Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-02
CREMATION IN SIAM.

AMONG the Siamese, Burmese, CambOj-
ians, Peguans, people of Laos, and all the
surrounding nations, the dead are not
buried unless the survivors are too poor
or too sarsimonious to pay the priests
fees for burning; and such cases very
rarely occur. Hence arises the strange
anomaly SO often noted by foreign tour
lists, that in lands teeming with popula-
ton more dense than any other portion
of our globe so very few cemeteries are
to be seen. But Tor the few burial places
of the Chinese, the small, unpretending
Enclosures that mark the last resting
place of a European traveller or mission
airy, and the occasional priestly pagoda or
Gorgeous mausoleum of some Mussulman
rajah, one might suppose that the tyrant
Death had been exercised from those
sunny lands, instead of lurking unseen
amid the perennial verdure and among
the petals of every fragrant flower.
During a residence Of several years in
Siam | neither saw nor heard of a single
burial in that country, nor did | meet
with more than three Siamese tombs
They were the "TOmbs of Three Kings"
said to be centuries old, and all that
could learn of their history was that be-
meath those gorgeous monuments of black
granite, exqulsitely chiseled and adorned
with mosalcs in gold, silver, copper,
ebonv and ivory, repOsed the ashes OF the
three famous WarriOr-kings, who had
ordered their bodies to be buried instead of
burned, in order that the singulaTity of
the circumstance might keep the memory
of their virtues and bravery ever fresh in
the hearts of their subjects Burning Is
now, and has been for centuries, the uni
versal custom in Siam-preferred, it is
supposed, because of the facility it af-
fOrds for removing the precious dust of
the loved and lost. In old, aristocratic
houses have seen arranged in the family
receptacle massive golden urns, contain
ing the ashes of eight, ten, or twelve
generations of ancestors; and these are
cherished as precious heIrloOms to de
scend through the eldest male branch.
The time, expense, and character OF
burning depend mainly on the rank and
wealth Of the parties, though the cere-
mony is always performed by the priests,
and always within the precincts OF a tenn
pie. The only exception is in seasons of
epidemics or when the land is laid waste
by famine. Among the better classes the
dead body IS laid unmutilated, save by
the removal OF the inteStineS, in a coffin,
and it is more or less carefully embalmed,
according to the time it is to be kept. If
the deceased belonged to a private family
of moderate means, the burning takes
place from four to six days after death;
if he was wealthy, but not high-born, the
body may be kept month, but never
longer; while the remains of noble lie
in state from two to six months, accord
ing to his rank; and for members of the
royal family still longer period inter
venes between the death and the burning.
But whatever the interval, the body must
lie in state, and the relatives make daily
prostrations, prayers, and offerings dur
ing the whole time, beseeching the de-
parted spirit to return to It's disconSOlate
friends. When the time for the funeral
has arrived, tie body is laid in a recepta-
Gle on the summit of stately pyramid,
the form and material of which indicate
the wealth and position of the deceased.
1t is thickfy gilded, and the receptacle
lined with plates of solid gold when
the body has belonged to one of royal
lineage and well-flled Golfers. The last
is quite as essential as the first to a gor-
geous Oriental funeral, since for rank
without money an East Indian has ever
the most profound contempt. Both requi-
sites were fortunately united in the per
son of the Queen-mother of King Pra-
Nang-klaH, the old usurper who occupied
the Siamese throne previous 10 the acces-
sion of the royal brothers who died in 1868.
AT the funeral of this aged Queen there
was such display of Oriental magnifi-
cence as rarely falls to the lot of Western
eyes to witness. The embalmed body lay
in state under golden canopy for eight
months; the myrrh, frankincense and ar
omatic oils used in its preparation cost
upward of $4,000, and the golden pyre
about $4,000. The hangings were of
the richest silks and velvets, trimmed
with bullion fringe and costly lace, and
the wrappings OF the body of pure white
silk, embroidered with pearls and pre-
cious stones. Incredible quantities of
massive jewelry decked the shrunken
corpse and diadem of glittering gems
cast its prismatic radiance over the with
cred features. Tiny golden lamps, fed
with perfumed oil, burned day and night
around the pyre, while every portion of
the vast saloon was decorated with rare
and beautiful flowers, arranged in sll the
various forms of crowns, scepters, tenn
pies, angels, birds, lanterns, wreaths and
arches, till Flora herself might have Won
dered at the boundless resources of her
domain. Day and night musical instru-
ments were played, dirges walled forth,
and prostrations perpetually performed;
while twice every day the King, attended
bv his whole court, made offerings to the
departed spirit, beat his breast, tore his
hair and declared life utterly unendura-
BILE without the beloved one" All this
was kept up for eight months, and then
the scene changed to one OF testivity.
For thirty days, during most OF which
time | was present, there was succession
of levees, concerts and theatricals, with
feats Of jugglery, operas and fireworks |;
and then the embalmed body, surrounded
by perfumes and tiny fagots OF sandal
wood, was consumed by fire, and the
ashes collected by the high priest or his
deputy in golden urn, and deposited
with other relics of royalty IN the Kings
palace. The funeral cost the nation about
$50e000
AT all funerals choice flowers, espe.
clally tuberoses, the golden blossoms OF
the CLUSTERING banne ond tho sweet