SPIRIT HOUSES of EKLUTNA

My friend Shane took these pictures when he visited Alaska a few years ago. The Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas in Eklutna, whose congregation is largely Athabascan, is famed for the brightly painted spirit houses in its cemetery.















More information here.

EVORA OSSUARY









The Capela dos Ossos in Evora, Portugal. More information and pictures here, here and here.

Aonde vais, caminhante, accelerado?
Pára...não prosigas mais avante;
Negocio, não tens mais importante,
Do que este, á tua vista apresentado.

Recorda quantos desta vida tem passado,
Reflecte em que terás fim similhante,
Que para meditar causa he bastante
Terem todos mais nisto parado.

Pondera, que influido d'essa sorte,
Entre negociações do mundo tantas,
Tão pouco consideras na morte;

Porem, se os olhos aqui levantas,
Pára...porque em negocio deste porte,
Quanto mais tu parares, mais adiantas.

DEATH'S HEAD ROSARY

Chris Laning:

There is also one splendid string of seven skulls (almost certainly ten originally), which dates from the 16th century. It's now in Germany, but almost certainly comes originally from Mexico. The skulls open into two halves, and inside each half is a miniature religious scene carved in boxwood, with a background of iridescent feathers - a type of work almost unique to the Spanish colonies in America.

DANCE of DEATH ~ EMMETTEN







More information here.

DANCE of DEATH ~ BERLIN



The dance of death murals in the Church of St. Mary in Berlin were uncovered in 1860, behind a layer of Protestant whitewash. Numerous badly executed restorations, and the wear of the centuries have left them in very bad condition. The original art was rather simple and cartoonish; an artist's recreation can be seen in the drawings below:













More here and here.

DEATH of the MISER ~ HIERONYMUS BOSCH



Walter Bosing:

That man persists in his folly even at the moment of death, when the eternities of Heaven and Hell hang in the balance, is the subject of the Death of the Miser. The dying man lies in a high, narrow bedchamber, into which Death has already entered at the left. His guardian angel supports him and attempts to draw his attention to the crucifix in the window above, but he is still distracted by the earthly possessions he must leave behind; one hand reaches out almost automatically to clutch the bag of gold offered by a demon through the curtain. Another demon, delicately winged, leans on the ledge in the foreground, where the rich robes and knightly equipment probably allude to the worldly rank and power which the miser must also abandon... An opened money chest can be seen at the foot of the bed, where an elderly man, perhaps the miser shown a second time, places a gold piece into a bag held by a demon. He seems little concerned with the rosary hanging from his waist.

[Hieronymus Bosch by Walter Bosing. Taschen. 1994]

DANCE of DEATH ~ KERMARIA

REQUIEM CHASUBLE from ENGLAND





Early 16th century, made using material recycled from a funeral pall.

DEATH and JUDGMENT ~ 15th CENTURY SARUM BOOK of HOURS

TOMB of PHILLIP the BOLD

Tomb of Phillip II of Burgundy, sculpted by Claus Sluter. Especially noteworthy are the miniature pleurants marching in procession around the base of the sarcophagus - the relatives of the deceased Duke in the garb of mourning (often mistaken for Carthusian hermits).