...Danse Macabre
Please to enjoy a little light music with your readings...
The ultimate meaning behind this medieval art genre is the universality of death. We are all equal in the grave or something like that. Some of the earliest known painted scenes of The Danse Macabre date back to the
early 1400s-- in Paris' Church of the Holy Innocents cemetery. The horrors of life during this time, famines, the Hundred Years War, the Black Plague, all served as a stark reminder that death is ever-present and wholly unforgiving.
Popular frescoes spread through Europe, with scenes including images of Death heading a round dance, or with lines of dancers alternating living and dead figures. There were also variations of the legend of The Three Living and The Three Dead---- where three young men, whether out on a hunt or walking, come across three corpses who stop the young men to warn them---- (Quod fuimus, estis; quod sumus, vos eritis....What we were, you are; what we are, you will be).
The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?
---Edgar Allan Poe
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| The King Source: dodedans.com |
Please to enjoy a little light music with your readings...
The Danse Macabre---The Dance of Death--- what morbidly themed A-Z blog would be complete without it? Of course this ties in neatly with my "A" post, A is for Alphabet, as Herr Hans Holbein was gracious enough to gift us with The Dance of Death Alphabet (which I am unashamedly using daily to decorate each post. Danke, Herr Holbein).
The ultimate meaning behind this medieval art genre is the universality of death. We are all equal in the grave or something like that. Some of the earliest known painted scenes of The Danse Macabre date back to the Popular frescoes spread through Europe, with scenes including images of Death heading a round dance, or with lines of dancers alternating living and dead figures. There were also variations of the legend of The Three Living and The Three Dead---- where three young men, whether out on a hunt or walking, come across three corpses who stop the young men to warn them---- (Quod fuimus, estis; quod sumus, vos eritis....What we were, you are; what we are, you will be).
Such constant awareness that death was literally at your shoulder caused not only a desire for penitence but also a need for an entertaining relief---thus the birth of the morbid allegory, the last dance.
Short dialogue plays, alternating lines between Death and his victims cropped up throughout Germany and Spain shortly after the Black Plague's decimation. With so many people falling victim everyday, is it any wonder that those remaining would seek solace? relief? amusement? in the very thing that they were most afraid of?
I personally find that a little amusement in the face of daily tragedies is the only way to stay sane, sometimes---or, at least, to appear sane.
And, as solemn and morbid as the idea of death is, it hasn't stopped us from creating even more entertaining Danse Macabre art and I rather doubt it ever will.
love the skeleton dance at the end awesome!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't not include the skeleton dance :-)
DeleteVisiting you on the the 4th day of the #challenge. Looking for fellow writers and here you are.I know you don't want to read this, but this beautiful blog presentation is hard to read.The font color on black is difficult. We're all hoping to make new blogging friends so if you have time or interest, I'm writing about gardening and related things this month. I would love your feedback too. Come and see me. Have fun.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, I wondered if the contrast would be difficult for some to read--- luckily my blog changes quite frequently...
DeleteThanks for stopping by :-)
Great post and glad you're keeping up with the alphabetical challenge! Particularly enjoyed the music while I was reading.
ReplyDeleteThanks! And, yes, Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre is a wonderful piece of music...glad you liked it :-)
DeleteA morbid A to Z theme? I'm in the right place. Awesome post! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks much!! And, yep, the morbid-er the better--- :-)
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