User:AardvarksRhere

Medieval memorial culture in Europe, also known by the Latin term memoria, was a complex of liturgical and social acts connecting the living and the dead. The concept does not solely comprise the care for the souls of (deceased) persons, but also the commemoration of their actions, such as founding religious institutions and obtaining and safeguarding rights, privileges and financial resources.

This memorial culture testifies to the intertwinement of the care for the here and the care for the hereafter. It was a central part of everyday life, occurring in all components and social strata of medieval society through the written word and through objects and their use in rituals. In order to understand everyday life in Europe in the Middle Ages, one needs to recognise that memoria was fundamental to the creation and expression of the identity of communities and individuals.