dance of death

dance of death
1. a symbolic dance in which Death, represented as a skeleton, leads people or skeletons to their grave.
2. a representation of this theme in art. Also called danse macabre.
[1470-80]

* * *

or danse macabre or skeleton dance

Medieval allegorical concept of the all-conquering and equalizing power of death, expressed in the drama, poetry, music, and visual arts of western Europe, mainly in the late Middle Ages.

It is a literary or pictorial representation of a procession or dance of both living and dead figures, the living arranged in order of their rank, from pope and emperor to child, clerk, and hermit, and the dead leading them to the grave. It was given impetus by the Black Death and the Hundred Years' War. Though depictions declined after the 16th century, the theme was revived in literature and music of the 19th–20th centuries.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Dance of Death — • Originally a species of spectacular play akin to the English moralities. It has been traced back to the middle of the fourteenth century Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Dance of Death     Dance of Death …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Dance of Death — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Dance of Death Álbum de estudio de Iron Maiden Publicación 8 de septiembre de 2003 Género(s) …   Wikipedia Español

  • Dance of Death — Dance of Death …   Википедия

  • Dance Of Death — Album par Iron Maiden Sortie 8 septembre 2003 Enregistrement novembre 2002 août 2003 aux Sarm Studios (West), Londres Durée 68 min 5 s Genre(s) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Dance of death — Album par Iron Maiden Sortie 8 septembre 2003 Enregistrement novembre 2002 août 2003 aux Sarm Studios (West), Londres Durée 68 min 5 s Genre(s) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Dance of Death — Album par Iron Maiden Sortie 8 septembre 2003 Enregistrement novembre 2002 août 2003 aux Sarm Studios (West), Londres Durée 68 min 5 s Genre …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Dance with Death — Studio album by Andrew Hill Released 1980 …   Wikipedia

  • Dance of Death — Dance Dance, n. [F. danse, of German origin. See {Dance}, v. i.] 1. The leaping, tripping, or measured stepping of one who dances; an amusement, in which the movements of the persons are regulated by art, in figures and in accord with music.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Dance of Death — also danse macabre an imaginary dance which people are supposed to perform as they are being led to their death by a ↑skeleton (=a body consisting only of bones) representing death. It was very common in pictures and drawings in the ↑Middle Ages …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Dance of Death — ist der Titel eines Romans von Douglas Preston und Lincoln Child aus dem Jahr 2005 mit dem deutschen Titel Dark Secret – Mörderische Jagd eines Musikalbums der britischen Heavy Metal Band Iron Maiden aus dem Jahr 2003, siehe Dance of Death… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • dance of death — n. a symbolic portrayal, esp. in medieval art, of Death whirling persons away in dance as each dies …   English World dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”