Ars Moriendi: The Medieval Art of Dying

In the 15th century, a handbook on dying circulated widely across Europe. It told readers what to expect at the bedside and what to resist. This article describes that book and why it mattered.

What is the ars moriendi?

The name means “the art of dying” in Latin. Wikipedia describes it as two related Latin texts, dating from about 1415 and 1450, that give advice on the procedures of a good death according to the Christian beliefs of the late Middle Ages.

Where did it come from?

The longer text, the Tractatus artis bene moriendi, was written in 1415 by an anonymous Dominican friar, probably at the request of the Council of Constance, which met from 1414 to 1418. The shorter version appeared around 1450. A general article from Funeral Zone describes the late Middle Ages as a time of uncertainty, upheaval, and death, and presents the text as an answer to that.

What are the five temptations?

The texts describe five temptations that beset the dying person, according to New World Encyclopedia:

• lack of faith
• despair
• impatience
• spiritual pride
• avarice, or greed

The John Rylands Library notes that the illustrated short version shows these in pairs. In each pair, one picture shows the devil and demons trying to seize the dying person’s soul through a temptation, and the next shows the remedy, with a good angel offering comfort. The shorter version has eleven woodcuts, and the first ten make up the five pairs.

How widely did it spread?

Very widely. Wikipedia says the text was read and translated into most West European languages and was especially popular in England. It counts more than twenty surviving illustrated “blockbook” editions, printed from 13 different sets of blocks, and six surviving manuscripts of the short version. The John Rylands Library says it was popular among lay people, circulated in many manuscript copies, and was produced in larger numbers once printing arrived. An unidentified German printmaker known as Master E.S. made the illustrations for one mid-century edition, according to Funeral Zone. In June 1490, William Caxton, who brought the printing press to England, printed an English translation of a French version under the title The Art and Craft to Know Well to Die.

What did it teach?

How to keep faith and hope at the end. Byline Times describes the text as giving comfort to the dying while keeping their thoughts on Christ as savior. The pictures present the deathbed as a spiritual struggle.

Does it connect to anything today?

Yes, in the broad idea that dying is something people can prepare for. Other traditions have texts about dying well too, such as the Egyptian and Tibetan Books of the Dead, which New World Encyclopedia notes offer parallels. Modern conversations about a “good death” ask related questions without the demons. See What Is a “Good Death”? What Research Says and The Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Where can I learn more?

See Memento Mori, The Grim Reaper and the Dance of Death, and Vanitas Paintings.