Medieval Life Documentary: The Hidden Lives of Medieval Hermits and Friars

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The study of chantries provides a unique lens through which to understand the evolving relationship between societal changes and burial practices throughout the Middle Ages. Archaeological discoveries in medieval graveyards offer tangible evidence of these shifts, revealing how evolving beliefs, social structures, and anxieties manifested in the ways the deceased were laid to rest.

While the Church's influence on burial practices grew significantly after the 10th and 11th centuries, there's no evidence suggesting a deliberate attempt to alter these practices before that period. The Norman Conquest, despite its profound impact on other aspects of English life, had no discernible effect on burial fashions.

The 11th century saw an increase in the use of grave slabs, a trend that had begun before 1066. Excavations beneath York Minster unveil the diverse burial practices of the late Anglo-Saxon period, showcasing a range of burial methods: stone and wooden coffins, biers, repurposed storage cases, and even a boat. Some graves were carefully adorned with stones used as pillows, lining materials, or even charcoal, presumably intended to absorb fluids and odors from decomposing bodies. Many graves bore carved markers and slabs, suggesting a conscious effort to memorialize the deceased.

00:00 Burial practices and beliefs
09:33 Religious orders
18:17 Pilgrimage, spiritual callings and superstition
30:25 Radical attacks of the Lollards
38:51 The Catholic Church in crisis?

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