CentralNotice Memento mori From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation , search For other uses, see Memento mori (disambiguation) . The outer panels of Rogier van der Weyden 's Braque Triptych shows the skull of the patron displayed in the inner panels. The bones rest on a brick, a symbol of his former industry and achievement. [1] Memento mori . Gravestone inscription (1746). Edinburgh . St. Cuthbert's Churchyard . Memento mori ( Latin : "remember that you have to die") [2] is the medieval Latin Christian theory and practice of reflection on mortality, especially as a means of considering the vanity of earthly life and the transient nature of all earthly goods and pursuits. It is related to the ars moriendi ("The Art of Dying") and similar literature. Memento mori has been an important part of ascetic disciplines as a means of perfecting the ...