Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-11-03
Il CORSICfN WAKE,


from the COTIiftM MtyQziae.1
In Corsica the wailing and chanting Is
Kept up, off and on, from the hour of death
to the hour of burial. The news that a head
OF family has expired is quickly cOmmu-
surrounding hamlets, who hasten to form
themselves into q troop or band locally
called the Scirrata, and thus advance i'm pro-
cession towards the house of mourning. If
the death was caused by violence the Scir-
rata makes q halt when IL arrives In sight of
the village; and then 1t Is that the Cor sicau
women tear their hair and scratch their faces
Till the blood flOwS-just as do their sisters In
Dalmatia and Montenegro. Shortly after
this the Scirratt is met by the deceased rs fell
Iow.vlllagers, accompanied by all his near
relatives with the exception OF tue widow, TO
whose abode tho whole party now proceeds
with loud cries and lamentations. The widow
awaits the scirrata by the door OF her h 0uSe,
and, as 1t draws near, the leader steps for
ward and throws black veil over her head
10 symOOlize her widOwhoO3; the term of
which must offer dreary prospect to wo.
man who has the misfortune 70 lose her hus-
Dand while she is still In the prime oflIfe, for
public opinion insists that she remain wears
IN almost total secluSion. The IN burners nd
as many as can enter the room assemble
round the body, which lies stretched on a IA ole
or plank supported by benches; il Is Ira ped
III long mantle, or il Is clothed In dead
mans best suit. Now begins the dirge. or
Nocero. Two persons will perhaps start OFT
singing together, and in that case tue words
cannot be distinguished; but more often only
one gets up at time. She will open her
"
virtues OF the dead, and a few pointed allu-
slons to the most important events of his
life; but before long she warns 10 her work
and HOurs forth volieys OF rythmic lameDta-
ton, with a fire and animation that stir no
the women present into a frenz ied dalirium
OF grief, In which, as the pr.efica pSuses TO
lake breath, they howl, dig their nails into
Their liesh, throw them selves on the grouai,
anu, sometimes, cover IL cir heads with ashes.
When tue dirge is ended they join n ands and
GAGE ifantlcaiiy round the plank On which
lies. mo tai ~
the way 10 the church. and thence u the
eraVey ard. After the funeral the men do
not shave Tor weeks, and the won en- let their
hair go loose, and occasionally cut ii off at
the srave-cutting of the hair being by
the way, univers al sign OF female mourn
ing; IL was done by the women of ancient
India. A good deal OF eating aud drinking
brings The ceremOnials to a close. II the bill
OF fare comes short of thai recorded or the
funeral feast OF Sir John PASTOR, OF Barton,
when 800 eggs, fl pigs, 40 calves AMI 10 neie
were out n few OF the items-ne verStl 2 less the
Corsican baked meats fail very hea Wig upon
Inc pockets OF such families as deem them
selves compelled to keep up position"
Sixty persons is not an extravag ant number
to be entertained at the banquet, aud there
Is, over and above, general distribution OF
bread and meat To poorer neignbors. Nut
ton in summer and pork 10 winter are es.
teemed the viands proper to the occasion. In
ing Is the simple cup OF milk dru nk by each
kinsman Of the she pherd who dies in the
mountains, In which case his body is laid
laid out, like 10 n Hoods, In the open air.
green sod under his head, his Joins bsgirt
with the pistol belt, his gun At his side, his
dog at his feet. Curious are the supersti-
death. The dead, they say, call the living In
The night time, and he who answers viii soon
follow them; they believe, too, that IL you
listen attentively after dark, you may hear
at times the low beating OF q drum, which
announces that q soul has passed.
SIX MONTHS AGO party OF you 1g m IN
LEFT burlington for the Black Hills. From
time 70 time tney nave ptoudly written oack