bålpelare

Bålpelare, literally "pyre pillars," is a Swedish term referring to vertical posts used to form a framework for a bonfire or cremation pyre. The word combines bål (bonfire or pyre) and pelare (pillars).

Construction and use: Uprights may be set around the circumference or inside the structure to support fuel, allow ventilation, and provide spaces for placing objects or offerings. In some descriptions, they serve to elevate a body or ceremonial items above ground level during the cremation or burning rite.

Historical context: Documentation is limited and often regional. References to pyre constructions in Nordic contexts appear in ethnographic, literary, or archaeological sources, but terminology and exact configurations vary. Bålpelare is not a universally fixed term and may be used mainly in museum labels or regional histories to describe a type of pyre framework.

Modern usage: Today, the concept is sometimes used in cultural heritage contexts, education, and re-enactments to illustrate traditional fire structures, including coastal and rural communities where large bonfires are part of celebrations or rituals.

See also: Bonfire, Pyre, Cremation, Funeral rite, Archaeology.