“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe

1. Catacombs, masons, Poe madness and more! Stuff to know before you read … “The Cask of Amontillado”by Edgar Allen Poe

2. 1. What is a catacomb? Catacombs are underground passageways dug by humans for the purpose of housing the remains of the dead. Some were created from unused mines or systems of caves; others were dug for the sole purpose of burying large numbers of corpses. Many catacombs are located under major cities like Paris (France); Rome and Naples (Italy), London (England), Alexandria (Egypt), Kiev (Ukraine), and Vienna (Austria). Wealthy families and churches often dug their own catacombs. In the case of private families, the spaces might also be used for storing wine and other perishables.

3. Why a catacomb, not just a grave? In Rome, catacombs were built to keep the act of burying the dead a secret. The earliest Christians believed that the body needed to be intact for the Second Coming of Christ, but the Romans believed it was healthier and more practical to cremate (burn) the dead. The Christians had to hide their practice of burial, or else they would be punished.

4. Why a catacomb, not just a grave? In Paris in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, the old cemeteries had become so full of bones dating back to Medieval times that they were out of room to bury their dead! So, the old graves were dug up, and the bones and skulls were transferred to abandoned mines under the city. The Paris catacombs are really an ossuary – a place where old bones are stored - not a cemetery. Nobody was buried there immediately after their death. EXCEPT….

5. The Black Death & the catacombs The bubonic plague (Black Death) took its toll on hundreds of thousands of victims in major cities across Europe. Each morning, carts would roam the streets, with collectors calling, “Bring out your dead!” The dead were stacked in the carts and transported to churches for burial. But when the churches ran out of room, the newly dead were lowered into the catacombs. Yes, it smelled awful down there.

6. What do they look like? Paris

11. Niter – a mineral deposit that forms on the walls and ceilings of underground passages and caves. It is shiny and looks wet. What does it smell like here? What is the temperature? What sounds might you hear? How do you feel?

12. Who are the Masons?What is Freemasonry? Freemasonry is the largest and oldest fraternity in the world. Members of this fraternity are called “Masons” or “Freemasons.” Know one knows for sure when Freemasonry first started. It probably arose from the guilds of stone masons who built castles and cathedrals in the Middle Ages. Freemasonry became a formal organization in England in 1717, when the first Grand Lodge was formed.

13. Freemasonry miscellanea Masons use many secret symbols. You probably know these symbols from “National Treasure.” They are used secret hand signs and gestures, and held their meetings in secret.

14. Freemasonry miscellanea Until recent times, to become a Mason, you had to be: * Male * Protestant – not Catholic, Jewish, or Muslim * White * Referred by another Mason The group was highly discriminatory. In fact, the Ku Klux Klan grew out of Freemasonry during the Civil War in the American South.

15. Some additional things to know… This is a trowel: It is used to spread mortar on bricks and stones by masons, who are brick and stone workers.

16. Some additional things to know… The story takes place in Italy during Carnivale, which is similar to the Mardi Gras in America. People dress in costumes, take to the streets, and “party hardy” during the last few days before Lent. Concealing one’s identity makes for much less inhibition.

17. Jester’s cap with bells. This is motley.

18. And a few things about Edgar… Edgar Allen Poe was known to be an alcoholic and opium addict. (Opium is made from poppies and is highly addictive.) During addictive bouts, he suffered from hypergraphia – the inability to stop writing for days and days at a time (without sleeping). As a result, much of his writing was total garbage! But some of Poe’s stories and poems left their mark on American literature.

19. A marriage made in heaven? Poe married his first cousin, Virginia Eliza Clemm, when she was 13 and he was 27. Some biographers have suggested that the couple's relationship was more like that between brother and sister than husband and wife.

20. An ill-fated love. When she was 19, Virginia contracted tuberculosis (also called “consumption”). It first came to light when she was singing and playing the piano for guests, dressed in a glowing white dress. Suddenly, a bright flow of red blood poured from Virginia’s mouth, staining the front of her dress. Her health declined and she became an invalid, driving Poe into an even deeper depression.

21. The only known image of Virginia, water-colored just hours after her death.

22. The death of Poe or: Poe no Mo’ On October 3, Poe was found delirious in the gutter of a Baltimore street, half-dressed and "in great distress, and ... in need of immediate assistance.” He was taken to the hospital, where he died at 5 a.m. on Sunday, October 7. Poe was never coherent enough to explain how he came to be in this condition. Was it advanced alcoholism? A suicide using tranquilizers? Or, as some suspect, a murder?