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Elizabethan Burial Rituals

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Elizabethan Death and Burial Rituals The differences between the Elizabethan era and the modern era vary in a multitude of ways. Most Elizabeth ways and rituals are considered outdated in this century but occasionally there are a few exceptions to that belief. In comparison to the 21st century, many objectives have changed but one ever present factor remains, death. Registers dating from 1558 to 1603 show about 12% of the population made it past the age of 60 at their recorded time of death. Because of the factor of the black plague, infant and adolescent life averages were lower in expectancy but if the adolescent were to survive their childhood they would surpass the longevity of 70. War and crime often factored into the death rates of …show more content…

In the Elizabethan era, money was distributed to the poor in the name of the it was customary for the family of the deceased to provide a feast and invite every possible attendee in the area. If the said family wasn't deemed "well off", they were able to provide a scrutiny of cakes and ale, otherwise, they would prepare a feast of quantities enough to feed the community. If the deceased was married, the likelihood that the widowed would marry again was less than probable, however the rate increases with the lowering of age that the subject is widowed at. Often one would remarry due to scarce land or the land being too expensive for one income. Along with the many pre and after funeral rituals, death was a widely spread topic due to the black plague wiping out thousands of Europeans. Thankfully, however, it bought a sense of comfort in discussing a widely inevitable …show more content…

As a result of the growing comfort of the topic of death over the ages, not many factors have changed in the normality of a society as a whole. As breed once frightened by the matter of an eternal disintegration, we have progressed yet remained a constant from routine involving death down to colors of a mourning party and after rituals beyond the grave and on earth. To see this variability in behavioral instincts shows how close yet so far away the Elizabethan era seems to one who would review a constant. In conclusion, the topic of rituals revolving around death is highly important because it displays how little and how much humanity has changed its behavioral traits towards death since the beginning of an eternity of inevitable

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