Shakespearean and Elizabethan Burial Customs

During the time of Shakespeare, the funeral ceremonies came from the Roman Catholic Church burial customs that had been around for many centuries. These ceremonies at the grave usually took several hours. In funeral processions, it was customary for a crucifix to be carried by the priest before the corpse. In some cases a cross was used in place of the crucifix because of certain religious feelings. It was ancient custom to crown the deceased with white flowers. These flowers were strewn on the corpse, and the crown or garlands were then places on the coffin. When a maiden died, ...