death in the Middle Ages; medieval ceremonies; 14th century; Middle Ages; medieval society; funeral rites

Kapitola se věnuje problematice smrti a pohřbívání v kulturním okruhu latinského Západu ve středověkém období.

The specific role of the Church in the life of medieval people and its care for the existence and eternal salvation of each individual constitutes the typical relationship between the living and the dead. The chapter entitled Death in the Middle Ages bears down on this basic facet of Christian teaching. The social and religious aspects of the nurture of the immortal soul and the dignity of the dying is documented in the artefacts which accompanied every individual from birth in the Christian environment of the 14th and 15th centuries and prepared them for the final issues ? death and eternal life or damnation. In the ceremonies, as in the funeral rites, the order of the world was made real, which by way of the ceremony itself was hidden, and was then unveiled and revived through ritual acts during the course of the ceremony. The visual elements of these ceremonies were, among other considerations, the shape and embellishment of the accompanying objects and works of art.