Medieval life concerning death

Author: (French) Daniel Alexandre Biedon
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: In the Middle Ages, the dead were an integral part of the living society, supporting the living like an exoskeleton. This was one of the last few eras in human history when the living and their deceased loved ones relied on each other and lived together. The author's work in collecting and organizing historical materials is truly very thorough. Not to mention the amount of evidence he cites when discussing each issue, but simply looking at the detailed source notes he provides for every sentence and small story he quotes in the text. The author referenced a wide range of sources, including various professional journals and conference publications. To find the right words and phrases that are relevant to the topic from such a vast amount of material covering theology, archaeology, education, history, philosophy, geology, sociology, psychology, and literature, requires such a great reading volume and time investment in organizing the work! In comparison, the effort I have spent is truly negligible. I believe the materials the author cites will also be very useful and instructive for researchers in the same field in China, hence possessing high academic value. What is rare is that in this book, humorous and even whimsical references occasionally appear.