Earthly Vanity and Divine Salvation by Hans Memling. This triptych contrasts earthly beauty and luxury with the prospect of death and hell.

Memento mori is a Latin phrase that may be freely translated as "Remember that you are mortal," "Remember you will die," or "Remember your death". It names a genre of artistic creations that vary widely from one another, but which all share the same purpose, which is to remind people of their own mortality. Memento mori can refer to: Memento mori - the latin phrase and artistic genre. ... Download high resolution version (1333x650, 153 KB)Triptych of Earthly Vanity and Divine Salvation (front) by Hans Memling (c. ... Download high resolution version (1333x650, 153 KB)Triptych of Earthly Vanity and Divine Salvation (front) by Hans Memling (c. ... St Ursula Shrine by Hans Memling (1489) Gilded and painted wood, 87 x 33 x 91 cm Memlingmuseum, Sint-Janshospitaal, Bruges Hans Memling (Memlinc) (c. ... The Raising of the Cross, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal, Antwerp A triptych (from the Greek tri- three + ptychē fold) is a work of art (usually a panel painting) which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together. ... This page lists direct English translations of common Latin phrases, such as veni vidi vici and et cetera. ... A genre [], (French: kind or sort from Greek: γένος (genos)) is a loose set of criteria for a category of literary composition; the term is also used for any other form of art or utterance. ... This article is about the philosophical concept of Art. ...

Ancient times

In ancient Rome, the phrase is said to have been used on the occasions when a Roman general was parading through the streets of Rome during the victory celebration known as a triumph. Standing behind the victorious general was a slave, and he had the task of reminding the general that, though he was up on the peak today, tomorrow was another day. The servant did this by telling the general that he should remember that he was mortal, i.e. "Memento mori." (It is possible that the servant said instead "Respice post te! Hominem te esse memento!" (Look behind you! Remember that you are but a man!) as cited by Tertullian in chapter 33 of his Apologeticus.) Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... A Roman Triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly honour the military commander (dux) of a notably successful foreign war or campaign and to display the glories of Roman victory. ... Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicised as Tertullian, (ca. ... Apologeticus or Apologeticum[1]is Tertullians most famous work,[2] consisting of apologetic and polemic; it was written in Carthage in the summer or autumn of 197, during the reign of Septimius Severus. ...

The phrase was otherwise referred to in the art of classical antiquity; more emphasis was given to the theme of carpe diem, or "seize the day." This carries echoes of the admonishment to "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die", the language of which originates in Isaiah 22:13: "Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!" (New American Bible translation). The thought appears elsewhere in Roman literature: Horace's Odes include the well known line Nunc est bibendum, nunc pede libero pulsanda tellus. (Now is the time to drink, now the time to dance footloose upon the earth.) Horace goes on to explain that now is the time because there will be no drinking or dancing in the afterlife, a classic example of the carpe diem theme. This theme is repeated in the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, stanza XXXV: '..."While you live, / "Drink!—for, once dead, you never shall return."' And the popular theme of "Timor mortis conturbat me, quilla inferno nulla est redemptio"...The Fear Of Death Torments Me Because In Hell There Is No Redemption. Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, which begins roughly with the earliest-recorded Greek poetry of Homer (7th century BC), and continues through the rise of Christianity and the fall of the Western Roman Empire (5th century AD... For other uses, see Carpe diem (disambiguation). ... In 1970, the New American Bible (NAB) was first published. ... Horace, as imagined by Anton von Werner Quintus Horatius Flaccus, (December 8, 65 BC - November 27, 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus. ... For other uses, see Ode (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Afterlife (disambiguation). ... This image is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

Puritan America

Colonial American art saw a large amount of "memento mori" images in their art because of their puritan influence. The Puritan community in 17th century America looked down upon art because they believed it drew the faithful away from God, and if away from God, then it could only lead to the devil. However, portraits were considered historical records, and as such they were allowed. Thomas Smith, a 17th century Puritan, fought in many naval battles, and also painted. In his painting Self-Portrait we see a typical puritan "memento mori" with a skull, suggesting his imminent death. For the record label, see Puritan Records. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... Thomas Smith was the name of the following men: Sir Thomas Smith (1513-1577), also spelled Smyth; an English scholar and diplomat. ...

Thomas Smith's Self-Portrait

The poem under the skull is a common puritanical poem which emphasizes Smith's acceptance to death: Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Why why should I the World be minding,Therein a World of Evils Finding. Then Farwell World: Farewell thy jarres, thy Joies thy Toies thy Wiles thy Warrs. Truth Sounds Retreat: I am not sorye. The Eternall Drawes to him my heart, By Faith (which can thy Force Subvert) To Crowne me (after Grace) with Glory.

Postclassical Europe

The thought came into its own with Christianity, whose strong emphasis on Divine Judgment, Heaven, Hell, and the salvation of the soul brought death to the forefront of consciousness. Most memento mori works are products of Christian art, although there are equivalents in Buddhist art. In the Christian context, the memento mori acquires a moralizing purpose quite opposed to the Nunc est bibendum theme of Classical antiquity. To the Christian, the prospect of death serves to emphasize of the emptiness and fleetingness of earthly pleasures, luxuries, and achievements, and thus also as an invitation to focus one's thoughts on the prospect of the afterlife. A Biblical injunction often associated which the memento mori in this context is In omnibus operibus tuis memorare novissima tua, et in aeternum non peccabis (the Vulgate's Latin rendering of Ecclesiasticus 7:40, "in all thy works be mindful of thy last end and thou wilt never sin.") Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... For other uses, see Heaven (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hell (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Salvation (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Soul (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Death (disambiguation). ... Christian art is art that spans many segments of Christianity. ... Footprint of the Buddha. ... The Vulgate Bible is an early 5th century version in Latin, partly revised and partly translated by Jerome on the orders of Pope Damasus I in 382. ... The Wisdom of Ben Sira (or The Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach or merely Sirach), also called Ecclesiasticus (not to be confused with Ecclesiastes) by some Christians, is a book written circa 180–175 BC. The author, Yeshua ben Sira, was a Jew who had been living in Jerusalem...

The most obvious places to look for memento mori meditations are in funereal art and architecture. Perhaps the most striking to contemporary minds is the transi, or cadaver tomb, a tomb which depicts the decayed corpse of the deceased. This became a fashion in the tombs of the wealthy in the fifteenth century, and surviving examples still create a stark reminder of the vanity of earthly riches. The famous danse macabre, with its dancing depiction of the Grim Reaper carrying off rich and poor alike, is another well known example of the memento mori theme. This and similar depictions of Death decorated many European churches. Later, Puritan tombstones in the colonial United States frequently depicted winged skulls, skeletons, or angels snuffing out candles. See the themes associated with skull imagery. Image File history File links From the Dance of Death by Hans Holbein the Younger (1491). ... For other uses, see Funeral (disambiguation). ... This article is about building architecture. ... Beneath Masaccios fresco of the Trinity painted in 1425-28 in Santa Maria Novella, Florence, is a painted representation of a cadaver tomb A cadaver tomb (or memento mori tomb, Latin for reminder of death) is a sarcophagus that resembles a carved stone bunk-bed with the deceased shown... For the New York prison see The Tombs. ... For other uses, see Body (disambiguation). ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... For other meanings of vanity, see vanity (disambiguation). ... The Dance of Death (1493) by Michael Wolgemut, from the Liber chronicarum by Hartmann Schedel. ... Grim Reaper redirects here. ... For the record label, see Puritan Records. ... Headstones in the Japanese Cemetry in Broome, Western Australia A cemetery in rural Spain A typical late 20th century headstone in the United States A headstone, tombstone or gravestone is a marker, normally carved from stone, placed over or next to the site of a burial. ... For other uses of Skull, see Skull (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Skeleton (disambiguation). ... This article is about the supernatural being. ... , by Albrecht Dürer Skull symbolism is instinctive in human nature. ...

Timepieces were formerly an apt reminder that your time on earth grows shorter with each passing minute. Public clocks would be decorated with mottos such as ultima forsan ("perhaps the last" [hour]) or vulnerant omnes, ultima necat ("they all wound, and the last kills"). Even today, clocks often carry the motto tempus fugit, "time flies." Old striking clocks often sported automata who would appear and strike the hour; some of the celebrated automaton clocks from Augsburg, Germany had Death striking the hour. The several computerized "death clocks" revive this old idea. Private people carried smaller reminders of their own mortality. Mary Queen of Scots owned a large watch carved in the form of a silver skull, embellished with the lines of Horace. For other uses, see Clock (disambiguation). ... The Canard Digérateur of Jacques de Vaucanson, hailed in 1739 as the first automaton capable of digestion. ... For other meanings for Augsburg: See Augsburg (disambiguation) , Augsburg is a city in south-central Germany. ... A death test is a questionnaire which can be used to predict the age a person will die. ... Mary, Queen of Scots redirects here. ... A watch is a timepiece or portable clock that displays the time and sometimes the day, date, month and year. ... This article is about the chemical element. ...

Philippe de Champaigne's Vanitas (c. 1671) is reduced to three essentials: Life, Death, and Time.

The artistic genre of still life was formerly called Vanitas, Latin for "vanity", because it was thought appropriate for each such painting to include some kind of symbol of mortality in each picture; these could be obvious ones like skulls, or subtler ones, like a flower losing its petals. See the themes associated with the image of the skull. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1050x777, 120 KB) The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1050x777, 120 KB) The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Ex Voto (1662) by Philippe de Champaigne Philippe de Champaigne (26 May 1602 - 12 August 1674) was a Baroque era painter of the French school. ... Vanitas, by Pieter Claesz This article is about the fine art genre. ... Events May 9 - Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. ... For other uses, see Life (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Death (disambiguation). ... Look up time in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A still life is a work of art which represents a subject composed of inanimate objects. ... Vanitas, by Pieter Claesz This article is about the fine art genre. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... For other meanings of vanity, see vanity (disambiguation). ... “Painter” redirects here. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

After the invention of photography, many people had photographs taken of recently dead family members; given the technical limitations of daguerreotype photography, this was one way to get the portrait subject to sit still. Photography [fәtɑgrәfi:],[foʊtɑgrәfi:] is the process of recording pictures by means of capturing light on a light-sensitive medium, such as a film or electronic sensor. ... A post-mortem photograph of a middle-aged man. ... An 1837 daguerreotype by Daguerre. ... Roman-Egyptian funeral portrait of a young boy A portrait is a painting (portrait painting), photograph (portrait photography), or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. ...

Memento mori was also an important literary theme. Well known literary meditations on death in English prose include Sir Thomas Browne's Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial and Jeremy Taylor's Holy Living and Holy Dying. These works were part of a Jacobean cult of melancholia that marked the end of the Elizabethan era. In the late eighteenth century, literary elegies were a common genre; Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard and Edward Young's Night Thoughts were typical members of the genre. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Sir Thomas Browne (October 19, 1605 – October 19, 1682) was an English author of varied works that disclose his wide learning in diverse fields including medicine, religion, science and the esoteric. ... Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial, or a Discourse of the Sepulchral Urns lately found in Norfolk, is a work by Sir Thomas Browne, published in 1658 as the first part of a two-part work that concludes with The Garden of Cyrus. ... Jeremy Taylor is depicted in this portrait at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University. ... Holy Living and Holy Dying is the collective title of two books of Christian devotion by Jeremy Taylor. ... Not to be confused with Jacobinism or Jacobitism. ... Melancholy redirects here. ... Elizabethan redirects here. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... For other uses, see Elegy (disambiguation). ... For the recipient of the Victoria Cross see Thomas Gray (VC), for the co-inventor of the seismometer see Thomas Lomar Gray. ... For Her Majesty the Queens private secretary see Edward Young (Royal Household). ...

Apart from the enormous genre of requiem and funeral music there is also a rich tradition of memento mori in the Early Music of Europe. Especially those facing the ever present death during the recurring bubonic plague pandemias from the 1340s onward (see Black Death) tried to toughen themselves by anticipating the inevitable in chants, from the simple Geisslerlieder of the Flagellant movement to the more refined cloistral or courtly songs. The lyrics often looked at life as a necessary and god-given vale of tears with death as a ransom and reminded people to lead sinless lives to stand a chance at Judgement Day. Two stanzas typical of memento mori in mediaeval music are from the virelai ad mortem festinamus of the Catalan Llibre Vermell de Montserrat from 1399: The Requiem (from the Latin requiés, rest) or Requiem Mass (informally, the funeral Mass), also known formally (in Latin) as the Missa pro defunctis or Missa defunctorum, is a liturgical service of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Anglican/ Episcopalian High Church and certain Lutheran Churches in... For other uses, see Funeral (disambiguation). ... Early music is commonly defined as European classical music from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque. ... This article concerns the mid fourteenth century pandemic. ... In medieval music, the Geisslerlieder were the songs of the wandering bands of flagellants, who overspread Europe during two periods of mass hysteria: the first during the middle of the 13th century, and the second during the Black Death in 1349. ... Flagellants, from a fifteenth century woodcut Flagellants are practitioners of an extreme form of mortification of their own flesh by whipping it with various instruments. ... The phrase vale of tears refers to Earth and the sorrows left through life. ... The term Judgement Day may refer to: The Last Judgement; the ethical-judicial trial, judgement, and punishment/reward of individual humans (assignment to Heaven or to Hell) by a divine tribunal at the end of time. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Virelay. ... The song Mariam matrem virginem, a leaf from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat. ...

Vita brevis breviter in brevi finietur,

Mors venit velociter quae neminem veretur,

Omnia mors perimit et nulli miseretur.

Ad mortem festinamus peccare desistamus.

Life is short, and shortly it will end;

Death comes quickly and respects no one,

It destroys everything and takes pity on no one.

To death we are hastening, let us refrain from sinning.

Ni conversus fueris et sicut puer factus

Et vitam mutaveris in meliores actus,

Intrare non poteris regnum Dei beatus.

Ad mortem festinamus peccare desistamus.

If you don't turn back and become like a child,

And change your life for the better,

You will not be able to enter, blessed, the Kingdom of God.

To death we are hastening, let us refrain from sinning.

José Guadalupe Posada's "Calavera de la Catrina"

Much memento mori art is associated with the Mexican festival, Day of the Dead, including even skull-shaped candies, and bread loaves adorned with bread "bones". It was also famously expressed in the works of the Mexican engraver José Guadalupe Posada, in which various walks of life are depicted as skeletons. Image File history File links Calavera de la Catrina by José Guadalupe Posada (before 1913) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Calavera de la Catrina by José Guadalupe Posada (before 1913) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Posada in front of his workshop Calavera Oaxaqueña, 1910 José Guadalupe Posada (2 February 1852 – 20 January 1913) was a Mexican engraver and illustrator. ... La Calavera de la Catrina For other uses, see Catrina (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Day of the Dead (disambiguation). ... Posada in front of his workshop Calavera Oaxaqueña, 1910 José Guadalupe Posada (2 February 1852 – 20 January 1913) was a Mexican engraver and illustrator. ...

The motto of the French village of Èze is the phrase: "Isia Moriendo Renascor" (meaning "In death I am Reborn") and its emblem is a phoenix perched on a bone. Èze is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes département, in France. ...

Modern uses

A modern literary variation on the memento mori theme may be found, for instance, in the short story El inmortal ("The Immortal," from the 1949 collection El Aleph), by Jorge Luis Borges. The Immortal is a story by Jorge Luis Borges about a character who mistakenly achieves immortality and then, weary of a long life, struggles to lose it and writes an account of his experiences. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Aleph (disambiguation). ... Jorge Luis Borges (August 24, 1899 – June 14, 1986) was an Argentine writer. ...

The phrase, as well as the translations "remember that you are human" "remember that you will die" and "remember your death" all appear on screen during the opening cinematic to the Playstation 2 game Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3. This ties into the game's theme of the inevitable passage of time. “PS2” redirects here. ...

The phrase "Memento Mori" is used as an attack name in the multi-platform Final Fantasy XI - Online game by Corse monsters. It can also be learned by the game's Blue Mage class. The ability increases the user's magical attack power. Final Fantasy XI ), also known as Final Fantasy XI: Online, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) as a part of the Final Fantasy video game series. ...

"Memento Mori" is the title of a short story by Johnathan Nolan, which was the basis from his brother Christopher Nolan's film "Memento", starring Guy Pierce.

The character Jackie Estacado in the comic book, 'The Darkness', has "Memento Mori" tatooed on the left side of his neck.

'Memento Mori' is the English title of the Korean movie Yeogo Goedam II. Memento Mori (여고과담 II Yuhgo gwadam II) is a 1999 South Korean horror film. ...

"Memento Mori" is a song by Liverpool doom metal/alternative rock band Anathema from the demo All Faith is Lost and re-recorded for the EP Pentecost III. For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... Anathema are an English band from the city of Liverpool, who - together with Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride - helped develop the doom death genre. ... All Faith Is Lost is third album made by Anathema. ... Pentecost III is an EP by the British doom metal band Anathema. ...

"Memento Mori" is a song by popular Birmingham rapper The Streets from the album 'The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living'. This article is about the British city. ... Mike Skinner (born November 27, 1978), more commonly known by his stage name The Streets, is a rapper from Birmingham, England. ... This article or section needs additional references or sources. ...

"Memento Mori" is the title of a song on the album 'The Black Halo' by Kamelot. The Black Halo is power metal band Kamelots seventh full-length album. ... Kamelot is a power metal band that incorporates many elements of symphonic and progressive metal into their music. ...

"Memento Mori" is the title of a song by The Academy Is... The Academy Is. ...

"Memento Mori" is inscribed on arch at the entrance to Prufrock Preparatory School, a fictional school in The Austere Academy, a volume in the children's book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. Prufrock Preparatory School is a fictional school in The Austere Academy, the fourth book in Lemony Snickets A Series of Unfortunate Events. ... The Austere Academy is the fifth novel in the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. ... This article is about the book series. ... Lemony Snicket is a pseudonym used by author Daniel Handler in his book series A Series of Unfortunate Events, as well as a character in that series. ...

"Memento Mori" is the name of an 1997 X-Files episode (Season 4 Episode 14). The episode deals with Scully's recent diagnosis of terminal cancer and Mulder doing everything he can to help her.

See also

• Ars moriendi (the art of dying, works instructing how to prepare for a "good death")
• Danse Macabre, the representation of different walks of life dancing with skeletons.
• Death (personification)
• Death poem
• Elegy
• Epitaph, inscription on a grave.
• Et in Arcadia ego, the theme of shepherds finding a grave.
• Lament
• Macabre
• Post-mortem photography
• Skull (symbolism)
• Symbols of death
• Vanitas
• Terror management theory, psychological speculation on how we cope with the idea of death.
• Afterlife

Pride of the spirit is one of the five temptations of the dying man, according to Ars moriendi. ... For mercy killings not performed on humans, see animal euthanasia. ... The Dance of Death (1493) by Michael Wolgemut, from the Liber chronicarum by Hartmann Schedel. ... Grim Reaper redirects here. ... General Akashi Gidayu preparing to commit seppuku after losing a battle for his master in 1582. ... For other uses, see Elegy (disambiguation). ... An epitaph ( literally: on the gravestone in ancient Greek) is text honoring the deceased, most commonly inscribed on a tombstone or plaque. ... Et in Arcadia ego is a Latin phrase that most famously appears as the title of two paintings by Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665). ... A lament or lamentation is a song or poem expressing grief, regret or mourning. ... For other uses, see Macabre (disambiguation). ... A post-mortem photograph of a middle-aged man. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Symbols of death are the symbolic, often allegorical, portrayal of death in various cultures. ... Vanitas, by Pieter Claesz This article is about the fine art genre. ... Terror management theory (TMT) is a developing area of study within the academic study of psychology. ... For other uses, see Afterlife (disambiguation). ...

External links

• Isaiah 22
• Apologeticus
• Memento Mori Gallery