The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1877-10-25
Corslcan Funeral Rites.

In Corsica wailipg and chanting Il
kept up, off and on. from the hour Of
death TO the hour Of burial. The
news that the head Of family has
expired is quickly communicated 10
his relations and friends in the ss,r-
rounding hamlets, who hssten TO form
themselves into atroop or band.
locally called the scirrats, and thus
advance iu procession toward The
house Of mourning. II the death
was caused by violence, the scirrata
makes halt when it arrives in SIGHT
Of the village, and then 10 il that the
Corsican women tear their hair and
scratch their faces till the blood
flows, Just as do their sisters In Dell
malta aud Montenegro. The widow
awaits the scirrata by the door OF her
house, and, MS IL draws near, the
leader steps forth aud throws a black
veil over her head to symbolize her
widowhood; the term Of which must
offer dreary prospect to q woman
who has The misfortune TO lose her
husband whilo she is still in the
prime OF life, for public opinion in
sists that sho remain for years in al
most total seclusion.
The mourners and go MANY as can
enter the room assemble round the
body. which lies stretched on a table
or plank supported by benches it il
draped ina long mantle. or IL is
clothed in tho dead mans bsst suit.
Now begins tho dirge, or vocero.-
Two persons will perhaps start of
singing together, and in that case
the words cannot be distinguished
but more often only one gets up at
time. She will open her song with
a quietly delivered eulogy Of tho
virtues Of tho dead, and q few point
ed illusions to tho most important
events Of his life; but before long sho
warns to her work, and pours forth
volleys OF reythmic lamentation with
fire and animation that stir up the
women present into frenzied de~
lirium Of grief, in which, as the
praefica pauses to take breath, they
howl, dig their nails into their flesh,
throw themselves on the ground and
sometimes cover their heads with
ashes. When the dirge is ended they
join HANGS aud dance frantically
round the plank on which the body
lies. More singing takes place on
the way to the Church and thence to
the grave yard. After the funeral the
men do not shave for weeks, and the
women let their hair gol loose and
occasionally cut it off at the grave
cutting of the hair being. by, the
way, universal sign Of female
mourning; it was done by the women
OF India. A good deal Of eating and
drinking brings the ceremonial to q
close. II the bill of fare comes short
OF that recorded OF the funeral feast
OF Sir John PASTOR, Of Barton, when
i'35oO eggs. forty-one pigs, forty
calves and ten nete were but few
OF the items nevertheless the Corsi-
eau baked meats fall very heavily up
on the pockets OF such families AZ
deem themselves compelled to '.keep
up Position. DIX persons ls not
an extraordinary number to be en-
tertained at the banquet, aud there
Is, over and above. a general dis
tributiou OF bread and meat to poor
or neighbors. Mutton in summer
and pork 10 winter are esteemed the
viands proper to the occasion. In
happy contrast t. all this lugnbrious
feasting is thc simple cup OF milk
drank by each kin.rnan Of the shep-
nerd who dies in the n untains ia
which case hio body In lnd ont, ike
'Obln iopi's, ia the open air 4
green sod under his head, lis loins
begirt with the pistol belt, h.s guu
1t his side, his dog at his feet -
'u'inus are the superstitio ~ O; tho
Corsican shepherds touching aeaii,.
The dead. they say, call ths living in
the night time, aud he who answers
will soon follow them. They believe.
too that it, you listen attentively af- ,
ter dark you may hear at times the
low beating Of a drum. which an
nOunces that soul has passed.