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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Dear Paul, I think part of what makes this issue confusing is that there was not one single attitude towards death in the Middle Ages. Rather, a vast variety attitudes towards death coexisted, differing according to region, cultural level, and time period. Theology, medical traditions, and popular stories all have somewhat different "takes." Thus Camille is right, at least for some parts of medieval culture. In some regions there are stories of certain dead bodies coming back to life as long as there is flesh on the bones. These usually may be characterised as "popular" stories, and many of them come from the British Isles. Walter Map includes a story about a dead Welshman who keeps clambering out of his grave and attacking people, for instance, and there are many other tales of wandering corpses from this part of the world. Usually they are the bodies of people who died suddenly or through violence. I published an article about these stories and their implications for attitudes towards life, death and decay in Past and Present #152, August '96. However, the correspondent from Southern California (sorry, didn't note your name) also is right: the theology of death taught by clerics throughout Europe emphasized the immediate separation of body and spirit. The inevitability, unforeseeability, and permanence of death are big theological themes, reaching their apex, in terms of both theological reflection and outreach to the laity, in the 15C- ars moriendi. Even within "clerical culture," however, there existed some porousness to the boundary between life and death. Witness the stories of people who "die," are led on a tour of the afterlife, and then resurrect with warnings for others. Thus, although the permanence of death was a theological commonplace, this position occasionally was modified in order to present stories with important didactic messages about the fearsomeness of Purgatory and Hell, and the rewards of Heaven. Sorry to be so long-winded. Hope this helps. Best, Nancy Caciola History, UC-San Diego ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html