Death and Dying in Medieval England
Dr Helen Frisby
- Region:
- Anywhere
- Notice Period:
- Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Academic, Hobby, Rotary
- Fee:
- Paid: £50.00 plus travel/subsistence as agreed
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 15th August 2025
- Tagged:
- History | Death And Dying | Medieval | Funerals
For our medieval ancestors, death was a normal part of everyday life. In this talk historian Dr Helen Frisby, author of the Shire book Traditions of Death and Burial, will draw upon a wide range of artistic, liturgical, material culture and antiquarian evidence in order to explore relationships between the living and the dead during the period between approx. 500 and 1500AD.
Some of our medieval forebears’ ways of making sense of mortality might seem strange, even somewhat unsettling, to our own modern sensibilities. Yet, in there are also some threads of continuity which bind us together with the past, some of these leading right down into the present day and on into the future of death, dying and funerals. In unpacking and tracing these threads over the centuries, we’ll get right to the heart of why funerals really matter at all – an important question for any place or time.
Views: 21 | Enquiries: 0About Dr Helen Frisby
Based on two decades of research, my scholarly yet sympathetic talks about funeral customs past, present and future will get your group thinking and talking about how exactly do we deal with this inevitable fact of life.
We're all mortal: and the ways in which we approach, avoid and confront this fact through funeral customs can tell us a lot about human nature. I'm fascinated by how people use ritual so creatively to work though our relationships with the dead, and how funerary rituals change - or sometimes don't - throughout history.
I'm an internationally recognised expert on the history and folklore of death, dying and funerals. My publications include the Shire Library book 'Traditions of Death and Burial' (Bloomsbury, 2019) as well as various academic articles. Previously I've appeared on the History Channel discussing Victorian funerals with Johnny Vaughan, and on BBC radio talking about sin-eating and other historic funeral customs. I love working with all sorts of groups large and small, so do please get in touch to discuss your requirements.
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