medieval burials?

Question

What were family burials like in the 1100s in England? (Writing a novel)

Answer 1

Death was not a taboo subject then as it is now; it was much more a part of life! I've found you two site that may be of help, and which also give more information:

http://www.fsu.edu/~proghum/interculture/medieval%20funerals.htm
http://www.globalideasbank.org/w2go/WTG-13.HTML

Answer 2

Depending on the beliefs and culture of the family, there were a number of ways a funeral would be carried out. The most common way was probably to carry the body to the burial sight and the family would follow in a sort of caravan. If the family could afford it, the body was carried by cart, maybe with greenery and flowers decorating it. If the family was very poor, it would be simply wrapped in a shoud and carried on the shoulders of male relatives and friends. A priest or monk usually accompanied the caravan and gave the departed their last rights and said a few words when the body was buried. But if a family could not even afford this, only the family would attend the burial. Higher class people could afford to pay for mourners, and make a parade of it, drawing the attention of the whole villiage. Some cultures would burn the body on an alter, and have a celebration around the fire because their loved one joining the gods. The ashes would then be collected and might be portioned among the closest relatives. And a ritual said to be researved for nobility is placing the body in a boat filled with wood and greenery, and setting it on fire before shoving it off to drift where it would, leaving the ashes to scatter wherever the gods willed the noble body to be. And also, at times when death was everywhere, as in the Black Death of the mid 1300s, bodies would be left outside the house where they would be picked up by someone who was paid to collect the dead throughout the villiage. No ceremony at all would take place because there was too many people dying so fast, it was too overwhelming. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

In most of Europe distinguished men were put on funeral boats that were set on fire. This might have changed during the high Middle Ages.

See the poem Beowulf. This is Scandinavian, but at this time the Norse were settling into Britain and taking their culture with them.

Answer 4

Upper class were usually buried in mausoleums. The lower class in an unmarked hole.