Some strange funeral traditions of Victorian England. Part 1

From 1837 to 1901 Queen Victoria ruled England. When her husband, Prince Albert died, she was clothed in black, and said that she was in mourning ... and more so never out of it and did not come out. Queen Victoria did not come over to marry, and frankly do not care about their children, leaving them alone. For the English, it was incredibly romantic and tragic story, so they began to admire her mourning for the beloved husband.

People have always been curious to see what was there below, and for many death was a source of inspiration and a model of a romantic tragedy. And since the general mood of a time certainly is reflected in the prevailing fashion trends, it is not surprising that the people of the Victorian era began obsessively cultivated everything connected with death and mourning.

Ridiculous wills

The majority of young people have been obsessed with the thought of his own death, but, of course, in the Victorian era mourning I was in vogue. People wrote down what needs to be done in the event of their death, even when they were fully healthy. Knowing that their letters and wills will be stored in their families, they wrote it all, like poetry. One woman named Mary Drew almost write a whole book of instructions about what to do after her death.

She had a miscarriage, and she died in the hospital. Her last will and testament were painted on 56 pages. In the Victorian era to obtain memorabilia that once belonged to the dead, it was extremely important for everyone. The vast majority of items donated by Mary, were ornaments for women and books for men. For friends who have remained without anything of value, Mary decided to leave her hair, which after her death had to be cut off.

Ornaments made of hair of the dead

The Queen Victoria after the death of her beloved husband Albert in a medallion kept a lock of his hair. For the people of that time it was quite acceptable and very common phenomenon. Many women, who for any reason have lost their loved ones, decided to follow in the footsteps of Queen Victoria and their medallions worn around the neck hair strands deceased loved ones. But as time passed, and simple medallions British steel is not limited. So, what could be done from strands of hair of the deceased? Creativity in this respect has grown, and one began to make high-grade decoration.

They were originally intertwined in various intricate designs, which are then used as a brooch, earrings, and sometimes even as a necklace. Sometimes the hair of several dead people wove special wreaths are decorated with different precious stones. Since human hair is very strong and durable, such original decoration for a very long time is not spoiled and had a very suitable presentation. To date, the majority of such instances is still kept in some museums.

Mourning ring

Although the decoration of hair could be done, even if the death of a loved one was sudden and unexpected, it was not enough for some people. If someone knew that he would die within a few months, he sometimes ordered special decorations for the occasion. One woman in particular Ada Lovelace, was diagnosed with cancer in 1852. At that time it was a death sentence. So she wrote a statement about the special ring for her husband and eldest daughter. When ordering a ring for her husband, the woman very much hoped so their souls will be linked forever.

Despite the fact that she did not get along very well with her daughter, Ada said that she honors her "honesty and sincerity". For her two young sons she had left the money, asking them to buy a ring in her honor. Mrs. Lovelace was not the only person who decided to make a mourning ring. The documents and diaries of different people that have survived to our time, many people in the Victorian era made such a kind of mourning ring in memory of their relatives and loved ones who wore constantly.

Funeral Dress

Whenever someone died, the family of the deceased had to wear black clothes every day during the designated period of mourning for the dead. Such clothing called "mourning dress" and served as a symbol reminiscent of the world that these people are grieving and need to be left alone. People whose loved ones have died recently, did not have to appear at any events and festivals.

If someone whose loved ones had died recently, been seen in public in clothes that looked very colorful and fun, it was a sign of disrespect. This tradition patted a lot of nerves respectable housewives who had to regularly ensure that all family members have a suitable black dress, which was particularly difficult in the case of fast-growing small children.

In 1875, a man named Keith Norman MacDonald published a pamphlet in which obsmeyat this ridiculous custom, calling it frankly useless and stupid. However, despite the fact that many people are aware of how ridiculous all this fuss with mourning dress looked the part, a tradition successfully existed for several decades.