachon) made the first underground photographs in the catacombs in 1863. For light, he unrolled magnesium wire across the area in frame, removed the lens cap, and lit the wire. He had to build a lab there to coat and process the wet glass plates.
He also took the first aerial pictures in the same year, also in Paris in a balloon of his own design and construction named Le Geant.
Cool! Thanks for sharing 😊
Wow! It's great to learn something new and different. Thank you for the detailed information. 😊
Thanks Wikipedia!
Thank you for sharing these fascinating insights!!! I am quite impressed by Nadar and how intuitive he was to capture these moments and images from so long ago!!
@@StarlordStavanger There was no Wikipedia when I learned that in 1976.
When I visited the Paris catacombs, two things surprised me. One, you were allowed to enter and roam unescorted. And two, when I exited my backpack was searched as apparently it’s common for folks to steal bones from the tunnels.
I imagine some strange people probably want to steal skulls.
yeah, man, the disrespect for the dead by people......?????
I'm surprised they let you roam unescorted, but I've heard enough stories to not be shocked at all that people would attempt to steal bones...
Neat. Was it cold down there? What was the vibe?
People will steal anything
"partake in substances that weren't permitted in the world above" I always appreciate how elegant your scripts are
Note to self: Bring a hand crank Flashlight whenever Underground.
a good idea. and take plenty of water.
Or don't go underground. Seen the Nutty Putty cave?😮
@@joestupid2571Big stable corridors aren't anything like crawl spaces.
A reliable torch with a strong battery and spares, back-up handcrank torch, chalk for markings, warm clothes, emergency supplies. And let someone know I went there.
Note to other self: Only go where it's lit and publicly accepted to explore; otherwise.....good luck!
"Corpse Wax" is not a term I needed to hear today.
Corpse wax…soap 🫣🚶🏻➡️
Makes great soap tho. Always have a fresh bar handy.
"Could you press me the corpse soap please." xD The French were really wildin it out back then.
LMAOOO it’s kinda like how they dug up Egyptian mummies and grinded them up for consumption
Well what the fuck do you expect watching videos like this, like in all honesty.
My brother and sister in law visited the catacombs a couple of years ago. They said it affected them very much, seeing all the skulls of people who’d once been living beings like them. It reminded them that we’re only here for a moment, so we should make the most of our time here.
As Neil Peart wrote: we are only immortal for a limited time
Memento mori
69 likes. Nice.
That's true. The Bible says we are like a vapor, or a mist. In a flash, we are no more. At most, according to scriptures, we could live up to 120 years as written in Genesis chapter 6.
I took a neurology class and we took a trip to the medical school where we got to hold a human brain that was donated. They didn’t say the person’s name to keep privacy, but what was it an experience I’ll never forget.
In the last century I was living in Paris and a girlfriend introduced me to a few people who would enter the catacombs on their own. It was an amazing experience, but should only be done with a group of people who know their way around.
Never ever trust anyone but yourself on preparation. Backpack with water, food, batteries regardless.
@@RICDirector Always keep a small, powerful flashlight seperate from your phone. You don't want to lose your communication and light at the same time.
I want to go!
So glad the boys had the good sense to stay put once lost. Imagine if they'd still been wandering blindly, passing by but never encountering the rescuers like ships in the night...
"There were more dead than ever to bury."
That's one hell of grimdark line there.
Plague tends to do that.
Seeing all those skulls really puts into perspective how insignificant ur life really is.
ur?
your life is still significant on a human scale, even if not a large scale. remember to invest in the place and time you're in, your legacy can be as simple as your family telling stories about you one day. i will never meet my mom or dad's greater family, but i have seen their faces in pictures and have heard about them from family members. my mom knows how to sew and preserve vegetables, and my dad still knows a lot about draft horses and dairy farming. the people resting in the catacombs probably knew a lot of the same things too, even an ocean away. we might not be here for long but we're not so different, even hundreds of years apart
@@seabirdflutter Well said. Those people's achievements, dreams and goals are now totally lost and forgotten, but are they meaningless because no one knows or remembers? I hope not. They had meaning at the time, that is what matters.
It feel like it's half 'n half in terms of being correct tbh. It's more like your life is "insignificant" in the sense that there are many others experiencing things, so don't even think about regarding yourself as being some "main character" as there's billions of others going about life 'n trying to survive, achieve their own goals, etc. But on the flipside, your experiences are still REAL and important to you, and the only thing we know for absolute certain is that you at least only get one chance at life, so it's good to chillax and try to enjoy it while ya can.
Just visited this year, when we also did the Paris Marathon. Fascinating to visit, they only let in a few people at a time. It's strangely not that creepy, it feels more surreal as you go down the stairs and start exploring the tunnels, with a few history lessons at the same time.
Thank you for going over the full history of how the catacombs were created in a short time. Its fascinating.
I've recently learned about a company that does human composting in Seattle. Not only does it not take up space in cemeteries, it also puts your body to good use.
I would love if human composting makes it to Canada. It’s the way I’d like to go for my remains. Dump me in the forest after to feed the flora.
So... next, knowing Seattle, they'll put together a restaurant...
@tremorsfan
We generally dont bury our dead here. Most of us are cremated anyway. And no, they dont "compost" you ffs.
@@rogersheddy6414 lol!
@@AuskaDezjArdamaathnatural burial is also an option! :) there are lots of cemeteries that allow it now. The Ask A Mortician channel has several excellent videos on the legalities and ins and outs of alternative burial options including natural burial. :)
I'll never understand people relying on their phone as their only source of light. I have a wee torch on my keys so that if I need to prioritise calling over light on my phone, I can.
And before anyone chimes in with a "that's youngsters for you", the last five handymen that came to my house to do works all asked me if I had a torch so they could do their job. Because they were all relying on their phones to light up whatever issue they were dealing with. Very handy 🙄
You would think, being handymen, they would carry their own torch's around with them!
At my work, we have handymen that don't bring their own ladder. Lol
And people wonder why I still have a separate MP3 player. I don't like relying on a single item for multiple things.
Flashlights and extra batteries would have been a great idea. Large lanterns (like Coleman) with large batteries even better. Water bottles in backpacks? It's like preparing for a nature hike--and many people don't do that either. And suffer the consequences.
@joestupid2571 Got complacent since they did it before and nothing happened. It happens to all of course once we get comfortable.
"That candle is like Grandma used to burn." "Yes, dear, but that candle IS Grandma burning." #CorpseWax
I've been working around a village church recently as an archaeologist in Germany. They're making a new rainwater sewage and I'm there to collect the bones for reburial and/or document the graves.
Anyway, there had been a church for at least 800 years, and 700 of that, the villagers have been buried there.
There are so many bones. They're everywhere. Full burials, but mostly displaced bones and fragments of bones that had been destroyed when they made newer graves. And that is just the dead in one little village.
It really makes things more imaginable in regard to how many people have already lived and died before us.
In the book World War Z, by Max Brooks, one of the chapters in the book is a French soldier telling the interviewer what it was like to fight zombies in the Parisian catacombs.
Not only was there thousands who'd fled underground for safety from the zombie plague (ultimately failing to check for the sick coming in) who turned, but gas leaks and decomposition had created areas with flammable gas that meant you couldn't use firearms.
Then talking about how zombies in damaged parts of the tunnels would attack from places you didn't know were risks; alcoves, under the water in semi-flooded tunnels, new parts the people had made down there, etc.
Its little wonder the catacombs are the location chosen for horror media.
I wish HBO would make a world war z mini series. It'd be great.
@billy-bg9rx hard preach. I wasn't a big fan of the film, it did nothing for me and I felt it was a massive detour from the book.
As you suggest, it would benefit massively from a series that explored one of the bigger or more interesting interviews per episode.
"On ne passe pas!" 🇨🇵🇨🇵🇨🇵
According to Wikipedia, Aspairt's body was found only a few meters from an exit.
Where does it say that on the page? Looking for it and can’t find it.
@@Digspig On the Catacombs page, not Aspairt's page, in the "Deaths" section.
@ Found it! Thank you very much for the clarification!
Bloody top notch subject choice!
How to react when getting lost is something you learn as a kid in Sweden because of our big forest and woods, these kids followed the first rule which is to stay put as soon as you get lost.
Corpse wax. What is this??
Just when I didn't need another rabbit hole (or catacomb???) to fall down! Thank you, FH for always helping me learn something new 😁
From WikiPedia (parts): Adipocere
Waxy substance formed by anaerobic hydrolysis of fat
Adipocere (/ˈædɪpəˌsɪər, -poʊ-/), also known as corpse wax, grave wax or mortuary wax, is a wax-like organic substance formed by the anaerobic bacterial hydrolysis of fat in tissue, such as body fat in corpses. In its formation, putrefaction is replaced by a permanent firm cast of fatty tissues, internal organs, and the face.
+++
Adipocere is a crumbly, waxy, water-insoluble material consisting mostly of saturated fatty acids. Depending on whether it was formed from white or brown body fat, adipocere is either grayish white or tan in color.
+++
Adipocere is formed by the anaerobic bacterial hydrolysis of fat in tissue. The transformation of fats into adipocere occurs best in an environment that has high levels of moisture and an absence of oxygen, such as in wet ground or mud at the bottom of a lake or a sealed casket, and it can occur with both embalmed and untreated bodies. Adipocere formation begins within a month of death, and, in the absence of air, it can persist for centuries.
Human fat, saponified. Usually by decomposition in basic pH conditions....
Also known as adipocere.
And where exactly does one find "corpse wax" soap and candles? You know... Christmas shopping for the ones who have everything 😂
@@sandyclaws5247 you could try your local church maybe. With the way everything is getting I wouldn't be surprised if they are trying to make money that way!😝🤪😜
@@RICDirectorthanks Tyler Durden 😅
I’m here early, I should say something witty and funny. “Skeletons don’t make puns. They don’t have the guts.” Well, I tried.
Not in a humorous vien.
Felt that joke in my bones.
Glad it was funny, or else I would’ve had a bone to pick with you. 🤦🏻♂️
😂👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
😂😂
The problems with burials in London is covered by The History Squad on YT in the video "Minister Buried 12,000 Corpses Under Chapel". Kevin Hicks is a supreme story teller.
Yes! I subscribe to his channel.
He's superb!
well, this is paris, totally different problem set.
When I visited this site 10 years ago, there were security guards at the exit searching everyone. I asked why and they said people steal bones. I can’t contemplate doing that, that’s bad luck/spirits haunting you for the rest of your days.
Yep.👍
Leave no trace, but take some pictures, and make them respectful pictures too……😅
@@equarg it's really too dark for pictures to come out well, there are lights but it's not bright light. And flash photos are not allowed.
Making candles out of human grave wax is not something i expected to learn today
150 miles?! Flippin' heck!
In Robert Macfarlane's fantastic collection of essays, Underland, he describes a multi-day trip through the Catacombs. But in his case, he went with supplies, lights, and most important, guides - people who really know how to navigate through the tunnels. It's a terrific piece of writing, but you couldn't pay me to try this!
It's like caving but creepier
The boys were only reported missing after 48hrs!?
“Hey Pierre, our child Louis has been missing a day after exploring that underground tomb network people go missing in. Should we call for help”
“Naaah, give it another day”
People are shockingly stupid!
It sounds like their parents knew where they were - so first 12 hours or so would be "everything normal, no cell service, they'll turn out for dinner/breakfast". Then "argh. Something's not right. Hopefully it was a minor mishap and they'll turn out fine without us having to inform the authorities that they're doing some illegal exploration."
Then "well. Time to go to the police, I dont care anymore if the boys think we snitched".
😂 that’s what I thought too
I know in some places it's difficult to get official rescue operations mounted until a certain amount of time has passed, though I don't know if that's the case in Paris. There's also, with teenagers, often some confusion about exactly where they went and who they're with. If both sets of parents thought the kid was at the OTHER house and none of them knew the kids had gone to the catacombs it could take a while before anyone realised they needed to worry. Anyway, I obviously don't know, just saying that with the information as presented we don't know enough to judge! The news stories I see from the time all say "It is not clear who raised the alarm or when".
In many places, if they're over the age to be an adult, the police aren't allowed to consider someone missing until after 48 hrs, unless there's evidence of something like kidnapping.
This is to prevent the police from using a bunch of resources to look for someone who just might not have answered their phone for a while while doing errands or going on a trip (keep in mind, not 20 years ago even it was not guaranteed people had a cell phone, and even before that it wasn't guaranteed people had constant access to a phone at all where they went).
ah, the curse of the mobile phone.... we can use it for everything, it will always save us..... until the battery goes flat, or there is no signal.
If they every go down there again i hope they go better prepared.
Yep, best to carry a small flashlight or two, plus extra batteries. And a backpack with food & water in it.
Take a (good) USB power bank too if you're taking a phone. It might take a few minutes to get charged up enough to turn back on, but that's better than eternity.
Using a good old fashioned ball of string/yarn sounds like a good idea for visitors, if you ask me. Together with a map, and electric torches. Sometimes it's sensible to use both belt and braces, to be on the safe side.
I left a trace of breadcrumbs...
Hope I'll find my way back.
If I ever went in there I would bring a crank flashlight that I can use even when the batteries run out.
i’ve heard stories (all online, so definitely take with a grain of salt or two) that there are people who will sabotage explorers, like taking their maps or fucking up their reference points. not sure how real these stories are but very interesting
If it were me, I'd probably have three torches and spare batteries each . . .
@@mommydommy333as you say read online so pinch of salt, try researching how many people got lost/found might see some more information then, I doubt it's an actual thing regularly happening
4:21 I'm sorry WHAT!!? Soap!!? Candles!? 🤯🤢🤮
Well, they REALLY know how to put some light in other people's life. 😁
As Fight Club said: "The salt balance has to be just right, so the best fat for making soap comes from humans."
Take my money!
Yup, even today, 12 percent of collagen used in lip filler implants is from rendered human skin. (As certain sectors of society can't accept collagen from the other source - rendered pig skin).
This kind of thing was more common back in the day. Just as the lack of skeletons from the Battle of Waterloo was explained by the bones being disinterred and ground up for use as fertilizer.
2:42 *"Clever ! Burying the dead, ABOVE THE SURFACE !!!"* - Patchy the Pirate ☠
I've been to the catacombs last year. The atmosphere is truly one of a kind. You are quite literally inside of a grave, surrounded by bones of millions. Above you, below you, all around you. It's neither scary nor melancholic, just very.. unsettling? It's surprisingly hard to describe being face-to-face with a wall made entirely of skulls. Thinking of how all of they could have passed away, and how all of us will join them after what, on a cosmic scale, are brief moments.
"L'Empire de la mort" is such a metal name for these catacombs. Who wouldn't want to be buried in "The Empire of The Dead"?!
Naw. Let it be a sky burial or turn me in to worm food. There's a lot of nutrients to be returned to the world that will use it better then me. As much as I want to be part of a chandelier or be part of a thrown for a weirdo... no.
Of course the Catacombs were used as well by the French Resistance in WW2 to sneak round without the Germans noticing, with various levels of success I think, and grave wax wasn't the only thing taken from bodies in Paris, in the siege of the city in the Franco-Prussian war, bones were ground up to make flour!
Me: 🤔 🧠 💭……☠️ 🥖 😮🤢🤮
Sorry. Those emojis perfectly replicated what my brain just thought.
"Be he alive or be he dead, I'll ground his bones to make my bread"
Thank you for this video. Several years ago when we visited Paris, I told my sister I was interested in the catacombs. She said no, not for the reasons mentioned here, but because of the microbes and germs there. May the entombed there rest in peace.
The wooden be any germs there they are just skeletons rotted hundreds of years ago
Believe me : we have a lot more nasty microbes and germs in our Subway trains then in the catacombes !!! 😊
@bastiennietveld7128 True!
No sht you ever hand washed your quilt in a bath tub 😂
Geniunely terrifying, but you can totally understand why it would appeal to adventureous kids or even adults who should know better.
Back in the summer of 1973 I went on a European concert tour with my university glee club. One of our stops was Paris and, while we were there, we visited the Catacombs. As we descended, we began singing "Down Among the Dead Men." All I can say in our defense is it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Been watching for several years. I think this is the only channel where i have watched every video to the end. Keep up the good work
According to RUclips this is my most listened podcast of the year, and I agree.
Very interesting. I've done a little bit of research on the Paris Catacombs, specifically for a story I wrote several years ago about a wealthy, arrogant tourist who decides to visit the Catacombs on his own after being denied access to certain areas while on a group tour.
Poe - esque perhaps?
@@tracynonumbers I suppose so, though without giving too much away, the phrase "Empire of Death" takes on more meaning for him after he decides to take a "souvenir" (that is, skull) from its resting place within the Catacombs.
@Stussmeister
thanks!
sounds rich
and there's other places where, at the least, people have to mail back lifted artifacts or rocks, for example, after a severe run of bad luck
subjective or sorcery, hey?
I remember visiting with my sisters when we were younger. My poor baby sister was only 10 and let me tell you, when she realized they were all REAL people she went quiet as a mouse. Never seen that kid so well behaved in my life.
Thank you for the history on the catacombs. I knew that they contained the remains of the dead, but I always thought that they were much older than just the late 1700's. I also appreciate now knowing why they are/were used to store the bones of the dead.
I mean... The catacombs themselves aren't that old but some of the bones inside them certainly are.
I'm sorry but I think you misunderstood;
The catacombes started to be dug in Roman times and extended over the centuries.
When the structure became to fragile ( and the best stone supplie was used) the city found their building matériel mainly in the ' Oise' and the 'Eure et Loir ' ; and the catacombes were no longer in use.
Bones and corridors date both from an 1800 years time période.
@@bastiennietveld7128 Thanks for the reply. To clarify, I did understand that the quarries/mines themselves are much older. I meant that I thought their use as an ossuary started much earlier than the 1800's. I appreciate your knowledge on the subject!
I'd been hoping you'd eventually turn to the Paris Catacombs for a story.
Fascinating indeed. I now have plans to visit the Catacombs should I ever find myself in Paris.
Feels like an altar for Khorne. Skulls for the skull throne!
Wax for the soap god
Been there, done that, it's epic. Outside of the public areas, you need to have a head on your shoulders, maps and food/water plus supplies for a week in the dark before venturing in there. It's truly one of life's great experiences and you aren't the same afterwards, it seriously is that epic. It was the most amazing week of my life and I've seen things, a lot of things but this place still takes the cake.
Probably an experience up there with going to space, or your first plane ride, or seeing how deep the ocean is for yourself.
Going so deep underground, seeing all the bones, and the history. Just wild!
It's thousands of years old and used over much of that time. Pretty interesting vibes down there I'd imagine!
AI post. Yall are getting harder and harder to spot
Bring brightly colored chalk with you if you choose to do something like that to mark your turns, haha. And definitely bring actual flashlights, I never understand people who rely on their cell phones for something like that... Your cell phone light is for like if you need to read a menu in a dark restaurant, not for exploring, lol.
Yeah, still remember my bud Jean greeting us when we got out
I immediately knew it's the Parisian underground Catacombs when the title has been mentioned as the "Empire of the Dead" under Paris.
French here. Just a quick note: Paris isn't just "well over 1,000 years old", it's at least twice older. The site has actually been occupied since the 3rd century BC.
Also, it's now customary in French catholic cemeteries to only get a grave for 100 years. After that, the remaining bones are cleared from the grave and deposited in an ossuary, probably to save up some space.
Yeah that just sounded wrong to me as well. The Romans used the site.
I feel like "Well over 1,000 years" was said simply because it is A; technically correct and B; the least awkward sounding way of putting it.
@@Sam-Cain 😂 agreed. But some people have to be pedants.
He said "well over", not "the city is 1,000 years old"
That's f*cked. 😂
I want my dead body left the f* alone.
People be weird. 😂
I'm suprised there was no mention of the infamous camcorder found footage from the early '00s of an unknown man who became lost in the catacombs.
10:50 he shows a screenshot of a news story about it.
@rudebega1494 Thanks, musta missed that
@ferociousgumby not a bad idea, maybe a short film as opposed to something feature length.
That is why you bring a backup of everything. Two maps, food, water, light, communication device, ETC. anything that could save your life, have a spare.
The story of Theseus and the Minotaur provides one way to assure one may exit the catacombs. Sounds like you'd need a ton of "thread" though. For a light source, I think a headlamp would be better than a flashlight.
The book "World War Z" by Max Brooks has a chilling chapter about the difficulties of clearing the Catacombs of zombies. It's terrifying.
Perfect timing
I WIN!!!!!
lol
"...there is no _record_ of anyone becoming lost..."
*Dozens of corpses who didn't tell anyone they were going down there raise their bony hands*
You couldn't pay me to go in those things.
Id rather go there than a skyscraper observation platform.. !
Eeeeuh,..You'll have to pay our city to get in. We won't pay you, you silly ! 🤗🥐🥖🍷🇨🇵
@@bastiennietveld7128people of France, a depressed guy smoking a cigarette is not a movie, and your sirens sound like gay guys having a threesome 😂
Wow someone should make a horror movie about this
You could check out "As Above, So Below". I thought that was pretty good.
Has been done - "as above so below" it's called. I watched it years ago, not realizing it was a horror movie.
I'm still being affected by it, years later! You have been warned...
@@LittleKitty22 Pretty great movie.
@@animeking1357 If you like that sort of thing, yes. But it's definitely not for those of us who are of a more sensitive nature.
@@LittleKitty22 Well yeah not everyone can handle horror movies. I personally can't handle most gore so horror movies that are very gory are a no go for me.
As someone who grew up in a house that had 50 years of cobbled together wiring and power outages any time there was a dark cloud in the sky, I have a undying hatred of anyone relying on only a cellphone for light. Flashlights, lanterns, headlamps etc are cheap and good ones aren't hard to come by. Glow sticks rated for 6-8 hours will glow for +20 hours and have usable light for 10-12 hours. A good modern flashlight can handle being under water a few minutes and should survive the shock of a drop from hand height. Hell even the cheapest of the cheap hand crank flashlights are durable enough to survive a drop or two.
With wiring like that my first worry wouldn't be darkness but risk of fire!
@@john1v6based on what channel this is, I thought it would be about a fire in that house, not about flashlights. 😅
@@john1v6 Yeah, the only real saving grace was the house was all concrete and metal roof, the only wood was some roof beams. It was originally a small doctor's office/hospital in the 20's then had "upgrades" through the decades and finally a whole re-wiring in the 90's. The only real issue was the fuses were the old screw in bolt style and the round bar style that had to be replaced when blown. The "cobbled" was just the initial 20's-50's wiring wasn't rated for both a refrigerator and a tv, so it was re-wired in the 60's, couldn't handle a washer and dryer so new wiring in the 70's, etc. Not like it was pieced together with scrap from behind a Home Depot slapped together.
"Corpsewax." Thanks. I really didn't need to know that was a thing.
I want to visit the catacombs in person so bad. I'm glad the boys were okay
4:22 corpse WHAT 😭😭
I know at least one scary movie about the catacombs in Paris! It was surprisingly good from what i was expecting, its called As Above, So Below
Sounds like those 2 boys had never been told of how Theseus had navigated his way through the Knossos Labyrinth and killed the Minotaur.
Did they ever find the person who's camera was found? This was at least 10 or so years ago......a man/boys voice canbe heard to the 0oint of him getting worried and such. Was he ever found?
Imagine being a medieval person buried under Paris. Millions of foreign invaders have taken over your city only meters above you
Fascinating video. I remember first learning about the Paris Catacombs while playing a PC RPG game called Deus Ex, in 2000.
Oh my god! I haven't thought of that game in YEARS!
I can somewhat understand candles, but SOAP?? Corpse soap?!?!
maybe they should paint exit signals on how to get out. like hiking trails? city is somewhat responsible if it is public access.
I wish I could visit there. I've seen hour plus documentaries about it. Excellent video as always
2:04 could you imagine if the ceiling gave way over you and all these bones came falling down on you?
My question is, what did other large cities in other countries do with their dead?
What made the conditions in Paris so special that only they had to resort to this?
I think I see a "rabbit hole" ahead for myself lol!
In the 1840s some entrepreneurial Londoners bought land on Dorking , Surrey, and created a cemetery, literally a "second London, fir dead people"; they also set up a special train service transporting coffins from London to "the London Necropolis". It ran until 1941 when the station at Westminster Bridge Road was destroyed in the Blitz.
@trevormillar1576
Thank you! That's really fascinating. I now have a great jumping off point for my reading 😊❤️
Thank you for fixing the subs ❤
Was thinking this might initially had been related to the "found fottage" clip where the silent camera operator dropped the camera after becoming lost. Creepy as heck whether it was real or fake.
Was in the catacombs once, amazing place
I visited the catacombs in the summer of 2015, and while I was expecting to be creeped out or filled with a sense of dread, first, I felt relief because Paris summers are pretty uncomfortable and the cool air down there was really refreshing after standing in a hot muggy line outside for over an hour! And once down there, I just found it fascinating, more interesting to me than most of the other museums I visited. Probably my favorite part of Paris!
If I EVER visit.. I don't understand why this isn't the standard when going alone.
I'm bringing 3 or 4 lights and 2 or going to be head lamps with changeable batteries, dry clothes, batteries, food, water and maybe even a few packs of disposable warmers or reusable butane filled ones with fuel.
You can pack all of this in cargo pants and a day bag or molle pouches and carry your water.
It's only your life on the line if you get lost. What's a few lbs of stuff to carry? If you get lost, rushing and burning through your supplies and energy won't do you any good. Your best option is to be prepared and stay calm.
thought Southpark covered caving well
@tracynonumbers it was a classic episode 😂
Thank you for the bare bones story, it was definitely bone chilling.
Lol, sir, it does not in fact make it any better to know that no one goes missing forever- more than a week is enough, thanks!
Those lads should've received a reward....their ETERNAL REWARD! (Thank you Jafar).
Voice actor was dope.
As above so below is a decent scary movie to watch that takes place in the catacombs
Going through a salt mine in Salzburg,Austria is the closest I want to come to any type of cave exploring. Thank you very much.
Next time I am in Paris I am definitely going to check them (catacombs)out. Cool video!
There are large line up when I was there
I visited the catacombs in 2004 as part of an organised tour around Paris, and almost instantly regretted it. Maybe it's just me, but it was emotionally difficult to watch all the "art" made out of human bones. I found it extremely morbid and disrespectful to the dead.
Imo, they should seal them off, and let the dead rest in peace.
You're not looking at the 'art' in the correct light. These arrangements of bones were made out of respect for the dead whose bones needed to be disturbed and moved. They tried to make something beautiful with some of them instead of just throwing all of them in one jumble.
I've been fascinated by the catacombs for years, so thanks for this story and the information!
Excellent video!
If I heard that there were catacombs where 6 million people’s bones were found, and if I wanted to go see, I’d give a hard pass
Thank you for another chilling story. What a nightmare.
Use of the expression "If these walls could talk" would be ironic in those catacombs, seeing as how parts of them used to.
Always look forward to a Tuesday morning video by FH
If someone was “lost forever”, they would still be lost and we wouldn’t know.
We visited the catacombs back in 2019. It was otherworldly. I remember one skull with a hole in it and wondering how and why that person had met their end. The big bones you see are femurs. They made a wall of them and roughly tossed all the rest of the bones behind them. If you are going to Paris, this is not to be missed.
I've been to the section designated for tourists, it's fascinating to see, especially knowing that they stretch across most of the city.
Very interesting video about the CattaCooms indeed
the story is interesting, but I find the catacombs disgusting, I would never walk around with dead bodies and bones everywhere.
With all the things to do and see in Paris, not to mention, the foods to enjoy. I didn't want to spend any time of the 3 days I was there visiting the Catacombs. The interest was there but the other activities canceled it. I was a weird kid though - loved to spend time in cemeteries.
Too relaxed 💤