The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-06-13
The Manners of the Ancient Persisns.

DAdmneTB OF tne AnC1enG EeERk2n9s
Translated from the FrenchI
There are but few persons who do not know that
the ancient Persians, followers of Zoroaster, Ia re-
gions reformer, who lived about the time of Cyrus,
six centuries before our era,) worshipped fire but
in general little is known concerning their manners
or even respecting their worship. The sacred fire
was kept in the temples the law prohibiting any
utensil to be used in its service, or even to blow
with the breath to revive It. This fire burnt per-
petually kings and the great threw upon it for
aiment the most precious Objects and each Persian
believing that he making an agreeable offering
to the divinity in sacrificing part Of his possess
sions. Besides the sacred fire, each dwelling had
to keep up its own private fire, and priests were
appointed for the general inspection of all these
fires. Other priests had equal care Of the public
waters; and religion punished with the greatest
vigor the least infraction of the worship and the
respect due to the elements.
As among all nations of the East, dead bodies
were considered impure, and it became difficult to
dispose of them they could not be burnt inferred,
or even thrown into the water without defling an
element Each village possessed, outside of the
walls, two high towers, built of stone, one white,
the other black, and these two towers covered with
a platform, destined to receive the dead
Care was taken to keep great number of vultures
and ravens, which, by devouring the bodies that
were exposed prevented infection /; and the con-
struction of the platform being, hollow in the CEN
ter, permitted the bones to be entombed. Each
Persian was judged after his death the priests
were ordinarily charged with the judgement of that
which might most powerfully contribute to the estab
lishment and maintenance of their credit Ii they
| declared that the defunct was vrtuous and had
| departed in a state of grace, he was exposed on
She white tower whereas, if their judgement was
unfavorabe, he was exposed on the black tower.
Yet this judgement of the priests was not regarded
as leading necessarily to absolution or to divine
| condemnation. The Persians believing that the
dead were not judged by the Supreme Being until
three days after having breathed their last sigh
they believed, moreover in the efficacy of prayers
addressed to God after death, and during the three
days intervening between death and the divine
judgement the relations and friends Of the deceased
never ceased interceding for him. The soul wa,
supposed to be wandering during these three days
at the end of which the angels announced to hin
his sentence. As to the rest death was not con
sidered evil, and it was forbidden to grieve an,
lament. Mourning, which was worn only durin,
the taree days of the funeral and which was ethe
blue or black, was accompanied by the sacrifice c
the beard upon the death of chief, or even upol
that of the father of family. In this case th
marks of grief might extend farther earth wal
sprinkled on the head, and dust might be thrown
over the whole body, which the sign of the
greatest affiiction. A singular mark of mourning
to the saddles the back of the horses
The funeral ceremonies were terminated by granC
repast in honor Of the defunct and as, thanks tc
the prayers, or after decision of the priests,
state of eternal felicity was generally believed in
this repast was truly feast.