The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-03-23
NUMBER, 3.
Mourning Customs.

A French writer gives 1 summary of
the different observances among mankind;
relative to mourning and funeral scerpmo.
uies, which we think will interest our fssdi
ers., All the world, says be, are se@eaiuB:
ed with the grandeur of the Romss oh.
sequies and funeral games. The Greeks
also burnt the corpses Of distinguished
men, with funeral feasts, and lamentstioa
Of hired weepers, though they generally
displayed less sumptuous grief and bet.
ter regulated piety. The Persians fbats
led the bodies of the dead; the Scythiand
ate them; the Indians enveloped them, fos
|preservation's sake, in q sort Of loeksr;
the Egyptians embalmed and dried them,
exhibited them on festival days, placed
them at the table among their gussts,
guarded them as their most precious p1s.
sessions, and loaned and Dor rowed money
on these strange pledges. In o6f dmsy
the custom Of dancing at fdnerals iGonly
practised in India and among soma savage
nationsi but funeral entertainmentsa still
prevail in many European countsies.-
Amongst others the ceremony of inter:
ment is solemn and silent, which nessrths.
less does not interfere with the wish,that
all may be forgotten as speedily as4pOs.
sible. We observe more aostentGxiouG
rites for persons. Of consequence Their
carriages, follow them to, the grayes and
sometimes their horses are paradsd, whick
having been made to fast seem to paytakS
ofthe afiiction Of the occasion. The Oh.
entails. from whom we borrow this custom
went further-:hey made the hors9s in
funeral professions weep, BY blowing .
particular kind Of powder up his nss.
trils. q Hsiiias q llffe3 sy5a'ats@
In Italy the mourning was sfStAsrl$
white for women, and brown for men. ID
China tits white; in Turkey Syria. end
Armenia it is blue; in Egypt yellow; d
Ethiopia, grey. Each Of these coloes,
had, originally, its mystical signi&cskion.
White is the emblem Of purity; celestial
blue indicates the space where the soal
ranges after death;, yellow or the tines oe
dtai leares exh biz . death o tie end @
all human hopes, and manfalling like ths
leaf Of autumn; grey represents the color
of the earth. or common mother; aad Alaek
the funeral costume now adopted thrangh.
out Europe and America, is an ,allpsiea
to the eternal night.
In England, the sovereign never wears
black; be is clothed in dark purple -
imourning. 80 Tillthe reign Of Charles VIII
white was the funeral garb in Fanes.-
The Emperor Leopold. who died n l7o8
used to suffer his beard to grow during
the whole period Of mourning. Ia thiG
{ he intimated the Jews. The dowaesr-sw.
presses never left of weeds s6dl tisir =
partments were hung with blaek tin their
DEATH -
I The Chancellor Of France Il The osly
tperson who never wears mourning 70 ThU
brothers. nephews, and cousins q Ropss
! never wear il; the happinsss Of kssiag q
Pope in the family is too great 30, ellsW
them to be affected even BY his death.
+ But the most remarkable Of an thess
usages. is. perhaps. that Of the people a
those ancient nations, who dressea llhsn.
selves As women when they lost their vsls.
/ tives, in order, it is said that the ridisull
! attached to their vsstments might nakl
them ashamed Of their grief.
: 80 - Nv