Glacier funerals as dark events of the Anthropocene

This chapter explores the relatively recent phenomenon of glacier funerals. Glacier funerals started with Okjökull, in 2019, said to be the first Icelandic glacier to have disappeared due to climate change. Shortly after Okjökull’s funeral, several other glacier funerals followed in Switzerland, France, and Oregon, USA. While these funerals represent venues for both the expression of loss-related emotions and a transition toward grief for local affected communities, they also become active mediatic tools for staged climate change awareness campaigns. In this context, glacier funerals become dark events of the Anthropocene, serving various purposes and divergent agendas. As the climate crisis worsens and glaciers disappear, it is expected that more of these funerals will take place in the coming decades.