Quomodo Scit Quod Mortuus Erat? Signs of Death in 15th-Century Italy

Abstract

catalaEls materials hagiografics del Quattrocento italia revelen diversos signes de mort que es tenien en compte per confirmar si una persona havia mort o s’apropava a la mort. Els signes mes frequentment repetits son la fredor del cos, canvis en el color de la pell, i la falta de pols o respiracio. La perdua del coneixement, l’absencia de parla i la immobilitat tambe s’observaven sovint.Una analisi en profunditat mostra molts altres senyals inesperats. Alguns signes en els ulls de la gent, les dents o la llengua tambe podien ser una prova de mort. De vegades, fins i tot les llagrimes als ulls o la suor al front eren considerats signes mortals. Per a alguns, la posicio adoptada per una persona moribunda assenyalava la mort, per exemple, jeure sobre l’esquena o amb el cap cot, com era el costum per als morts. De la mateixa manera, les ferides o el dolor indicaven que la mort s’apropava. Les expressions ‘dents de cera’, ‘llengua negra’, ‘llavis morts’, i ‘suor i llagrimes de mort’ demostren que les persones observaven senyals que avui no s’associen amb la mort. EnglishFifteenth-century Italian hagiographic materials reveal several signs of death that were taken into account to confirm whether someone was dead or approaching death. The most frequently repeated signs are the coldness of body, changes in skin colour, and the lack of pulse or breathing. Unconsciousness, speechlessness, and immobility were also often noted.An in-depth analysis shows many other unexpected signs. Some signs on peoples’ eyes, teeth or tongue could also be proof of death. Sometimes even tears or sweat on the forehead were considered as deadly signs. For some people, the position adopted by a dying person signified death, for instance, lying on one’s back or with the head laid down, as was the custom for the dead. Similarly, wounds or pain told about the approaching death. The expressions like ‘waxen teeth’, ‘black tongue’, ‘dead lips’, and ‘sweat and tears of death’ show that people looked for signs that are not associated with death today.