The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-11-24
IRISH WAKES.
Pleasing Mortuary Customs In Ireland and
Parts of Great britain.

Parts of Great Britain.
[From the Dublin University Magazine.
There is no doubt that the custom of
waking and watching originated with the
Irish in an affectionate feeling toward
their dead relatives whom their natural
kindness prompted them not to desert,
as 1t were, nor to leave to the attacks OF
evil spirits, who hover in their fancy
round the body to do it an injury.
Hence the lights and holy water. The
same idea, in almost the identical form,
prevailed in Cleveland, in Yorkshire,
where, indeed, it is only just extinct.
"The Lyke Wake" or "Lake Wake"
was maintained sometimes after the body
was laid in the grave, and there were
more superstitious practices than in Ire
land. In addition to the light and the
holy water plate of salt was placed on
the breast; these were held to be effica-
cious for the watcher as well as the dead.
Above all, the door was always either
wide open or carefully closed, lest some
fearful apparition should enter. The
reader of "Guy Mannering" will re-
member Meg Merriles opening the door
wide when she was busy in her CHASTITY
ministration about the smuggler's
corpse. She also chanted some dismal
verse, something similar TO the "Lyke
Wake" dirge which is sung in York
shire, but properly belongs to Cleve-
land
This ae might, this ae night,
Every night and ane,
ire and leet aud candle light,
And Christie receive thy sale.
In parts of the North of ireland there
was az one time, some forty or fifty years
ago, rather romantic custom, that when
very young, unmarried woman died,
her coffin should be carried by young
girls only to the graveyard. AS this was
situated perhaps some fifteen or twenty
miles from where she lived, it followed
that the bearers should be changed every
second mile, and on these occasions
there was generally an escort of running
volunteers, who in this way often did
their thirty miles in the day. This Gus.
tom was called "shifting the coffin, u
and good many marriages wss the re.
suit OF these excursions; but the idea
was, nevertheless, pretty and pastoral
The Irish peasantry have an Unborn taste
for funerals, and i'll the amount of honor
done to the departed they lose sight OF
the actual loss they have suffered.
"Och, sure, thin, it was fine bury.
in; there was a sight OF people and 9
power of cars" is as great eulogiun
as can be accorded any man, and vii
quite console the survivors. And the
reverse, "Och, thin, he did not lave
enough as would bury him dacent;" il
fact, they think more of how they are tC
be buried than OF keeping lie itself
The poorest and the most improvident
lays by something for his or her wake
and have myself known cases Of pau
pers in the hospital who were accumu
lating under their pillows little store
to save the disgrace of parish coffin
that being the greatest and last misfor
tune that could befall them. Dougia.
Jerrold vas much struck by this phase
of the Irish character, and it is he,
think, who tells an affecting story OF {
young girl whom be found i'll a cabin
busy at her needle. II see you take il
PLAN sewing; this is some bridal grand
eur" he said, taking up what looked
like an elaborate night-dress.
"ris no wedding grandeur" replied
the girl, proudly. "Sure, It's my OWL
shroud; let life bring what it may, plaz,
Goo IN have dacent wake"