History of Funerals - Middle Age & Renaissance

What do the terms BC (CE) and AD stand for?

BC - before Christ (CE - Common Era), AD - Anno Domini (year of our lord)

What is a intramural burial?

Burial inside church or church crypt - in the walls, under altars, floors, etc.

Explain the "Edict of Toleration" and how it affected burials

Constantine passed - worship & burial became public. People were more concerned with sentiment than sanitation. Burials were within city walls.

Explain the Catholic Purgatorial Doctrine

Catholic - souls were not perfectly cleansed before heaven, it was a temporary punishment - led to "Leagues of Prayer" & "soul shots"

Describe a Renaissance wake.

To avoid premature burial, act of piety/reverence, prayers for the dead, people to see that mo harm or foul play had been done to the body.

Why was cremation outlawed in the Middle Ages?

It was still considered Pagan.

What impact did the Bubonic Plague "Black Death" have on funerals?

There were no funerals. Cemeteries became overloaded so people were buried in trench graves. 15% of the London's population died.

What were the mourning colors during the Renaissance?

White, black and purple

What was the reason for Burial Clubs?

People paid a quarterage or fee for a decent burial

Why were people buried with their feet toward the East?

So they can stand up and see Christ on the Resurrection.

Why would you have an "independent heart or bone burial"?

Bones or "holy relics" like the heart, can return to homeland for burial. Mostly done for martyrs, saints, and soldiers. Hearts were regarded as holy relics, as such, they were cut out, preserved, and buried separate from the body.

How often was embalming done during the Renaissance?

Rarely, less than 1% of people. It was too expensive and people considered it mutilation. If embalming was done, it usually involved "evisceration" or just removal of the internal organs.

What were the roles of early surgeons and anatomists?

There was a shortage of cadavers - body snatching, experimented with embalming and evisceration by drying and filling bodies and cavities with cloth.