The phenomenon of burning spirits of the deceased as exemplified by the Lucerne spook case from 1599

Abstract

The living have obligations towards the deceased. These duties include lighting candles, arranging priests to say holy mass and personal prayer. To neglect beneficial actions of remembrance and not to fulfil a promise is supposed to deprive the deceased of their everlasting rest. They return to the living as poor souls, to remind the living of the unwritten law. Often the poor souls appear as burning skeletons or glowingfigures.Taking the spook case of Lucerne from 1599 as an example, the phenomenon of burning spirits of the deceased is investigated.