Revised Widow's Weeds and Weeping Veils : Mourning Rituals in 19th Century America

by Bernadette Loeffel-Atkins

In the nineteenth century, death was an ever present companion. High infant mortality and risk in childbirth, disease and warfare were daily reminders of the impermanence of life and the inevitability of death. The Victorian era both in Europe and America saw the rituals of mourning rise above the practical use of providing closure for those left behind. Mourning became an art form through which is not only grief, but also religious feeling, social obligation, and even fashion could be expressed. Widow's Weeds and Weeping Veils explores how Victorians viewed death and dying, describing the cultural and social changes that occurred as a result of the historical events of their time. This concise, informative work is ideal for students of the nineteenth century, Civil War enthusiasts and anyone interested in Victorian era culture.

Genres: History, Death, Nonfiction, Victorian, Womens

56 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Classic Bhaer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read. While today this is not an easy topic to discuss it is interesting to explorer just how much mourning played in the lives of humans only a few hundred years ago. This small book covers quite a bit from clothing, food, home decor, and more. It goes into symbolism, ways to remember loved ones, I honestly could keep going. It is apparent that the author is knowledgeable.

[Kristen Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet- an easy quick read on an interesting subject. Beautiful pictures.

[Ashley Marie]

I don’t know how to rate this. It is a very informational book that is short and sweet. This book was read for research purposes for my grad project.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morbid desire. Whitby jet. Hair art. Tear bottles. Memento mori.

[momo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like a textbook but is very informative on death, and family customs

[Brian Centrone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick shot full of information pertaining to mourning rituals in 19th century America. Good for basic knowledge and light research.

[Nikki Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s enjoyable to read about the Victorian traditions surrounding funerals, and all the proper etiquette that went into it

[Justinian]

2008-08 - Widow’s Weeds and Weeping Veils: Mourning Rituals In 19th Century America. By Bernadette Atkins. 2004. 34 pages.

At 34 pages this was more of a pamphlet than a proper book. Yet it still is able to provide an interesting insight on to the view and way of death and mortality in the Victorian era. We in the West, live in now in an era where the notion of “a good death” is alien. More so we speak of the good life and have an abhorrence of decay, death, and aging. Mortality rates among children and women have declined. Death is no longer a normal aspect of life except that we all die. Its normalcy in the Victorian era is a fact which is far removed from our existence. The ways that society dealt with death have changed as well. There has been a distancing of the living from the dead. The notion of mourning has faded. Stumbling around an attic or an upstairs bedroom of an older family relative and coming upon prized photos of corpses laid out as if they were sleeping or sitting peacefully in a chair strikes a modern person as weird or creepy though to a person of that era it made sense and was a valued memento.

This book does a very good job of introducing the modern citizen to the methods of grieving and mourning from that era which knew death intimately. It is an excellent introduction striking a good balance between brevity and depth of information. It does give you pause for thought. There are lingering traces of these methods of celebrating life by honoring death in our society. Sadly though the connection between the trace and the meaning of its implementation has been severed or is severely faded.

What is not covered because of the brevity of the text is the religious notions in funeral services and the like and how their formulation in an earlier time relate to the modern era. Some of the language and imagery used is lost on the modern citizen because of our distance from death and its non-normalcy in our lives. Some of the language and imagery used has changed in its meaning to the modern citizen because of our distance from death and its non-normalcy in our lives. It is clear even in this short text that there is a disparity between expectations for men and women both in death, in life, and in the relation between the two. Sometimes the stereotypes or enforced behavior modes have carried forward but are disconnected from their meaning and this is an interesting aspect.

Good book to get a taste and appreciation for the changes also that industrialization and specialization had on the practice of mourning and its trappings and expressions. This aspect may surprise some readers greatly who have not considered this aspect before.

[Marilyn Lagier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just an interesting-looking small book (pamphlet) I picked up at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, VA, when I was there in November 2014. I finally got around to reading it. Simple, easy, very interesting, quick read. I learned that men did not have to mourn the same length of time women did and that if a man remarried in a short time that his new bride would often done the mourning clothing and wear it for the remainder of the woman's time! I'd like to find a button/memory charm string on eBay or perhaps a tear vial but according to the book, both items are quite rare. I also learned that many photos of children were taken post-mortem. Very interesting.