The Grave of Oderus Urungus

The Grave of Oderus Urungus pauljuser (Atlas Obscura User)

Near the entrance to Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, visitors will find a flat stone large enough for a full-size depiction of a man. The face is peaceful, and the man is wearing fantasy armor with a savage sword laid over the body.

This is the cenotaph, or memorial stone, for Dave Brockie, frontman and founding member of the heavy metal band GWAR. As the character Oderus Urungus, Brockie spent his life traveling the world and performing as a space monster until he passed away in 2014. The stone was unveiled in 2019, showing Brockie at rest wearing his Oderus armor. (Many of the band’s elaborate costumes and set dressings are made at GWAR’s studio in downtown Richmond.)

Brockie isn’t buried under the stone, as his ashes were placed inside an Oderus costume and given a Viking funeral on a lake just outside of Richmond. After Brockie’s death, the Oderus character was retired, and the band continues to tour and record to this day. Brockie’s legacy is further preserved at the GWARbar, which opened in 2014 shortly before his death.

Know Before You Go

Enter through the main gates of the cemetery and take your first right, then right into the small dirt parking lot. The stone is visible from the parking lot, up the hill beside a bench with a chessboard.