Maidens’ Garlands: Funerary Crowns and Wreaths across Europe and Beyond

Contents

List of Figures and Tables

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1. ‘Pride of the Village’: The Special Funeral Custom of Maidens’ Crowns and Garlands in England, Wales and Ireland – Rosie Morris

Chapter 2. Funerary and Votive Crowns and Floral Bouquets Recovered in the Course of the Archaeological Investigation of the St Theodore Church Site in Pula (Croatia) – Tatjana Bradara

Chapter 3. ‘Monuments of Love’: Totenkronen (‘death crowns’) in Germany – With a Look at Their Wider Distribution in Europe and Worldwide – Sylvia Müller-Pfeifruck

Chapter 4. Maidens’ Garlands in Germany: An Archaeological Approach – Juliane Lippok

Chapter 5. Conservation of the Maiden’s Garland at St Michael’s Church, Theydon Mount, Essex – Jim Spriggs and Sarah Kingsley

Chapter 6. Maidens’ Crowns and the Weight of Legacy: An Exploration of Crown Creators, Participants, Rites of Passage, Celebrity, and Superstition – Rosie Morris

Index

About the Author

Rosie Morris was born in Minsterley, Shropshire, England, where a number of maidens’ crowns are hung in the parish church of Holy Trinity. Driven by a passion for history and the arts, she has participated in life-long learning, completing a BA (Hons), BSc (Hons) and Master of Philosophy. Her interest in maidens’ crowns led to a quarter of a century of academic research, brought to fruition in this volume. She is especially grateful to Sylvia Mueller-Pfeifruck and Juliane Lippock from Germany, Tatjana Bradara from Croatia and conservators Jim Spriggs and Sarah Kingsley for their chapters in this book.