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VICTORIAN ATTITUDES TOWARDS DEATH - Coggle Diagram
VICTORIAN ATTITUDES TOWARDS DEATH
FUNERALS
LOWER CLASS
Great shame
could be placed on the deceased, through their funerals being
paid by a parish workhouse
UPPER CLASS
Extravagancy helped the mourning process
for the upper classes: horses, ostrich plumes, specialized coffins were only part of the procession
From the 1870's, this had to be reigned in due to how over-the-top funerals became
Widows were subjected to a
1-2 year-long mourning period
QUEEN VICTORIA
Post 1861
- widowed, and took grieving to new heights over loss of husband Prince Albert, and naturally Great Britain followed in succession of her mourning
Suffered a deep depression, became seclusive,
wore black for 40 years
Preserved Albert's room, creating a shrine; an additional
mausoleum
was established at Frogmore, on the grounds of Windsor Castle
SYMBOLISM AND DEATH
Different types:
Anchor
- maritime (sea) life
Broken Column
- life cut short (child - high infant mortality rate)
Popular types of decoration for graves
Broken Chain
Weeping Willow
Ivy vine
Laurel wreath
To indicate a death in the household, family members would
close up curtains and mirrors were to be covered
.
Photographs
of the deceased were also displayed
Mirrors closing stems from the
Jewish tradition
RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
Family members spent periods at home with the deceased at
home in a coffin
, to help
the living to accept the reality of death
Burials were often
intimate
, and were associated tightly with
Christian doctrines
and the desired concept of a 'good death'. It entailed a
spiritual readiness and surrender into God's will
'lingering death
- enabled a sufferer the time for spiritual preparedness for the next life - links to concept of
soul sleep
PRESCRIBED MOURNING PERIODS
loss of a child
- 9 months
Widows
had 1-2 years for mourning period
People were not allowed to socialise as normal during this process, and failure to adhere led to accusations of
immortality and callousness