375 | On the Dance of Death scythe . Before and behind marched men robed in black with white or yellow skeletons drawn on them and wearing death masks . Choirs chanted the Miserere . 1 This was called the Dance Maccabre, La Danza General De la Muerte, totentanz, trionfo della morte, etc . , and is well known from the famous illustration by Hans Holbein the Younger, 2 and the Camille Saint - Saёns’ and Berlioz’ musical creations to this theme . 3 However, it may be that its origins are still earlier . For in 1231 the church Council of Rouen forbade dancing in cemeteries or churches under pain of excommunication . Similarly another council held in 1405 forebade such dancing in cemeteries . 4 So apparently some such activities already are to be found in the See Charles G . Herberman & George C . Williamson, “Dance of Death”, The 1 Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913, Vol . 4, p . 617 . Cut by the block cutter Hans Lützelburger, whose monogram was “HL” . c . 1525 ) . 2 “Holbein’s contribution to t...
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