Sterben und Tod im Mittelalter

by Norbert Ohler

In the superstitious, religious and often unhealthy Middle Ages death was an important part of life. Originally published in 1990, this is a historical investigation, based on documentary sources, of what the act of dying and the actual deathbed meant to medieval society. Beginning with a detailed look at the types of death that a medieval man, woman or child might expect, Ohler goes on to examine the Christian rituals of death, the Church's attitudes towards its dying parishioners, the place of the body in society and religious practices (including the preservation of body parts in reliquaries). Other themes include the death of kings, death in war, pestilence and plague, types of graves, visions of the afterlife and more unusual practices involving bodies, such as sacrifice and cannibalism.

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003