Bewailing the Dead. Social Tension and Mourning Practices in Late Medieval Sicily

  1. Titone, Fabrizio 1
  1. 1 Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea
    info

    Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

    Lejona, España

    ROR https://ror.org/000xsnr85

Revue:
Viator

ISSN: 0083-5897

Année de publication: 2014

Volumen: 45

Número: 3

Pages: 237-260

Type: Article

DOI: 10.1484/J.VIATOR.5.102928 GOOGLE SCHOLAR

D'autres publications dans: Viator

Objectifs de Développement Durable

Résumé

This study aims to shed light on the mourning rites, with a special focus on the role of the professional mourners (reputantes) of late medieval Sicily. It will show that they were highly controversial; were not the only group that was involved in public mourning; had political as well as emotional significance. Further goals are to shed light on the emotionally liberating value of particular manifestations of grief; and to highlight the interactions and circularity of practices in mourning promoted by the reputantes. The analysis of funeral rituals demonstrates how the professionals’ participation created a convergence of individuals from diverse and distant social strata; just as it confirms a vision of medieval culture that is multi-polar and interactional. The primary sources used have permitted observations from various perspectives. Among these sources are both normative materials produced by temporal and religious authorities and petitions produced by metropolitan and other communities