What was someone called (around Medieval times) who dealt with the dead?

Question

Basically, what was the "coroner" called back then? Or just someone who dealt with the dead?

Answer 1

All of these answers are basically correct. It depended on the culture; how civilized the various communities were, their religious beliefs, traditions, etc.
It certainly became quickly apparent that a body needed to be.....ummmmm....."dealt with" in some manner quickly, so each culture developed their method of "disposal" based-upon their current beliefs & wisdom as they saw fit.
Certain plagues probably stressed these traditional methods and no doubt anybody who felt the call and was still healthy enough and cared enough got their wagon or cart and did the dirty deed dirt cheap.
Those of higher social standing probably get the royal treatment and those on the other end of the social spectrum may've went to the big bonfire at the edge of town.
Some reading on the differences in various cultures might be interesting.........

Answer 2

If there was a suspicious or unusual death, which is waht a modern coroner also deals with, there was almost no one doing that job. Certain chirugeons ( The ancestors of both barbers and surgeons ) would perform a limited autopsy on a body if questions had been asked about the cause of death, but anyone doing too much with a corpse was looked upon with deep suspicion in the later part of the Medieval period when superstition came back into force.

The "Brother Caedfel" novels deal with a herbalist monk in England during the time of the Empress Maude, after the First Crusade, and detail some of the real-life techniques and customs of dealing with the dead in those times; I recommend them to you for interest.

Answer 3

This question was much debated during the French Revolution, especially during the Red Terror with public executions by guillotine a frequent event. There are various anecdotes seeming to attest to facial actions and taken as evidence of consciousness. There are neural connections and muscular actions after beheading, just as chickens will run around after beheading (and a few battlefield stories report similar actions by humans). Humans are more than nerves and muscle. In the circumstance, what does it matter at which precise second human thought ends, or when bodily death is officially declared.

Answer 4

It appears someone was called a "CROWNER" see below:


The keeping of the pleas of the Crown was the source of the title, the original Latin was "custos placitorum coronas" from which the word "coroner" is derived. He was referred to for hundreds of years as "the Crowner" - as in Shakespeare's Hamlet, where derisively it is said "But is this law? Ay, marry, is't crowner's quest law!"
--From CROWNER: Origins of the Office of Coroner
Prof. Bernard Knight, CBE

Answer 5

It was the undertaker who came around and collected dead bodies. Often they would receive a proper Christian burial, more often, particularly in times of plague or pestilance, they were either buried in mass graves, or simply cremated en masse.
In England this was actually often done by the Knights Hospitaller.

Answer 6

Undertaker

Answer 7

the Bring Out Your Dead guy

Answer 8

the coroner has been around since at least the mid 12th century. look up the word history on dictionary.com

Answer 9

necromancer

Answer 10

gravedigger