Abstract
The early decades of the seventeenth century saw a revolution in funeral practices among the English aristocracy. The elaborate panoply of the heraldic funeral, controlled and orchestrated by members of the College of Arms, was replaced by speedy, torchlit burial by night, organised by the deceased’s family. The word ‘revolution’ is not too strong here. Heraldic funerals had been established for about 150 years and were sanctioned by royal command. Yet, in a brief space of time, the heralds lost their hold over this major ritual among the greatest people in the land (Gittings, 1984).
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© 1997 Clare Gittings
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Gittings, C. (1997). Expressions of Loss in Early Seventeenth-Century England. In: Jupp, P.C., Howarth, G. (eds) The Changing Face of Death. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-25300-5_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-25300-5_2
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