This book examines a number of facets of Western epitaph culture since antiquity, with particular emphasis on post-medieval developments in the major European countries as well as in North America. Various epitaphic "sub-cultures" are analyzed, among them the time-honored custom of composing one's own tomb inscription as well as the ancient and modern convention of honoring animals with epitaphs. It also examines epitaph-collecting, epitaph "lies," humorous epitaphs, and the change in social and religious attitudes toward suicides. The book concludes with a cultural and intellectual history...
This book examines a number of facets of Western epitaph culture since antiquity, with particular emphasis on post-medieval developments in the major ...
Whether Goethe actually cried "More light " on his deathbed, or whether Conrad Hilton checked out of this world after uttering "Leave the shower curtain on the inside of the tub," last words, regardless of authenticity, have long captured the imagination of Western society. In this playfully serious investigation based on factual accounts, anecdotes, literary works, and films, Karl Guthke explores the cultural importance of those words spoken at the border between this world and the next. The exit lines of both famous and ordinary people embody for us a sense of drama and truthfulness and...
Whether Goethe actually cried "More light " on his deathbed, or whether Conrad Hilton checked out of this world after uttering "Leave the shower cu...
Whether Goethe actually cried "More light " on his deathbed, or whether Conrad Hilton checked out of this world after uttering "Leave the shower curtain on the inside of the tub," last words, regardless of authenticity, have long captured the imagination of Western society. In this playfully serious investigation based on factual accounts, anecdotes, literary works, and films, Karl Guthke explores the cultural importance of those words spoken at the border between this world and the next. The exit lines of both famous and ordinary people embody for us a sense of drama and truthfulness and...
Whether Goethe actually cried "More light " on his deathbed, or whether Conrad Hilton checked out of this world after uttering "Leave the shower cu...
