Victorian Death Customs. Goodbye Aunt Gertrude.

One of the topics that have fascinated me for many years, is Victorian Death Customs. Victorians viewed death differently, then people of our times. Maybe because it was an excepted part of life, since medicines didn't exist, and what did, was scarce. Death lurked, in every drop of drinking water, in bottles of tonics, that was said to cure, death over shadowed every childbirth. Mourning was almost an art form, and many books were written on the subject. I am going to take you back through my time machine. ((Creepy music plays, and we fade to black.)) We find ourselves in the early 1900. We are at the bed of young Aunt Gertrude,19 years old. She has been very ill, not in the hospital, but at home, in her own bed. Family surrounds our beloved aunt Trudy, her sister Victoria holds one hand, and her husband James, whispers into her ear, trying not to weep. Trudy sees a bright light, and the angels beckon her to come with them. Trudy smiles and lets out, the gargled last breath. She slips from this world, to the next. Trudy looks down, from the ceiling and sees her loved ones, next to the shell.. her soul once called home.When her family realizes, Gertrude has left her body they weep, and then begin to move quickly. All the mirrors in the house have to be covered quick, so her soul does not get stuck in one. They use a dark, cloth, black velvet. All drapes are pulled  tightly closed. Next all clocks must be stopped at the time of Trudy's death, if this isn't done, bad luck will come to the family. When Trudy's body has to be taken out of the house, she will have to be taken feet first. If she is taken out head first, she could look back, and beckon others to follow her, to the other side. All family photographs, will be turned upside down, in case Trudy's spirit tries to posses, other family members to follow her. Mildred the maid, hangs a black wreath on the family door, and the family slips into the mourning attire, which even includes black undergarments. These items will be worn, for a specific time. Trudy's spouse James will wear mourning clothes for a minimum of a year, then half morning clothes for 3 months. This will include a black suit, and a black arm band. The length the other family members, and the help will wear these mourning garments, depends on the relationship they had with Trudy. Sister Victoria, dressed in a black crepe dress, cuts a piece of hair from Trudy's head, to make mourning jewelry, so that Gertrude's memory will live on. Mildred calls the photographer, so one last picture can be taken, so her image will not be forgotten. It is undecided at this point, if the family will take the picture with her. This will be a difficult task, considering they will pose Trudy, to make her look lifelike, maybe the photographer will use a stand, for her stiff body. The picture, requires the family to be very still, and with the intense grief, because Trudy was so young, they decide against it. Trudy will be posed, as if she is sleeping.  After the picture is taken, the casket is made, and Trudy is placed in it, for her waking period. If she needed to be autopsied, it would be done on the family, dinning room table. This will not be necessary, due to Trudy's illness. The Living room was cleared of furniture, to make room for flowers, and visitors. Flowers were not used, just for the tribute of Trudy's young life, but as a disguise for the death smell. embalming is not widely used, just yet. For the next 3-4 days, Trudy will have someone watching her every minute,until burial to see if she will wake. hence the name "wake."  It's the early nineteen hundreds, the practice of medicine is not that advanced, and Doctor John's stethoscope is not that dependable. Doc, tells the family." heartbeats can be so faint, it might not be audible. she could be in a coma. Keep an eye on her, call me, straight away..if she stirs." As the next few days pass, visitors arrive to say their goodbyes. The family loses hope, and burial is planned. Yet, with so many fears, of being buried alive the family still prepares a safeguard. A telescope looking device will be threaded through the casket, and left to stick out of the ground. A bell will be assembled through this tube, in case Trudy wakes up. if she does, she can ring it.The caretaker will check the grave often, Putting his ear to the tube for the next few weeks, to make sure...Dear Trudy is indeed on the other side.After a certain time passes, the tube will be removed. The grave will be either bricked, or a tree will be planted over top of Trudy's grave, to deter grave robbers. RIP Sweet Gertrude.