Actress says she was 'treated like a cannibal' after revealing she eats her mother's ashes

Actor Rachael Stirling says she was made to feel like a 'matricidal cannibal' after revealing that she'd eaten some of her mother's ashes.

Last month, the actor revealed that she had swallowed a 'grain or two' of her mum Diana Rigg's ashes before heading on stage for the opening night of a new play, adding that the late Game of Thrones star was her 'superpower'.

"I eat her ashes before going on stage," she wrote in her recently released memoir, All About My Mother. "It shocks people when I tell them.

"It feels absolutely natural to me. I am cloaked in her, shielded and shrouded by her. My mother is my superpower."

The unorthodox revelation, which was revealed ahead of the book's publication, soon went viral online.

Rachael Stirling with her mother Diana Rigg, who passed away in 2020 (Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

Now, Stirling has responded to the headlines in a piece written for The Guardian, claiming that she was 'portrayed as a matricidal cannibal' in the media.

Writing in detail about how she decided to place 'a few spilt cinders' on her tongue before heading on stage for the opening night of her 2022 performance in Scandaltown.

"It didn’t feel wrong, it felt completely right," she said of the moment, adding that her nerves 'disappeared' after consuming the ashes.

"I know this sounds bats**t, but it made complete sense to me," she said, adding that she had since repeated the ritual on the opening night of every play she'd acted in since.

Reflecting on the reactions she's had since revealing the habit, Stirling noted that most people, excluding a widow who admitted to also eating her loved ones' ashes, few people had been in agreement with the practice.

"Reactions vary from sour lemon-sucking grimaces to downright disgust," she wrote.

Diana Rigg is best known to many for her role as Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones (HBO)

"Despite this, I will not be persuaded to give up the habit. I will die on the hill of my ash-eating."

Is it safe to consume cremated human ashes?

While Stirling's decision to consume her mother's ashes is rare, she isn't the first person to do so – but how safe is it?

Consuming cremated remains is considered part of a practice known as endocannibalism and is seen as a ritual of respect or mourning for the deceased person.

However, the practice isn't one which is considered to be safe or healthy by most modern medical professionals.

This is due to cremated remains containing heavy metals and chemical residues, such as carcinogenic formaldehyde, left over from the process of cremation, as well as a high concentration of mineral salts and carbon, which can be dangerous to the body if consumed in high amounts.