Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1859-06-25
Mourning Customs.

A French writer gives summary OF the O. ler-
ent observances among mankind, relative to mourn
ing and funeral ceremonies, which we think will
interest our readers. All the world, says he, are
acquainted with the grandeur OF the Roman obse-
quies and funeral games. The Greeks also burnt
the corpses of distinguished men, with funeral
feasts, and the Iamentation of hired weepers,
though they generally displayed less sumptuOus
grief, and better regulated piety. The Persians
buried the bodies of the dead the Scythians ate
them the Indians enveoped them, for preserva-
tion's sake, in sort Of locker; the Egyptians
embamed and dried them, exhibited them on tes-
tai days, placed them at the table among their
guests, guarded them as their most precious pos
sessions, and loaned and borrowed money on these
strange pledges. In our time, the custom of dane
ing at funerals is only practised IN India and
among some savage nations; but funeral entertain
ments still prevail in many European countries
Amongst others the ceremony of lnterment Is sol
emn and silent, which nevertheless does not inter-
fere with the wish that all may be forgotten as
speedily as possible. We observe more ostenta-
tious rites for persons of consequence. Their car
riages follow them to the graves, and sometimes
their horses are paraded, which having been made
to fast seem to partake of the affection OF the Oc-
casion The Orlentials, from whom We borrow
this custom, went further-they made the horses
in funeral professions weep, by blowing partlc-
ular kind of powder up their nostrlls.
In Italy the mourning was formerly white for
women, and brown for men. In China 1t is white
in Turkey, Syria and Armenia it is blue in
Egypt, yellow in Ethiopia, grey. Each OF these
colors had, originally, its mystical Specification
White is the emblem of purity celestial blue IN
dicates the space where the soul ranges alter
death yellow, or the tinge of dead leaves, exhIb-
its death as the end Of all human hopes, and mah
falling like the leaf of autumn; grey represents
the color of the earth, our common mother and
black. the funeral costume now adopted through
out Europe and America, is an illusion to the eter
nal night.
In England, the sovereign never wears black
he is clothed in dark purple as mourning. Illl
the reign of Charles VIII, white was the funeral
earb in France The Emperor Leopold, who died
in I7O5, used to suffer his beard to grow in disOr
der during the whole period of mourning. In
this he initiated the Jews. The dOwager-empress-
cs never left off weeds, and their apartments were
hung with black till their DEATH
The Chancellor of France is the only person
who never wears mourning. The brothers, neph-
ews, and cousins of Popes never wear 1t the
happiness Of having Pope in the family IS too
great to allow them to be affected even by hIs DEATH
But the most remarkable of all these usages, Is,
perhaps, that of the people of those ancient ma
tions. who dressed themselves women when
they lost their relatives, in order 1t is said, that
the ridicule attached to their vestments mlgn1
make them ashamed of their grief.-ScieHI!J'c
American.