It is known that the Catholic Church was against cremation, largely successfully as archaeological evidence indicates. At least it is customary to assume that abandoning cremation in Nordic burial places as well as the introduction of items with Christian symbols in the graves, is a sign of Christianisation.
However, there were other funerary customs viewed by the Church as irreverent and cruel abuses that it attempted to ban in the Later Middle Ages. Especially among dignitaries dying far from home, it was customary to disembowel the cadaver, dismember and cook it so that the bones were dissevered from the flesh. The bones could then be easily transported and interred. This practice was known as “embalming more teutonico,” an originally German custom that became widespread by the thirteenth century. Indeed, the bodies of certain saints such as Saint Louis XI [sic; typo for IX] of France (1214–1270) and Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) were treated this way. It came, however, to be vehemently opposed by the papacy...This abomination was considered impious both in the eyes of the Divine Majesty as in those of humans, and the body thus treated would be denied Christian burial.
Even though the rubric only applied to the cutting up and boiling of bodies, it also encompassed the “dispersed burials,” cutting up, eviscerating and division of corpses and the burial of various body parts (such as the heart, entrails and body) at different locations. Thus, dispersed burials were also banned by the papacy. However, papal dispensations are known to have been granted to persons of influence so that instead of abolishing the custom, it became an even more desirable status indicator of the highest echelons of medieval society.
I would add that the French kings had had their hearts and other organs buried separately for centuries in St. Denis, which is why we have Louis XVII's heart (which was removed after his death, per royal tradition), but not his body, which was lost during the Revolution.
To quote again from the article,
Considering that important royal dynasties persisted in disembowelling their dead members, this ban seems to have largely disregarded among the elite, even without special authorisation or fear of excommunication. Moreover, another important motive for chopping up bodies was naturally related to a central tenet of Christian doctrine, namely, the cult of saints. The trade in relics, severed body parts of saints, had been initiated in late Antiquity and continued throughout the Middle Ages and caused the Church fathers to debate the possibility of resurrection in these cases. For example, Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430) considered resurrections as “the reassemblage” of all the bits and pieces of the body. Yet, judging by Roman legislation and Christian sermons banning the chopping up of and commerce in body parts, the trade in relics started to grow in the latter half of the fourth century. It continued to flourish in the Middle Ages, and the boiling of dead potential saints was necessary to have “the bones […] more quickly available for distribution.”
Wow. Okay all these guys are weird :P Also interesting that the Catholic Church was in fact against cremation, not just my in-laws' weird pastor (who is Lutheran, but still).
So I just finished Orieux (which I'm kind of sad there is no more! But I guess someday I could read the French version, which is apparently much longer?? though I'm not sure it would be nearly as funny) and I guess Voltaire's brain and heart were floating around for a while?! But not buried. (I feel like someone needs to write a science-fictional story about Voltaire's brain being lost... then maybe re-found and cloned :) Maybe if I get around to an SF AU that will be a thing...)
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Burial methods
To quote from an article,
It is known that the Catholic Church was against cremation, largely successfully as archaeological evidence indicates. At least it is customary to assume that abandoning cremation in Nordic burial places as well as the introduction of items with Christian symbols in the graves, is a sign of Christianisation.
However, there were other funerary customs viewed by the Church as irreverent and cruel abuses that it attempted to ban in the Later Middle Ages. Especially among dignitaries dying far from home, it was customary to disembowel the cadaver, dismember and cook it so that the bones were dissevered from the flesh. The bones could then be easily transported and interred. This practice was known as “embalming more teutonico,” an originally German custom that became widespread by the thirteenth century. Indeed, the bodies of certain saints such as Saint Louis XI [sic; typo for IX] of France (1214–1270) and Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) were treated this way. It came, however, to be vehemently opposed by the papacy...This abomination was considered impious both in the eyes of the Divine Majesty as in those of humans, and the body thus treated would be denied Christian burial.
Even though the rubric only applied to the cutting up and boiling of bodies, it also encompassed the “dispersed burials,” cutting up, eviscerating and division of corpses and the burial of various body parts (such as the heart, entrails and body) at different locations. Thus, dispersed burials were also banned by the papacy. However, papal dispensations are known to have been granted to persons of influence so that instead of abolishing the custom, it became an even more desirable status indicator of the highest echelons of medieval society.
I would add that the French kings had had their hearts and other organs buried separately for centuries in St. Denis, which is why we have Louis XVII's heart (which was removed after his death, per royal tradition), but not his body, which was lost during the Revolution.
To quote again from the article,
Considering that important royal dynasties persisted in disembowelling their dead members, this ban seems to have largely disregarded among the elite, even without special authorisation or fear of excommunication. Moreover, another important motive for chopping up bodies was naturally related to a central tenet of Christian doctrine, namely, the cult of saints. The trade in relics, severed body parts of saints, had been initiated in late Antiquity and continued throughout the Middle Ages and caused the Church fathers to debate the possibility of resurrection in these cases. For example, Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430) considered resurrections as “the reassemblage” of all the bits and pieces of the body. Yet, judging by Roman legislation and Christian sermons banning the chopping up of and commerce in body parts, the trade in relics started to grow in the latter half of the fourth century. It continued to flourish in the Middle Ages, and the boiling of dead potential saints was necessary to have “the bones […] more quickly available for distribution.”
Re: Burial methods
So I just finished Orieux (which I'm kind of sad there is no more! But I guess someday I could read the French version, which is apparently much longer?? though I'm not sure it would be nearly as funny) and I guess Voltaire's brain and heart were floating around for a while?! But not buried. (I feel like someone needs to write a science-fictional story about Voltaire's brain being lost... then maybe re-found and cloned :) Maybe if I get around to an SF AU that will be a thing...)