Memento Mori: The Importance of Remembering Mortality

[@mariposahorribilis]

I think, in earlier times, skeletons are often portrayed as quite jolly - "look what fun you can have in the afterlife." Later, they became more serious - "your immortal soul is no joking matter."

[@gillianoldfield6300]

The ring is absolutely stunning. It could be worn by anyone, any religion, any creed and give the same message - such a clever design. Yes, I would definitely wear it as a wedding ring!

[@Rockieswoobie]

I agree

[@two.lettuce5362]

Me too, and I would be showing it off!

[@kateyroad5115]

You can buy it on the internet!

[@michelehood8837]

That ring is remarkable!

[@k.s.k.7721]

I live next door to a pioneer graveyard in Northern CA, filled with many miners, who emigrated from Britain to work our local deep rock gold mine. When they moved here, there was no tradition of that type of mine on the West Coast. Most of the graves are family affairs, with multiple members buried in each enclosure, and you can follow marriages and births across the decades in the inscriptions. Many folks were from Scotland, England and Wales, who came to the US to find employment, yet were dead by the time they were in their 50's. There are LOTS of children's graves, as well as those of new mothers, who died in childbirth. It's all a good reminder I see almost daily, as I walk through the spaces filled with prior residents of my small town. I don't find it morbid at all - there are love stories, as well as stories of heroism and heartbreak all around this quiet place.

[@Whimsey6]

I too live in Northern California. Grew up in the Mother Lode & am fortunate to own space in a pioneer cemetery. I'll be in good company, in a fine & private place amongst people who risked it all for opportunity & a chance at riches.

[@scottkelly2558]

This excellent episode reminds me that no matter how modern we become. We are never as far from death as we suppose. Thank you Dr. Kat

[@margarethoskins6625]

I think grave stones too are a form of memento mori. My daughter's and I when we spy a graveyard enjoy a leisurely stroll through , though some find this morbid we find it peacefull and appreciate that that these people once lived.

[@lynnedelacy2841]

I find it interesting that more and more gravestones include photos

[@margarethoskins6625]

@@lynnedelacy2841 my mother's gravestone has her photo on it, just a small one but lovely.

[@charitysheppard4549]

I completely agree with you. live in Louisiana, and I believe, because of the necessity of above-ground tombs, ours are often very elaborate. My family also enjoys respectfully walking through our older cemeteries. All of us have taken beautiful black and white photos of the remembrances.

[@lynnedelacy2841]

Sadly our old churchyard was difficult to manage with gravestones falling down so they removed many of the gravestones from 1700s and used them as stones in the path round the church it caused a lot of controversy but it would have cost thousands of £ to restore the graves and so the parish decided money was better spent on the living but wanted the key elements of the graves to remain hence the path and now every year the crocuses which the church is famous for cover the whole area

[@lynnedelacy2841]

@Margaret Hoskins when I used to travel to Malta a lot in 1980s was the first time I saw photos on gravestones - it’s a recent thing in the U.K. My cousin who died earlier this year and her husband who died 2 years ago both have photos which lead to an interesting discussion about the age of the person in the photo you choose - if it is husband and wife do you use photos taken at a similar time so they look like a couple or do you just go for what you think is the best photo of that individual?

[@kathageeck1566]

I would love a more in depth video on death and burial culture in Tudor Britain in collaboration with Caitlin from Ask a Mortician - you would make such great content together🖤

[@CheshirePhrog]

I'm down. For a hot second I thought this was Caitlin, my second thought was cadaver tombs...

[@elisabethmontegna5412]

Add me to the list of people who’d watch the heck out of something like that.

[@amiehamilton1840]

And me!!! Two of my favourite and most wholesome people on KZbin

[@jackflynn2]

There is an excellent example of a skeleton leading a fashionably dressed young man to the grave in recently uncovered medieval wall paintings at LLancarfan Church in the Vale of Glamorgan. Thank you for a very interesting discussion of this topic

[@MauraVH]

I love discussions of symbolism in art, if you ever pass by any interesting examples I’d love to hear about them! I always find the ambassadors painting so strange with the skull, not only because it is distorted but also because Holbein didn’t really try keep it hidden; it’s not disguised as a rug or anything that could perform some kind of function, it’s weird that something that leans into surrealism and illusion appears in such an old artwork

[@pistolannie6500]

Same here. Hans Holbein said SO Much through His Ambassadors painting.. in just pure symbolism.

[@lynnedelacy2841]

I agree that the skull could have been incorporated in a more clever way And I wonder why he chose bottom right to view it rather than bottom left I suppose it might possibly be based on where and how it was intended to be hung or if it had a deeper meaning ? There is always talk in the Bible about sitting on God’s right hand and of course the Latin for left is ‘sinister’ (and the right dexter)

[@lynnedelacy2841]

In our old churchyard near the coast there was an old grave stone near the vestry door that had a skull and crossbones which we children automatically associated with a pirate and lots of stories like spit on the gravestone at night and turn round 3 times and the spirit of the pirate would appear when all it probably is is a memento mori that has had buckets of spit landing on it over the centuries when all that was happening was a timely reminder of your own death Still you wouldn’t catch me spitting just in case Shiver me timbers

[@justineharper3346]

I was shocked when she said that was a Holbein painting. I’ve seen it so many times, but I never put it together that he did it. The addition of the skull seems so different than his other popular work

[@SonjaJeanius]

I found this episode intriguing. I am moved by the wedding ring, the way is shows the depth of the promise of marriage. Thank you for your brilliant video on this subject as seen from the past.

[@Elvertaw]

I think momento mori hasn’t gone away. Gravestones, War Memorials, and even storing ashes in elaborate urns on the mantle seem to me to be modern day momento mori. Since we don’t take care of our own dead, just like we don’t raise and slaughter our own meat, they have moved from the home, in some instances, to places for communal admiration. What do you think?

[@lspthrattan]

Good Morning from the US! I have my tea ready, please proceed :D

[@velvetindigonight]

Love this!

[@evelinharmannfan7191]

Any spiritual practice can turn into a fashion, and devotionalia can turn into status symbols. The jeweled rosary, the silken meditation pillow, the hipster yoga bodywwear or the luxurious display of memento mori alike can become a token of prestige. But in spite of all the glamour, some people still use these practices as a way to increase spiritual knowledge and religious understanding. I remember when my mother died, I was drowning in grief. Then I realized that everyone has to bear this pain of bereavement sooner or later. And I felt a new compassion for all other humans in the world. A kind of solidarity and readyness to forgive others. Because they, too are subject to this cruel law of nature: Everyone we love will die! I imagine that at least some of those medieval and renaissance people, who went through so many losses, became more aware of their human connection with others. And just as likely, some others went into denial instead, because they were overwhelmed. Because just like today, different people react in different ways to the same experience.

[@ReadingthePast]

We need to remember this - there is not and never was a universal response to anything! Thank you!

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

Wonderfully put, thank you.

[@denisehill7769]

I think people of the past had something we've lost, to a certain extent - a lesson I've been given from friends and loved ones at their death. By their passing each one of them has reminded me that life is an amazing gift, a precious thing, and above all, if you're lucky, great fun, and that we should live it to the full, as they would have done had they lived on. The memento mori tell us that same message, rather than a message of fear, a reminder to "get bl**dy on with it!" :)

[@sarahwatts7152]

That's how I see it too!

[@claudiaquintero2937]

Thank you for this! I have my painting students make a memento mori or a vanitas painting every year in lieu of a traditional still life. I think it's important to be aware of how symbols have changed in meaning through the ages and across cultures and that they, as artists, should take responsibility for their own chosen symbolism. I look forward to your content every week, thank you for all the research you put into this channel❤️

[@chellebelle8902]

When you think about the period of time it makes complete sense. There was an acceptance of death that we don’t have in our present time. Longer life spans and advanced medicine tend to make us think of death as more of an afterthought.

[@barbarak2836]

Also, most of us do not have much personal experience of death during our lifetimes. People who die are usually whisked away to funeral homes and embalmed.

[@angelairidescenceartglass6289]

A partial answer to the question of how at least some non-conformists viewed memento mori can be seen in the grave stones of 17th century New England. Puritan funerary iconography is very much rooted in, and a continuation of, the examples in artwork you presented. Typically, the most prominent visual statement in them is a carved winged skull. There are a few variants, but that particular image is the most common. Tracing death dates and when imagery shifts to angels or cherubs and/or willow trees as opposed to the very present reminder of “winged death” is interesting.

[@gigitastic90]

I wanted to say how much I love Memento Mori and mourning wear like mourning rings and badges. They give both comfort and help us become accustomed to the idea of death and help come to terms with it. And in the case of mourning wear they help tell others someone is going through a loss. The day after you originally posted this was my mothers tenth death anniversary. I have been very pensive (for lack of a better term) thinking about the nature of grief and how we handle death in modern times lately. Not to get into it too much but my mom died very suddenly, as did her brother 14 months before her and her mother 2 years and ten days later . My family went through a very intense period of grief one after another and I know that I, for one, sort of shut down and packed my feelings away for several years. I wonder if we lived in a world where death was more... not exactly present but noticed and recognized perhaps? As we did in centuries past. I wonder how I might have accepted my grief. I think I might have found comfort if death wasn't so sterilized and foreign as it is now. I know that time period has helped me become more accepting of death and I have become very interested in the work of Caitlin Doughty and The Order of the Good Death. Sorry this is so long I guess things got away with me. I love your work and can't wait to see what video you do next!

[@kateh2007]

I've subscribed to History Hit Thankyou Dr Kat. I don't think that I'm going to have too many friends left in a while though, as they have such a vast array of video's that I'm so excited to watch that I'm permanently glued to their wonderful content and don't want to go out and socialise!! Everyone thinks that I'm in hibernation or am having a secret love affair 🤣!!! Take care, I hope that little Gabriel ( and the two of you of course ) aren't struggling too much in this heat ❤

[@ReadingthePast]

I hope you enjoy History Hit 🤩 Gabriel spent the afternoon playing with the water table in the shade in the garden so he stayed nice and cool, while also tiring himself out! I’m counting it as a win!

[@cathrynbyrnes8737]

The ring is stunning. I have an interest in mourning jewelry and have 2 pieces. A lot of them contain a lock of the deceased hair or other memento. Very interesting, thank you.

[@jenniferroxy5956]

I love these, even the lil theme song inspires pure happiness!

[@kashesan]

Do you know what the song is?

[@brooksmusic]

@@kashesan It’s called Greenery kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKnQi2xuadZsaKM

[@laurenhogan9032]

Thank you for this video, Dr. Kat. I have been subscribed to your channel for some time now, and so has my mother. We both have enjoyed watching your postings. On the 20th of last month, we were in a motor vehicle accident. I lost her just over a week later. As my leg has required extensive surgery, I have had a great deal of time for viewing KZbin. About 13 years ago, when my grandmother died, we clipped off a lock of her hair as a remembrance as they did in Georgian and Victorian times. I did the same with my mother's hair. Somehow, they provide me with a sense of comfort and they are as dear to me as if they were saintly relics.

[@ReadingthePast]

I am very sorry for loss of your mother, I hope her memory will be a blessing and I hope you are recovering well ♥️

[@laurenhogan9032]

@@ReadingthePast Thank you so very much for your compassion and sympathy.

[@krislynka]

Why yes, I’d absolutely LOVE a wedding ring just like that one!!

[@justineharper3346]

I’ve always been fascinated by morbid topics. You’ve sent me down a rabbit hole of new macabre material. Thank you! 😊

[@TippyPuddles]

Try the KZbin channel, "faces of the forgotten". Great spin on graves, done with class.

[@justineharper3346]

@@TippyPuddles I’ll definitely check that out. Thanks for the recommendation 😊

[@jared1870]

I always love a good memento mori video. Thank you, Dr. Kat!

[@JulieShock]

I keep a skull and have one to wear as well. It’s still a vibrant catholic practice. My mom hates it but I’ve lived with a ghost cousin; she passed at 8months old six months before I was born; my whole life so death has been talked about in my family.

[@laurieduerr4757]

Very insightful talk, thanks! Yes it's certainly intriguing to think that people in the medieval/early modern period had a different relationship and outlook on death than we do.. It makes some of our views on it seem somewhat silly!

[@thornogrfic]

I think you and Ask A Mortician doing a colab about death rituals from the early modern period would be fantastic

[@janellinger4492]

Thank you for doing this video. Now the skull in the picture makes so much more sense.

[@kathrynmast916]

From early childhood, my hobby has been genealogy which is now well over 60 years. Thus I have become a history bluff and this couple with genealogy, I found that graveyards and cemeteries. These sacred places provide a fascinating look back at our ancestors, sometimes the only thing they left behind. They are a fairly well-preserved history with important clues to each person beliefs, marriage, family, and sometimes work. My great-grandfather was a blacksmith and has a life-sized hammer and anvil on top of his marker. My grandfather’s first cousin was killed October 18, 1918 at Chaume, Alpes-de-Haute Provence, France in one last battle of World War One. All his information is engraved on his six-foot granite marker. Also,I have several pieces Victorian mourning jewelry with one being a lock of red hair encased a gold brooch with a crystal top. I have been to a lot of cemeteries and whether small or large they valuable in reading our past because they send a strong message from them to the present. Doctor Kat, I thoroughly enjoy your presentation.🤗

[@margaretlumley1648]

This is such a beautiful and evocative video. The works of art you shared with us are exquiste and alluring. I am intrigued and curious about them, and i don't know what i think about them - they seem too deeply spiritual to allow mere thought. Thank you so much for this amazing content!

[@ilovethelittlepiggy]

Goodman's portrait reminds me of an affirmation poster. With messages of what he'd like to be, and reminding him that death will come sooner if he doesn't. 🤷🏼‍♀️ That's how it hit me after hearing the poet's words about him.

[@possumaintdead]

I would definitely wear that ring as a wedding ring. It’s gorgeous.

[@Vagabondwitchh]

Thank you for showing "Dance macabre" by Bernt Notke as an example. It's located in Tallinn and can be viewed by guests to this day.

[@jaewok5G]

that ring is impressive. have you investigated interpreting the symbolism of gravestone iconography? I'm intrigued by the past's fascination with death, but also their acceptance, in contrast to our obsession and denial. "Death is the only fair thing about life, everybody catches it once" - George Carlin

[@nelsaf365]

Thank you for covering this topic. I would indeed like that ring which seems to embody the very idea of matrimony.

[@Melissab704]

Moments mori art, designs and artifacts need to make a come back!

[@ReadingthePast]

I have a feeling they have - I’m pretty sure I came across a website selling a variety of skull / coffin / skeleton jewellery. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the website but maybe someone else knows?

[@charitysheppard4549]

As always, Dr. Kat, this was another great episode. I am, maybe, one of the strange people who find these "macabre" works fascinating and beautiful in their own way. I had never seen that ring, which I think is gorgeous.I would personally love if you presented a video detailing your personal best/worst in history, kings, queens, battles, laws, etc. Wishing you an amazing day from Louisiana, U.S.A.

[@ReadingthePast]

I think they are beautiful too and I will definitely add your suggestion to my topic list for future videos, thank you 😊

[@kcvail7409]

Cadaver monuments are quite striking, the desiccated body below the more lifelike figurine a striking image of what it is to come. The painting of Queen Elizabeth also touched me. She looked weary and the cherubs seemed to be lifting the weight of the crown from her head.

[@cynthial.seagren560]

Fascinating video; I would never have considered the reasoning behind the subject. Thank you for posting it.

[@vickiibendit943]

I would wear the wedding ring! It's absolutely stunning. The message is sobering, yet shows hope that life will be loved before death.

[@tessat338]

OOOoooh! I got to see some of Holbein's woodcuts for book plates at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City last May. The Morgan and the Getty both have links to the exhibit on their websites and you can see these Memento Mori wood cuts and the Dance of Death. Most of the originals are going back to the Met and are probably already back there now.

[@cameliap5990]

You are simply amazing! I’ve been binge watching and I got so excited you posted a new video!

[@ReadingthePast]

Thank you ☺️

[@emmam7194]

Thank you so much for your videos - you are so lovely and knowledgeable. I really enjoy watching/listening to your videos so thank you again x

[@v_cluckie97]

I love videos with art history included!! more pleaseeeee

[@indiciaobscure]

I get the sense the Elizabeth portrait is more about England and by extension, it’s inhabitants, than her as an individual. She was like the current Elizabeth II, an institution and by the time she died the only ruler most people had ever known. And yet her death was inevitable, and in turn she would be replaced by a new, young king. So this portrait is about the inevitability of death and change, and is almost nostalgic in representing a previous embodiment of England itself, now gone forever

[@audreydelphia8232]

I have been doing a needlework showing a skull in simple black. Also a piece showing a sugar skull. Two different renditions of the same thing. I think both have a different point of view. The first one a serious reminder of mortality. Finished with a richly woven stripe. The sugar skull finished with a beautiful bold rose pattern to match the flowers decorating the skull. One serious ,one happy as the picnic it is attending. I think places, times, cultures, even matters of taste make sense of this type of art. Besides my granddaughter keeps trying to take both of them home with her. I told her she can have them when I die. (it's a family joke starting with my mom) I don't want to be the only skeleton carrying a pillow.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

I like at least some of the dances of death, especially the ones that emphasize everyone faces death.

[@sherazaltaf3113]

Lovely work, I’m absolutely hooked

[@kwells179]

I adore those wedding rings! I assume theyd be resized for whichever partner outlived the other and reunited as one unit to the survivor.

[@jackieheidorn5875]

Even today we have versions of this. My friend had ashes from her parents made into heart pendants for her family from a custom glass blower. A mortuary and a park near me have a Memoriam Tree program to honor a family member. There are now websites that enable one to have ashes made into a tree soil/pot to be planted at the family's desired location.

[@rasingirl75]

I just started a new history hit subscription. Have already been watching some shows. When I was subscribing, I didn't get a code. Oh well. It will be good.

[@bethluther3950]

Fascinating!! Thank you. 🥰

[@michellemadrid3473]

I am part of the Red Hat Society, a women's group. On September 19th each year we celebrate "Talk like a pirate day". Our regalia is filled with skulls. Rhinestone pins to the cross bones on our shoes. I would love a dupe of that pendant to wear t his year. 25,000 of us do this all over the world. I wonder what history will make of that?

[@yensid4294]

Memento Mori may have evolved into Vanitas ? The 2 are very similar with Vanitas being more of a genre of still life painting depicting things symbolically ephemeral or that showed the passage of time ( hourglasses, half burned candles or freshly extinguished candles, flowers, fruit, etc) & basically that "you can't take it with you" Money, scales for weighing coins, all things sumptuous associated with wealth & comfort were often included. It's a fascinating topic especially when juxtaposed against the social changes of The Reformation & the ideas of prosperity, the work ethic, divine providence, manifest destiny, etc that came later.

[@cloudeverything]

Thanks for the great video! I was wondering if you had a recommendation for an art historical book about memento mori that could help to contextualize the pieces you showed? I’m super interested in the shifting terrain of representation from the renaissance into the early modern period… not to mention the medieval corpse sculptures and the big question WHY. I feel like there must be more to it than a standard memento mori - where a skeleton would suffice, here there’s rotting flesh… with a dash of eroticism… not to mention the doubling of corpse/effigie…

[@DipityS]

Listening to you, besides giving me a new view on this whole momento mori idea, also gave me a 'Touch wood' 'Salt thrown over the shoulder' feel. Like they were showing they weren't getting above themselves, so hopefully not bringing down the Gods' wrath with their hubris.

[@amyjones8114]

I think Memento mori are always a good idea. I heard on a tv show once: humans know they’re going to die but are always surprised when they do.

[@debbralehrman5957]

Thank you again for this video. I had the opportunity to see it once more due to the fact I missed the first few minutes of premiere. 👍🏻🌹

[@caiquelima4228]

Hi Dr. Kat, thank you for sharing your knowledge and research with us. I'm not sure it's in the same direction of your work, but I'd like to ask you if you could make a video about wigs and hairpieces during the 1500s and 1600s. Thanks !

[@lorindav5549]

Here in the US, I visited a pioneer village many years ago. They had spent a lot of time finding artifacts from the time period that the city was originally built. In one of the rooms, there was a picture with flowers made from the hair of deceased loved ones. There was also jewelry that contained hair, such as in a brooch. Around the same time period there were also coffin or graveyard quilts with the names of loved ones stitched on the coffins. When the people died, the coffin would be removed from the outer board and stitched into the middle graveyard section.

[@ReadingthePast]

How evocative! That must have been a fascinating place to visit 🤩

[@nyckolaus]

Fabulous as always.

[@SorayaOnTheTube]

“Would you want the memento mori wedding ring?” You ask, as I have already screenshot it and saved it on a Pinterest board the minute you showed it to us

[@lisakilmer2667]

Whoosh, you've done a great job on this subject, Dr. Kat! I think modern Western people cannot begin to realize how fatalistic was the average person's worldview in the past. Just imagine how one's mindset would be affected if literally half one's children died quite young, or if half one's acquaintance were taken every generation by plague? A good example might be to compare John Donne's pre- and post-conversion poetry -- earlier, they are jokingly macabre, later, they are much more so, and seriously so. I think that the "memento Mori" portraits shown fall into two categories: 1) Here go I, for now, by the grace of God (i.e., not too heavily religious but acknowledging my current prosperity); and 2) I want to be remembered as a devout person of faith, even if I'm not. The Gawen portrait seems to be an attempt to "shout it loudly enough, and folks will believe it" propaganda campaign. I wonder if that was Gawen's equivalent of paying for indulgences and extra masses?

[@ReadingthePast]

John Donne is a perfect comparison - from saucy minx to world’s most devout - all charted through his poems!

[@stevezytveld6585]

I agree with you that the Reformation must have had an impact on how Memento Mori were viewed. How could it not - there had just been a giant shift in how the cosmos was viewed I come from a Scot's Presbyterian background, so the idea of predestination loomed large on both sides of the family. To the point where one of my maternal Granny's catch-phrases was "Things will work out the way they're suppose to". My first impression reading of Memento Mori when I was first introduced to the concept was one of complete doom and gloom... something along the lines of 'well, that's it then, oh well". That portrait of Elizabeth is a fascinating image, thank you. Do we know who commissioned it, maybe there's a clue there? Is it a queen brought low by death, loosing her earthly power to God. Is it a queen who is important enough to be escorted to heaven by death, time and the cherubim. Or is the queen giving us one last speculative look (that we somehow never meet up to) before she goes. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi

[@kerriemckinstry-jett8625]

Hmm. Reminds me of several things... A painting, by Poussin, titled something like Et in Arcadia ego, with shepherds in implausible clothing, staring at an inscription saying "Et in Arcadia ego" ("I was also once in Arcadia ", my Latin's a bit rusty). Also, there was an inscription on a gravestone... "Remember man that passeth by, as thou art now, so once was I. As I am now, so thou shall be. Prepare thyself to follow me." Supposedly, someone wrote a rejoinder: "To follow thee is not my intent, unless I know which way thou went." 🤣 Cultures around the world have many memento mori as naturally people have a fascination of sorts with death. Death masks have been around for thousands of years. Edited: I couldn't remember where the poem came from. It seems to have several versions, most traced back to Christina Rossetti. I don't know who wrote the tongue in cheek response, though.

[@janetclough2217]

Thank you for your HISTORY.

[@mlbs4803]

I once read that the cadaver monuments were developed in response to the ravages of the Black Death. I've also read these monuments became more common after the death of The Black Prince. Is this true? Thanks very much.

[@kellyblaxton3189]

This was fascinating! Your videos are always well done!

[@conemadam]

In Ictu Oculi. I loved this!! Having studied these “Vanitas” paintings, especially the Spanish ones of Juan de Valdez-Leal, I always considered the terror that they induced in order for the Church to keep a firm hand. But your comments about familiarity with and acceptance of death at the time , combined with our modern perspective ,have made me rethink that fear was the important theme. Once again, fascinating and thought-provoking. Thank you!

[@lindsaydrewe8219]

I do like the fact that the skull and crossbones decoration on some gravestones is taken by some to think that the grave must have housed a pirate. I rather like memento mori. The great leveller.

[@janetsmiley6778]

The ring took my breath away.

[@christopherstephenjenksbsg4944]

Very interesting video! Regarding the cadaver monument you talk about at the end, I've read that these came into fashion after the Black Death decimated the population of Europe in the 14th century. Given all the pestilence and death these folks had experienced, this makes sense to me. I know the earl lived the next century, but do you think he (or his heirs) were drawing on that same practice?

[@HappyGoHarrie]

Gutted i missed most of this but loved what i managed to catch! :)

[@susannjarvis5587]

Your videos are always so interesting and informative. I do believe that our ancestors were much more aware of and had a stronger understanding of the transitory nature of life. Memento mori was a way of reflecting on the ultimate end of life, no matter your status or position, age or gender. I also wonder if it were a subtle urging for humility. After all, even the rich and powerful must die and face the afterlife of whatever their faith described. I also feel that members of the reformed religions still had ways to measure the strength of their faith. Their clothes, their homes, their churches and even their politics could all be viewed and judged as an indication of the depth of their belief.

[@2012Ursula]

Fascinating topic. As atheists (from non-believing families as well), my husband and I have wondered how agnostics of the past--say, pre-Reformation--handled their doubts. Was this always a source of pain and guilt? And did they ever reveal their conflict to loved ones? I would think not, but that might have depended on their community and their reputation. Not that he was an agnostic, I imagine, but I'm astonished that a dissident like John Wycliffe died in his bed.

[@filmchick123]

Thank you!

[@elizabethlfayre2583]

I’m intrigued by this. Was there a hiatus for a time period of years. I don’t remember this being a thing in my younger days in the 50s. Now it is quite prevalent on t-shirts, posters, jewelry, etc. Was I just asleep at the wheel? 💀

[@kaloarepo288]

I think there are 2 kinds of cultures when it comes to death -there is the necrophobic where all signs and evidence of death is shunned and we rid ourselves of bodies as quickly and efficiently as possible and get on with life -that is our present age I think as most of us don't have immediate engagements with death until later in our lives.Bodies are either cremated on an industrial scale or put into rather clinical neat rather undifferentiated graves in tidy graves row after row -a bit like documents filed away in filing cabinets.Then there are most societies of the past starting off with the death obsessed ancient Egyptians where death seemed to be much more important than life through to the Victorian era with the monumental cemeteries filled with poignant statues and symbolism -the weeping angels,the Jesus with open arms,the broken column indicating an early death,graves in the form of classical temples and an overabundance of vaults and above ground burials even in churches or surrounding them.I think this was a way of these people coming to terms with the ever presence of death,high infant mortality rates, epidemics and the like.You could call these necrophilic cultures -those who embrace and celebrate it.

[@laurashannon1177]

Thank you, Doctor Kat! I really enjoyed this. It was fascinating. :)

[@vrananikola]

I really like those.. also, I always wanted a real skull for the same reason, as a reminder

[@Hochspitz]

I always learn something new about the past.

[@susansouthern6704]

Thanks from. Canada..very informative as always

[@stephanieking4444]

Ever since I can remember, I have been intrigued by, and in awe of, medieval /early modern art relating to death. Death is part of life, there is no point in negating its existence. There seems to be a revival of the memento mori trend in some quarters of western civilisation: check out the video 'the funeral concert where the body performed' by Ask A Mortician.

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

Totally agree. From the moment we are conceived we are dying. It has never been an issue for me. The manner in which it happens can be cause for concern! Like my mother I just hope I go in my sleep. She got her wish, as did my mother in law. My father in law and father just drifted away, at the age of 93 and 92 respectively. I don't need to live to 90s, but if I can go like that I will consider it a privilege. Bring on the Next Journey!

[@kathyjaneburke2798]

Happy Friday fellow history friends!

[@heatherthrone9999]

Graveyards frightened me when I was younger. I find skeletons & or skulls disturbing even now as an " an adult ". I however respect an artist's rendition of same.

[@ghostshirt1984]

Momento mori, danse macabre is so fascinating to me as well as the Mexican day of the dead which is like Mexico's danse macabre.

[@cent178]

Wonderful. Could you look at this practice in the New World , especially Mexico. Thx

[@kidmohair8151]

as a non-subscriber to any religion, I find momenti mori merely fascinating studies of anatomy, as it was understood through human history

[@freedpeeb]

I think we might not realize how completely they were convinced of an afterlife. It was quite possibly as real to them as the one they lived. Death was perhaps not a hideous thing to them as it can be to us, but simply a transition. I wonder.

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

I think you have a point. So many religions, even now, seem to see this life as something to be endured, a test to see if you are 'Fit' for the After Life. I honestly think that is why we have treated the planet and our fellow creatures so badly. If it was just a stopping off point to Eternal Life, who cares? Pagan religions did not see it that way. To a Pagan everything is sacred, right down to the tiniest pebble. You earn your place in the Next World by how you treat this one.

[@freedpeeb]

@@hogwashmcturnip8930 Oh I could not agree more!

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

@@freedpeeb Thank you

[@karatyson8234]

I think one of the interesting items are rosaries using skulls as beads.

[@laurachapple6795]

The portrait of Elizabeth is a portrait of a woman who had no children. Not only does she die, the Tudor dynasty dies with her. She is not just elderly Elizabeth, she is the last gasp of her family.

[@yarrowwitch]

I always wonder about the difference in the way death was regarded before and after the period of the 'Black Death'.

[@elsiegreenwich1382]

Fantastic video! Thanks 💀❤️💀❤️

[@ladymeghenderson9337]

re: Elizabeth portrait, she could simply be having an off day, and feeling generally fed up,

[@morganmartin-west5639]

The eagerness of Death and the weariness of Father Time seem to set the tone of the piece, along with the fact that Queen Elizabeth I is no longer idealized or painted youthfully, signaling her long reign. Vanity has been removed with her death (both in her portrayal in this piece and the way in which she would likely have been insistent on being portrayed during her life for both political and personal reasons). Also, it appears as though the cherubs are moving away, given that the cherub on the viewer's right appears to be carrying a scepter pointed in the opposite direction. Overall, the piece seems to evoke something akin to traditional Momento Mori pieces, as the scepter is visually reminding the viewer that even a queen's time comes to an end by having the placement of the scepter emphasize what appears to be an hourglass in the background. All that being said, I am not a student of art, and these are just my first impressions.

[@johnmclaughlin4817]

Dr. Kat your videos are wonderful. This is my first time commenting. I live in Massachusetts, USA. I have wandered through the older cemeteries in the area. in my undergrad years I took a folklore course where my final project was to try to show the change in headstones from the 17th to early 19th century. Many of the earlier stones would have skulls and sometimes bones. These later evolve into cherubs. Were there similar changes in the UK? In the !8th century we started getting weeping willows, urns, weeping woman... I have often wondered if these were different religious groups (Congregationalists vs. Unitarians). Just speculating there.

[@ReadingthePast]

I need to look into what happened during this period over here. I know the skull and bone grave images you are talking about but I don’t know of any in England. We do have cherubs and angels in graveyards though… interesting 🧐

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

@@ReadingthePast There are many skull and crossbow graves in the UK many miles from the sea, putting to rest the 'Arr Pirate' idea. I was told what they meant, but I can't for the life of me remember! Senility! By the way ,there are also tombs with skeletons, instead of lords and ladies. The one in Mamble with Bayton is particularly delightful, as he has sort of collapsed. He hasn't, he was built that way. and I don't think anyone knows who he is! Incredible church. Has a Tudor 'Minstrel/Choirs Gallery, a Possible Megalith as a gate post and maybe a Sheelah na gig. I don't know about the Sheelah, I spent most of the late1990s trekking around local 'Sacred Sites' and they have all become a bit of a blur in my dotage! All I can find online is the Sky Pilots, sorry! No mention of the strange things their churches contain! Shhh, best not to talk about that! But if you are ever Ludlow/Shropshire/Worcestershire / Borders way I might be able to tell you of a few places the guide books won't.

[@rachelneuschaefer5311]

Could they also be linked to a less spiritual and more worldly reminder? It seems that people of the time felt they needed to make their marks on history. To remember that you will die serves to remind one to strive daily to leave an impression on the world that will be remembered.

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

Good point

[@dianewalker9154]

Momento Mori is a basic tenant of Stoicism. Live each day as if it’s your last.

[@paulkoza8652]

I think that death was much more prevalent back then. Thus the masses were much more comfortable with it than we are today.

[@maryellenbashaw8390]

i'm just wondering based on the coloring and enamel pattern of the ring if it may be related to Freemasons. the designs are similar to Freemason symbolism.

[@missapeeps3771]

As far a Queen Elizabeth's painting to me she immediately looked tired and ready to rest.