What happened when William the Conqueror's corpse was placed into his tomb?

abechstein

Because he was rather obese, and his body had already begun to putrefy, it didn't fit into his sarcophagus. The rest is history... "From postmortem decay the abscess had turgidly putrefied, bloating the corpse and expanding its girth. A group of bishops applied pressure on the king's abdomen to force the body downward (in the coffin) but it moved only inches; the lid still would not shut. Again they pushed, and the abdominal wall, already under intense internal pressure, burst. Pus and putrefaction drenched the king's death garb and seeped throughout the coffin. The stench so overpowered chapel mourners that, hands to noses, many raced for the doors ..." http://www.historyhouse.com/in_history/william/ Jul 05 10, 12:26 AM

star_gazer

William's burial was less than dignified. It took several days during an unusually warm September to move his body to his burial site in Caen, Normandy. By the time he was being placed in the sarcophagus, the corpse had swollen to the point that it would not fit. When an attempt was made to force it, William's corpse burst and a great stench poured out, causing his mourners to flee the chapel. http://cunnan.sca.org.au/wiki/William_the_Conqueror Jul 05 10, 8:29 AM