The Easter Sepulchre in England

In addition to a catalogue of Easter sepulchres in England, Professor Sheingorn has produced in her introduction a superb study of the ceremonies, rites, and dramas associated with this structure.

The Easter Sepulchre is the English form of a monument known throughout Western Europe in the Middle Ages as the sepulchrum domini, the tomb of the Lord, the monument associated specifically with the commemorative Easter rites. The Easter Sepulchre stood in the place of Christ's tomb in Jerusalem, recreated in hundreds of churches in England for Holy Week and Easter each year. This volume discusses this important monument that stands at the intersection of several important aspects of medieval culture: its study impinges upon the fields of drama, liturgy, art history, and social history. The study is organized so as to trace individual threads - the representations of the Holy Sepulchre in art, the development of the commemorative Easter rites, and the form and iconography of the Easter Sepulchre - before describing the pattern that results when they are interwoven. This volume is of critical interest to those studying this monument, and sheds light on the intersections of medieval English developments in art, liturgy, drama, and popular religion.