Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
(med. Lat. carnarium), a place in the neighborhood of a church-yard or other cemetery, usually vaulted, where the dry bones of the dead, which the grave-digger had thrown up, were carefully laid in order. Afterwards a chapel was built over it, wherein interment could be made, monuments erected, and masses, SEE CHANTRY, be sung. In this case the "charnel- house" was a vault under the chapel. The chapels of cathedrals sometimes had such charnelhouses under them.