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Right, so the veil between the living and the dead thins, as Halloween approaches. As a break from pics of Sexy Handmaids and the like, I thought I’d give you a 101 on ‘How To Die In The Middle Ages’. You never know, it might come in useful one day… THREAD 1/ 
The Middle Ages - or Medieval Era - stretches a thousand years, and customs varied across the European Continent, but I wanted to give a kind of quick overview of some of the major themes and ideas that surrounded death during this time - apologies for skimming! /2
There are 2 things that you need to know about the medieval idea of death. The first, they earnestly thought it could strike anyone, anytime, through any one of a thousand causes - hence the popularity of symbols like ‘The Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘The 3 Living & The 3 Dead’. /3
The second thing is that that medieval folk also earnestly believed in a Heaven and Hell, as well as bodily resurrection on the Day of Judgement. A soul that had not been ‘shriven’ - or had confession heard - might easily end up in Hell, a place of physical torment and horror. /4
This meant that being buried outside of consecrated ground, or having one’s remains burned, may mean that souls may not resurrect on the Day of Judgement - an absolutely horrifying thought. In fact, this idea was sometimes used as a deterrent to crime and antisocial behaviour. /5
Everyone wanted to be buried in a churchyard. For most, this meant without a coffin, in a simple shroud. In fact, centuries later in England, it would become law that all had to be buried in a woolen shroud (although that may have more to do with supporting the wool trade!). /6
There were no headstones for most medieval burials - only for those VIPs with the money, power and influence to be buried inside a church. Graves could be reused for members of the same family, or even complete strangers over the decades and centuries. /7
This is why you see some churchyards more elevated than the land around it - the sheer weight of burials there, piling earth up over time. In fact, many became incredibly crowded, with bits of the dead working their way to the surface due to rain, or dogs. Yuck. /8
The dead would be taken to the churchyard using a ‘corpse road’, or ‘lych way’. According to folklore, these were paths spirits were known to travel, and were kept separate from other roads used. They were often purposefully untended - too much alteration was seen as bad luck. /9
Incidentally, crossroads were traditionally viewed as places where the spirits of the dead congregated at certain. In places like England and Scotland, this was viewed with fear - in Slavic countries, they had offerings left for them there, with a much more friendly attitude. /10
This change in attitude might have something to do with the late Christianization of the Slavic nations - much of the pagan view of ancestor spirits never truly died out. Even today, cemeteries there at this time of year are full of people visiting their forebears. /11
Once the funeral party arrived with the dead at a church, they would wait until the priest arrived in a ‘lych gate’ - a covered gate with benches. It was forbidden to enter without the priest there to give the funeral rites, & in remote areas this could mean days of waiting. /12
While we associate the custom of places coins on the eyes of the dead as a Greek custom, stretching back to the idea of a toll for the Styx ferryman, coins and medallions were also buried with many of the dead, especially during the early medieval period across Europe. /13
Having coins buried with the dead seems to be a folk custom that never died out - there is no religious basis for it, and it seems to be a pagan holdover overlooked by the Church. These coins were placed on the eyes, as with the Greek custom, or placed in the mouth. /14
Some couldn’t be buried in churchyards - their presence was thought to endanger others. These mostly comprised outlaws, who had not repented for their crimes and suicide - the act of self-killing being a mortal sin. They would be buried outside communities. /15
Outlaws were often buried at crossroads, or on the high ridges that delineated various land holdings. In England, at least, this was a holdover from the Anglo-Saxon era when these liminal spaces were considered the only place to inter criminals. /16
Mourning rituals were very important during the medieval period. As it progressed, prayers for the dying, and more importantly, prayers for the dead were thought to speed soul to heaven, or lessen time in purgatory. Thus, many worked to ensure that they were afforded this. /17
As Europeans towns & cities became more affluent, the artisans and craftsmen of each would form guilds, with an overtly religious bent. They pooled money for people and clergy to say prayers or masses for the departed. Eventually this process would become highly formalized. /18
The rich could afford to have chantry chapels built as part of churches. These were chapels that could be used to say masses for the dead for a specific period of time. There’s even some churches still holding masses for those who died hundreds of years ago. /19
Finally, wakes were very important. In the Anglo-Saxon sphere, they were a celebration of the departed’s life (much as they are now), but also included an element of vigil - watching as the soul departed. Different parts of Europe had different ideas on when this happened. /20
There’s a lot more to say about the medieval way of death, but this is just a taster. There are plenty of academics out there who can give you a more nuanced picture, and answer your questions. I hope this got you interested! /21
If you’d like an overview of various death customs throughout medieval europe, this edition @HCollegium - ‘Cultures of Death and Dying in Medieval and Early Modern Europe’ - has some great material. /FIN passthrough.fw-notify.net/download/37002…
