THE EMPIRE OF DEATH : a Cultural History of Ossuaries and Charnel Houses

THE EMPIRE OF DEATH A Cultural History of Ossuaries and Charnel Houses

Paul Koudounaris

Book - 2011

It is sometimes said that death is the last taboo, but it was not always so. For centuries, religious establishments constructed decorated ossuaries and charnel houses that stand as masterpieces of art created from human bone. These unique structures have been pushed into the footnotes of history; they were part of a dialogue with death that is now silent. The sites in this specially photographed and brilliantly original study range from the Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Palermo, where the living would visit mummified or skeletal remains and lovingly dress them; to the Paris catacombs; to fantastic bone-encrusted creations in Austria, Cambodia, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Italy, Peru, Portugal, Serbia, Sl...ovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and elsewhere. Paul Koudounaris photographed more than seventy sites for this book. He analyzes the role of these remarkable memorials within the cultures that created them, as well as the mythology and folklore that developed around them, and skillfully traces a remarkable human endeavor. -- Book Description.

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Subjects
Ossuaries > History.
Tombs > History.
Death > Social aspects > History.
Published
New York, New York : Thames & Hudson [2011]
Language
English
Main Author
Paul Koudounaris (-)
Physical Description
224 pages : illustrations, maps ; 32 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9780500251782
  • Introduction: a dialogue with death
  • Ars Moriendi: The early charnel houses
  • The golden age: Counter-reformation macabre
  • The triumph of death: nineteenth-century visions in bone
  • Heavenly souls: spiritualism and mythology in the bone pile
  • Forget me not: ossuaries as commemorative sites
  • Resurrecting the dead: conservation and reconstruction.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

"Morbid elegance is puzzling to modern eyes," declares Koudounaris as he commences this global journey celebrating the macabre through a socio-cultural history of charnel houses and ossuaries. "Little by little, the dead cease to exist," professed French sociologist Jean Baudrillard; we no longer ritualize beyond immediate requirements, as death-and the body itself-according to Koudounaris are now decidedly "abject." Koudounaris takes the reader to a time when the skull was not only "an object of veneration," but a sobering reminder of mortality and a symbol of the belief that death brings eternal life. Ancient crypts were "imbued with the idea of salvation" and through Koudounaris' awesome photographs, readers are given "an opportunity to affirm life by embracing death." Early 17th century Italian tombs became increasingly elaborate as "macabre decor" proved oddly lucrative, and the tale of the 19th century exhumation of the Cimetiere des Innocents to form the famed Paris catacombs, or "l'Empire de la Morte," is particularly fascinating. Highlighting the importance of the conservation and restoration of such relics, Koudounaris' passion for and knowledge of the topic is undeniable, alluding to a historical "epidemic lack of concern" that must be rectified if these mesmerizing masterpieces are to retain their "spiritual and artistic value." His scholarly curiosity has constructed a dark yet dazzling dialogue that deserves to be heard by many-"the dead were not expected to be mute." Photos and illus. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Review by Library Journal Review

A culture's beliefs, feelings, and responses to death shape what it means across time. Koudounaris (art history, State Univ. of California, Dominguez Hills) illustrates humanity's relationship with death over time by focusing on charnel houses and ossuaries, places where the bones of the dead are kept. Our earliest ancestors preserved and stored bones as a way to maintain a connection with the dead. That tradition has continued to the present: families have used skulls to inform children about relatives, displays of bones (decorated, painted, carved, dressed) showed status of the deceased. The intent in these bone displays shifted from remembering to moralizing with the Counter-Reformation, and the "dialogue with the dead fell silent" as modern societies became more disconnected with death. Ossuaries fell into disrepair, and bones succumbed to disintegration owing to improper storage conditions. Graffiti and theft have been longstanding problems-the ossuary in Evora even sports a skull with an autograph of writer Alexander Dumas. Verdict Koudounaris provides a great cultural resource for scholars, travelers, and other interested readers.-Nadine Dalton Speidel, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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