I used the word "macabre" in writing and decided that I should look it up. I found the word history discussion so interesting. While the definition they gave was "suggesting the horror of death and decay; gruesome," from the word history it should be a much more pleasant word. It was first used in 1430 by John Lydgate, wrongly. He used the phrase "Macabrees daunce," thinking "Macabree" was a French author. In fact, Danse Macabre, “the Dance of Death,” was an old French phrase. In this dance death leads people of all classes and walks of life to the same final end. Also, the Macabe element, "a Maccabee," could refer to the Maccabees who were Jewish martyrs. Reverence for them was associated with respect for the dead.

So, we have two possible upstanding definitions: either the leading of all people to the same final end or reverence for the dead. How did this word evolve into such a gruesome meaning, I wonder?

Seems straight forward to me. Most of us think of death as something gruesome, sooooo....

Macabre is on wordcraft's eponyms page as having its origin in the Maccabees.

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Seems straight forward to me. Most of us think of death as something gruesome, sooooo....

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Oh, but, Asa, that's my point. Death doesn't have to be gruesome. Look at those 2 lovely definitions. One refers to the reverence of death and the other refers to death as being an equalizer, so to speak. Death surely doesn't have to be gruesome, and it is too bad that's how "macabre" evolved.