The precise origins of the Three Living and the Three Dead are still somewhat mysterious, but there are many versions of the tale dating back to the 13th century, with the best-known coming from England and France.

The basic version of the story goes like this: three young noblemen are out hunting when they suddenly come across three corpses, which are in varying states of decay, but nonetheless still animated.

Unsurprisingly, the young men express shock and dismay at the sight, while the three corpses admonish them to consider the transience of life and to improve their behaviour before it is too late.

These bas-de-page scenes can be found in the Taymouth Hours towards the end of the The Office of the Dead, a set of prayers for the dead and dying that were included in virtually every medieval Book of Hours.

The Office of the Dead in Add MS 35313 opens with a scene of the Three Living encountering the Three Dead while out hawking, and is unusual in including a woman among the hunting party. This miniature may be a copy of a similar scene in a Book of Hours that belonged to Mary of Burgundy, who was the mother-in-law of Joanna I of Castile

The Three Dead Kings (Middle English from West Staffordshire)

Þen speke þe henmest kyng, in þe hillis he beholdis,
He lokis vnder his hondis and his hed heldis;
Bot soche a carful k[ny]l to his hert coldis,
So doþ þe knyf ore þe kye, þat þe knoc kelddus.
Hit bene warlaws þre þat walkyn on þis woldis.
Oure Lord wyss us þe rede-way þat al þe word weldus!
My hert fare[s] fore freȝt as flagge when hit foldus,
Vche fyngyr of my hond fore ferdchip hit feldus.
Fers am I ferd of oure fare;
Fle we ful fast þer-fore.
Can Y no cownsel bot care.
Þese dewyls wil do vs to dare,
Fore drede lest þai duttyn vche a dore.

• Text in Turville-Petre, T. (ed.) Alliterative Poetry of the Later Middle Ages: An Anthology, London: Routledge, 1989, pp. 148 – 157

Then speaks the last king, he looks in the hills
He looks under his hands and holds his head;
But a dreadful blow goes cold to his heart
Like the knife or the key, that chills the knuckle.
“These are three demons that walk on these hills
May our Lord, who rules all the world, show us the quickest way out!
My heart bends with fright like a reed,
Each finger of my hand grows weak with fear.
I’m forcefully afraid of our fate;
Let us quickly flee, therefore.
I can give no counsel but worry.
These devils will make us cower
For dread lest they shut each escape.”

• Translation by Turville-Petre

These were quite familiar to those of the era, enough such that they were generally not considered as to need explicit explanation of their depictions. (Well, or maybe it just meant zombies were as well-known to those of the era as to us in the modern era…)

It is all a great reminder that our modern depiction and understanding of the concept of Death and the Grim Reaper is a reflection of our own cultural intuitions; the Middle Ages was quite a bit more familiar with death than the average modern person, and did not at all see death necessarily as an enemy – but as in this case, sometimes as an advisor.

Well, and also a terrifying advocate beyond the Veil who wants to bring you into the fold. So I guess some aspects don’t change.

Via British Library.