Medieval Europe and the Danse Macabre: A Mini-Essay

     A popular theme in medieval Europe was the danse macabre. Employed in art and literature, the motif regularly portrayed Death or Father Time leading individuals – from physicians and printers to lovers and noblemen – away from their professions and possessions and into the afterlife.[1] Either comedic or somber in tone, the Dance of Death always maintained that death serves as a leveling force: claiming the wealthiest aristocrat and the poorest peasant.[2] This perception of mortality featured prominently in the era’s notion of memento mori. Throughout multiple artistic mediums, from paintings and poetry to jewelry and furniture, the knowledge of man’s mortality subtly wove itself into such items as bracelets and ivory boxes and reminded viewers to enjoy earthly delights prior to death’s inexorable arrival.[3] 

 

Works Referenced

Cosman, Madeleine Pelner. Medieval Wordbook. New York: Facts on File, 1996.

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[1] Cosman, 70.
[2] Cosman, 70. 
[3] Cosman, 156-157.