Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-10-10
Funeral Ceremonies In Athens


+; Long before funeral procession comes
N sight, the ear catches the low monot.
! onous chant OF the priests, who are pre-
ceded by boys in white robes bearing the
crucltix and ecclesiastical insignia. 10
presence of which every head is uncover.
ed. and every hand makes the sign OF
the cross The corpse is exposed to full
view in az open coffin of light material
covered with white or black cloth, with
SILVER or gilt decorations, the cover OF
which, marked with a long diagonal
cross, is carried before the procession.
The body is dressed in TIE customary
clothes of the, deceased, the head
slightly elevated, and the hands
folded In front of panel picture of the
| virgin set up on the breast If it is "a
female, the cheeks and lips are painted
vermll'on intended to reproduce a natural
expression but WHICH grves to the corpse
an artificial and ghastly look, Even to
one accustomed to wtless the exposure
OF the dead in Oriental co autries, there
Is something painful 10 the idea exhibiting
to the glare of day. and amidst the whlrl
and insenslbllity of the publ, street, the
features OF deceased person who 10 life
may have been known only 10 she little
group OF mourners gathered about the
rsmains- At Greek funerals the hearse
is not generally employed, and the light
open casket is borne by the hands of the
nearest friends of tie DECEASED, while the
other mourncrs walk, = net march, in a
groug arould it. Thus they literally
carry and accompany, rather than follow
h5lr friend to the grave, ard gaze upoa
the face which was dear to Il "a uo to t e
moment when he is laid in his last resting
place. The funerals of the po)r are even
more touching to behold. A single
priest, perhaps, performs the chant, and
half dozen mourners. representing the
little household, bear between them the
cofiu, which is composed of the cheapest
material, and covered with white muslin
When person of distinguished position
dies, the funeral procession becomes an
imposing spectacle, with the bishop end
priests in their gorgeous SAGE do,al ro5es,
numerous light d candles, and martial.
music. once saw tina boly OF "a venesa-
Ole bishop of the Greek ch lrch carried
il procession through the streets CT
Athens He wa, seatel in his bishops
chair, elevated above the people, and PAS
| clothed 10 his canonical robes. with m tier
OF head and the crosier uplifted 10 his
b nd
A cloth around the forehead bound it
to the back of the chair. but not suffi .
ientfy close to prevent the head bobbiug
Eup and down, as if the dead mans pale
and rigid features were saluting, for the
last time. the people amoug whom he had
texercised his holy Office for over three
score years. La this position he was
placed in the grave, a pecp lar honor a =
Fcorded to his ecclesiastic. rank. The
dead = chiefly from climltic considerations
are buried within twenty four hours of
their deoease. This is very shocking to
foreign ideas; but the custom has come
to be complied with within less time than
the aw.'reauire,. Indeed the feeling is
that the sooner the painful duty is over,
and the house freed from the distressing
spectacle of-a corpse, the sooner will the
minds Of the mourners be relieved from
tie association with. what is repulsive,
tand return to the inward contemplation
of their friend. as they knew him in life.
Thus it often happens that the first init
nation Of death is conveyed in the
fprinted inyitation to bis funeral have
cpnvefsed with a gentleman at an evening
party. who appeared to, be IN, the higbe &
enjoyment, of physical health, and the
Ijday following witnessed his interment,
be having expired il the mean time from
apoplexy. | had once business appoin t.
ment with q near neighbor, and, on go
;ng to fulfill it, met his dead body COM
hing down the door-steps. | was sitting
ione evening at the bedside of q, dlstin
guished American Missionary, who was
describing to me his peculiar malady, and
the next afternoon saw. him laid in the
Protestant Cemetery The modern Greek
may we'll exclaim with the ancient
l'"Who knows what fortunes on tomorrow
( ,pWait, 98s la. s.'
j3since Charms one day we'll TO us appeared,
And on the next was mourpfully Inferred"
It is the custom after tAe decease OF
the occupant. to drape the interior of the
house with laourning. l have seen
every article Of furniture, from piano to
footstool, draped in black, and even a
small streamer of Grape attached to the
key Of the tobacco. From, "Nodern
| Athens /" BY Charles K Tuckernsan, in
Scribne,' IS. for October.
KING CHARLES THE SIMPLE, AND MS
I Fool This good fellows influence was
. IL q = { Z