Dancing all the way to the Grave.

Emperor, your sword won’t help you out

Sceptre and crown are worthless here

I’ve taken you by the hand

For you must come to my dance

The Dance of Death (or Dance Macabre / Daunce of Poulys) is often confused with St Vitus Dance (a medieval illness). In fact, the Danse Macabre was a medieval allegory for the fact that we will all eventually die. 

Found in churches and cathedrals, the dance showed all from Kings to paupers, dancing along with skeletons and Death himself. It was intended to remind church attendees of the fragility of life – we shall all die.

Cheerful stuff – well the writer of this manuscript certainly thought so. He (or possibly she_ copied the relevant text of William Dugdale’s History of St Pauls. At 31 pages, this neat hand has reproduced the description of one of the most famous danse macabres in medieval England. (now sadly lost).