Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-11-12
GraYe.Yard SuperstltlOns.

IT is seldom that one hears nowadays
of the observance of the quaint funeral
customs which formerly existed in many
an English country village, the old
world notions which gave rise to them
having died out, owing perhaps to the in
PRODUCTION of railways and school boards.
Thus in the north of England it was GUS
tomary, only few years ago, to carry
Z" the dead with the sun " to the grave
a practice corresponding with the High
land usage of making "the deazil " or
walking three times round a person ac-
cording to the course of the sun. On
one occasion, in the village of Stranton,
near West Hartlepool, the vicar was
standing at the church-yard gate, await
ing the arrival of the funeral procession,
when, much to his surprise, the entire
group, who had come within few
yards of him, suddenly turned back ard
marched round the church-yard wall,
thus traversing its west, north and east
boundaries. On inquiring the reason of
this extraordinary procedure, one of the
mourners quickly replied, "Why, We
wad no hae them carry the dead again
the sun; the dead maun ay go wi the
sum- This is not unlike n Welsh Gus
tom mentioned by Pennant, who tells us
that when a corpse was conveyed to the
church-yard from any part of the town
great care was always taken that it
should be carried the whole distance on
the right-hand side of the road. From
time immemorial there has been a
strong feeling of repugnance among the
inhabitants of rural parishes to
burial "without the sanctuary" This
does not mean in unconsecrated
ground, but on the north side of the
church, or in remote corner of the
church-yard. The origin of this preiu-
dice is said to have been the notion that
the northern part was that which was
appropriated TO the interment of unbap'
tized infants, eXcommunicated persons
or such as had laid violent hands upon
themselves. Hence il was popularly
known as "the wrong side of the
church." In many parishes, therefore
this spot remained unoccupied, while
the remaining portion of the church
yard was crowded. White, in hi,
History Of Selborne, alluding to thi:
superstition, says that as most people
wished to be buried on the south side O
the church-yard, it became such mass
OF mortality that no person could be in
TERED "without disturbing or displac
ing the bones of his ancestors Grea
attention has generally been paid, also
to the position of the grave, the popu
lar one being from east to west, whilt
that from north to south has been con
sidered not only dishonorable, but un
lucky
or,.;r,,s s,,,.,.;,,;,,o, o,,st,,,,, OF IValsI
funerals is termed the "parson'
penny" After reading the burial ser
vice in the church, the Clergyman stand
behind a table while, a psalm is being
sung. In the mean time each of tn,
mourners places piece of money ol
the table for his acceptance. This Ger
emony is regarded as token of respec
to the deceased, although il was NJ
doubt originally intondod TO oOmpensat
the clergyman for praying for tn
soul OF the departed. In som
Welsh parishes, also, a similar custom
called "spade-money," Is kept up. Al
ter the corpse has been committed b
its resting-plaoe, the graye-digger pre-
sents his spade as receptacle for do
nations, these offerings, which oftel
amount to n goodly sum, being regarde,
as his perquisite. In Yorkshire, mt tn
funerals of tho rich IN former days, /
was customary to hand "burnt wine" t,
the company in a silver flagon, out o
which every one drank. This beverag
seems to have been q heated prepare
ton of port-wine with sugar and spice
and should any remain, 1t was sen
round in the hagon TO the houses q
friends for distribution. This, of course
was a species of funeral feast, called /
the north of England an "arvaln--
lingering survival of the offerings tina
originally were made to the ghost OF tn
deceased.
Among the superstitions that still elm
to the church-yard may be mentione
one that has existed from the most n
mote period, and which has invested
with an atmosphere of dread-it hayin
been generally supposed that they ar
haunted by specters and apparition'
Indeed, it has been truly pointed out b
Mr.. Tylor that through all the change
OF religious thought from Arst 20 last
the course of human history, the hoyel
ing ghosts of the dead make the mic
night battle-ground place where men
flesh creeps with terror.