Ars moriendi, ars vivendi

Abstract

The Ars moriendi are treaties that spread especially after the Black Death that struck Europe in the early 14th century. In this context, not only were the clerics unable to attend and prepare all the dying, but many of them died during this same pandemic. Thus, it was necessary to systematize a simple, basic, and relatively quick method to be ready to die well. The advice of the Ars moriendi seeks the tranquility and the state of Grace of the dying person. Once again, the world faces a pandemic; death came to light, it began to be perceived, and it is a good opportunity to rethink it. In this article, we will address the Ars moriendi as a literary genre in the 14th and 15th centuries, the great tasks that these texts pose, and the spiritual tendency to which they give rise.