The phenomenon of apparent death in history, literature and folklore

Keywords: apparent death, seemingly dead, legend, rumour, Lazarus syndrome, ­funeral, Enlightenment, 19th-century Estonian journalism, premature burial

Storylines associated with apparent death are known all over the world. Hardly any other subject or motif of folklore can offer a more coloured bouquet in genre than apparent death, ranging from fairy tales and romantic legends and narratives to rumours, ballads, and jokes. The earlier texts of our folklore archives date back to the late 1880s, but the vast majority of Estonian apparent death stories were collected in the second half of the 20th century. The historical origin of the stories of apparent death reaches to antiquity and probably also relies on some truthful occasions, but the formation and spread of folk tales on this subject fall into the Enlightenment period in Europe. The article focuses on the context of apparent death stories in 18th–19th century Europe, including Estonia. The emergence and developments of this topic relate to medical and religious practices, journalism and literature.

Eda Kalmre (b. 1958) PhD, Estonian Literary Museum, Department of Folklore, Senior Researcher (Vanemuise 42, 51003 Tartu), eda@folklore.ee