You will surely know the old Latin moral principle “memento mori”, meaning “Remember death!”. Its essence is a reminder of human transience and mortality. Although it seems unbelievable to us now, we only have a limited time on Earth. According to the principle of memento mori, we should actually be preparing for death throughout our whole lives.
A bit morbid, you think? Certainly, if we try to play down and ignore death, any mention of it is terrifying. But when we accept it as part of living, it is an unavoidable necessity. The Athenian philosophers were already discussing the question of remembering death.
🗣️ Socrates remarked: True philosophers prepare themselves for dying, and of all people, death is least terrifying to them.
Memento mori offers a visual reminder of the transience of human existence, and it is also an artistic tradition stretching back to antiquity. Let’s stop pretending that death does not exist and instead come to terms with it! In this article, we will recall one universal piece of wisdom, “We all have to go there!”, so let’s not make such a drama out of it. Learn to calm your nerves!
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The meaning of the phrase memento mori, or “Don’t be overconfident, Death is watching over you!”
The two-word Latin phrase memento mori has become almost part of everyday speech. We use it in ordinary conversation and have a vague idea of its meaning. But there is a difference between knowing “a little” and knowing “completely”. It should not be used thoughtlessly and mindlessly, because it hides a deep meaning.
Translated literally, it means “Remember that you must die!”. The phrase originates in ancient Rome, where slaves accompanying generals in victory parades whispered these words into the commanders’ ears as a reminder of their mortality. They warned them not to be consumed by arrogance, pride and overconfidence, because “Death was watching over” them too and would not hesitate to take them away with it.
The concept of memento mori also became well known in the visual arts, from the Middle Ages to the present day. The foreign website dailystoic.com tells a captivating story about the tradition of ancient Roman slaves as “a reminder we all desperately need in our lives”, or “Reminder We All Desperately Need”.
🗣️ The reminder goes like this: During a Roman general’s military triumph, the eyes of the audience are glued to him, the opulent figure standing at the front. Hardly anyone notices the general’s inconspicuous aide, standing right behind him and whispering in his ear “Remember that you are mortal!”. This very reminder is something we desperately need in our lives.
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“We are all going to die. Pretending otherwise is naive!” said the thinker Seneca
A reminder of our own transience is something we should not avoid. Quite the opposite. We must keep it in mind constantly. Experts agree that it is easier to pretend that death does not exist, to do everything we can to avoid thinking about it and to pretend that it is not based on truth. But this is short-sighted.
🗣️ Psychologists add: Our ego runs away from anything that reminds us of a reality that contradicts the comfortable fiction we have created for ourselves. We are petrified with horror at looking at life as it is. Yet the reality is so simple: we will die. Everyone around us will die. There is no point pretending otherwise.
Such reminders are part of the philosophy of memento mori. Ancient practices and activities aware of the presence of Death go back to the distant past:
- Socrates claimed that true philosophy is nothing other than reflecting on dying and death.
- Buddhism deals with the principle of “maranasati”, or “mindfulness of death”.
- Sufis are called “people of the graves” because they often visit cemeteries to meditate and reflect on mortality and transience.
🎓 Did you know? The term Sufism means a way or path, which can be understood as the soul’s journey to God.
Not just morbidity, but also a carefree joy of life!
Throughout history, the principle of memento mori has taken many forms. Some, like the ancient Greek general’s advisers, were there to humble their master before Death and point out its seriousness and deep meaning. Other forms were devised, on the contrary, to inspire a zest for life. For example, the essayist Michel de Montaigne was fond of the ancient Egyptian custom of carrying out a human skeleton during celebrations, while those present applauded: “Drink and be merry, for when you die, you will look like this!”
🗣️ Historians note: It sounds morbid and unbelievable. Who wants to think about death?! Nobody. On the other hand, what if we stopped fearing death and were willing to accept it as an irrefutable fact? What if reflecting on this reality were a simple key to a fulfilled and happy life? Or to our freedom? As Montaigne said: “To practise death is to practise freedom. A man who has learned how to die has learned how not to be a slave.”
In this case, carpe diem, or “Seize the day!”, would also go well with the principle of memento mori. There is no need to take death too seriously and think about it day and night. The essence of the principle is to keep it subconsciously in mind and to use that reminder to live to the full, not at half speed. You need to think positively.
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Memento mori in art, or “Dust you are and to dust you shall return!”
Remembering death, and the concept of death and dying in general, has appeared in art since time immemorial. Visual art, sculpture, film and music: memento mori has become an attraction for all kinds of artistic expression. From the traditional depiction of “religious scenes”, which were meant to warn humble humanity of the monstrousness of Death, we have moved on to Gothic depictions of human remains and skulls.
An interesting observation is the entry Marcus Aurelius made in his private diary, where he noted: “You could leave life right now. Let that [life] determine what you do and say and think.”, which was meant as a personal reminder that you should live a full life NOW and not wait. Take a look at interesting depictions of memento mori in the next section.
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Memento mori in paintings, still Life with a Skull and Vanitas, the transience of life!
Do you know depictions of memento mori in paintings? Skulls, crossbones, human remains, skeletons: you have surely seen all of these on more than one canvas. The motif of death is overused in visual art today, because artists think it will easily create a sense of futility and fear.
Let us now move away from obvious depictions of dying and mortality and focus on iconic paintings that aimed to awaken in people a sense of insignificance and transience. Which paintings (or engravings, sculptures, etc.) on the theme of memento mori count among the true gems?
A relic by an unknown artist: “Bead from a Chaplet”
A tiny bead from a chaplet depicts the face of Jesus Christ. It is estimated to date from the 16th century.
🎓 Did you know? During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, artists often incorporated symbols of mortality into their paintings, from obvious skull motifs to subtler references such as wilting flowers or clocks (a symbol of time passing).
Johann Melchior Gutwein, vanitas engraving
An engraving by the German artist Johann Melchior Gutwein (active from 1727 to 1733).
The vanitas still life, popular during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, combines symbols of mortality and lavish depictions of material wealth. In this way, it creates a moral allegory about the folly of human vanity and the permanence of death.
Gerrit Willemsz Heda, danse Macabre, or the Dance of Death
Oil on canvas by the Dutch painter Gerrit Willemsz Heda (active in the 18th century).
Another variation on the memento mori theme is the Danse Macabre, or dance of death. It is a late medieval allegory of the universality of death: the dance of death unites everyone without distinction. The Danse Macabre consists of the Grim Reaper leading dancing figures of all age groups and social classes to the grave.
Philippe de Champaigne, still Life with a Skull
In the 17th century, the French painter Philippe de Champaigne created the famous painting Still Life with a Skull, also known as Vanitas.
The painting shows three basic symbols of existence: a tulip (life), a skull (death) and an hourglass (time). The original belongs to the genre known as Vanitas, a 17th-century art form that uses symbols of mortality to prompt reflection on how fleeting life is.
The Memento mori coin
Each coin is handmade in the United States by a mint that has operated in Minnesota since 1882.
Daily Stoic offers a unique Memento Mori medallion. The coins are designed to be carried in your pocket every day as a literal and unavoidable reminder that “you could leave life right now”. Some people even consider it a life hack.
Do you know the Czech video game Memento Mori? Come and investigate an art theft in Russia!
This unique Czech video game from the studio Centauri Production is a well-made adventure game in which your task is to investigate the theft of paintings from the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg.
🗣️ Story description from GameExpres.cz: Colonel Ostankovich, head of a special police unit in Saint Petersburg and a man who has staked his honour on the promise that not a single item will go missing from the Hermitage under his command, receives a report of a brief alarm outage at the museum. He realises something is going on, so he asks for help from his Interpol colleague Larisa Svetlova. She turns to her informant, the talented forger Max Dunrand. Together they investigate a suspicious theft of paintings from one of the most famous art museums in the world.
🎓 Did you know? Memento mori urges us to live as if we were dying.
Finally, Christian thinkers offer a profound piece of wisdom. They say: “Life is a gift. Death is inevitable. Do not waste the most precious gift of all by rushing into nothingness. Do not squander your days chasing gadgets, pleasures, promotions or a host of other things that do not really matter. And if you are tempted, remember the grave you cannot escape. Live for eternity. Love Jesus, love others, forgive, ask for forgiveness, give sacrificially, be humble, strive for a supernatural life of holiness. Anything less is just a waste of time. In short: live as if you were dying. Because you are.”
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