Old age – Thijs Porck

20 Dec 202021 Dec 2020 thijsporck BL, Royal 7 C XII, Christ III, Old age, Old English poetry, Parker Library, CCCC MS 302, Vercelli Book

Heaven is a place without old age: Age and the afterlife in early medieval England

From the Viking mead drinking in Valhalla to the unending punishments of the Greek underworld, the afterlife has always been an imaginative place. In this blog post, I survey how the afterlife was conceptualised in early medieval England, in particular with reference to 'old age'. Heaven is a place without old age The prime place … Continue reading Heaven is a place without old age: Age and the afterlife in early medieval England

15 Feb 201916 Feb 2019 thijsporck Bayeux Tapestry, Daily life, Old age

Old age as a prefiguration of Hell: Senescence in early medieval England

This blog looks at some of the downsides of growing old in early medieval England and identifies some cases of what may be termed ‘gerontophobia’, the fear for old age.