Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-01-18
THE TURKS AND THEIR DEAD. =.
A People who Believe in DisIifed and I'm
ostentatious Moui.ning--A Description o1
Their Simple Ceremonies. . .....1

A People who Believe in Dig1iied and I'm
ostentatious Moui.ning--A Description of
Their Simple Ceremonies. ~. l.. III
j CoNsTANT1SoPLE, Special Correspondence,
Nov. 24.-I do not think that in any letter
which have sent You there has been any
description OF an Ottoman funeral This is
not by any means a cheerful subject, but it
is one which tells a good deal OF the char
acter of the Turks. He who would learn the
customs and ideas Of a strange people must
see and mix with them in their sorrows as
often as in their joys He would be far from
a faithful reporter who would seek only in
times OF Joy for the best characteristics of a
race, and who could see more beauty Of
i character in the outward expression OF "a
happy feeling than in the sober, steady, pa
tient endurance of q heavy grief. The
East has often been called the home
OF dignity and in many respects it
has well been so called. There is
less excess of expression, q less boisterous
outward manifestation, both in seasons Of
JOY and sorrow, here than can be found in
most countries There is, not more stability,
but more dignity. For an explanation of
this we have not far to seek 1t is in the
blind belief in kislnet rate) that it's strength
lies. What comes must be accepted, and a
man is manly in so far as he yields to the
force of circumstances uncomplainingly and
with dignity. With all the apathy Of the
East upon him, the victim OF great sorrow,
heavy trial or sudden reverse of fortune,
does not attempt to fight against and with
stand the evils that are closing in upon him.
He simply bows his head and let's the
wave OF disaster sweep over him. en-
quilting all he has or prizes. To move,
to oppose, to try to conquer, all
are useless-what is to be, is--ksmet!
L. He yields, for the hand that has never been
taught to withstand is but powerless in the
hour of need. He yields, for he is mastered;
not by circumstances, but by long-in-
grained idea Of the uselessness of resisting.
1t is here that the meekness of the man and
the force of the belief are so clearly visible.
DIGNIFIED MoURNERs.
1t is owing to this idea of Hsmet that the
Turk is one of the most dignifed OF mourn
ers- There is no weeping or wailing to be
heard as the corpse is carried from the house
to the grave. All is done in q calm, a'aignified
manner, and but for the 1nurm urings of the
imaum in silence. Immediately the breath
has left the body, preparations are made
simple ceremony being hurried on as fast
as possible. The sun, If possible, is
never allowed to set with q corpse in the
house. Within few hours of the decease
the funeral takes place and the SORROW is
hidden in cold reserve. The body to be
inferred Is bathed and wrapped in slroud.
! hired coffin, which usually belongs to the
mosque, is brought to the house The body
is placed therein and the friends and rela-
tives, having been informed of the calamity
that has overtaken a mortal brother or sister
gather inside the hCuse OF woe and there in
silence await the exit OF the rOrtaCp The
whole procession directs it's way to the
nlosque If the deceased was a man, the
body is taken into the mosque; if a woman
1t is placed upon marble slab
erected for the purpose, outside the mosque
for the woman has no soul The imaum reads
a few prayers over the body, and then heads
the procession which starts at once for the
burial place. During this part Of the journey
the coffin is invariably borne upon the shout
dery, and the bearers are continually
changed At decently large funeral I do
not suppose that the same parties bear the
coffin for any three consecutive minutes
!! Changes are repeatedly made, friends, rela
! tives or strangers indifferently bearing the
load upon their shoulders. This custom has
its origin in the Moslem doctrine that he who
! aids in carrying a true believer to the grave,
and thus to the seventh heaven, will HIM
self because of his services thus rendered,
be the more easily translated into the
presence Of the prophet To change bearers
il transit III this way is no easy task; yet it
is we'll and easily done by these people. who
seem accustomed to it. Arrived at the grave,
the mourners and followers gather round,
and the relatives and the imaum remove the
body from the coffin, which is thrown on one
side, and the corpse is placed in a sitting po-
sition in the grave. This Is so as to beready,
when the summons Of the prophet comes to
go to paradise The prayers at the grave are
few. and short, and the body being covered
the assembled crowd dissolves in an orderly
way. The priest remains and prays for the
easy and gracious transit of tie body into
heaven. This done, the bu1ying ground is by all
concerned in this funeral abandoned, though
il weather be fine, is is rare for the grave
ward to be e1npty-for in land where parks
are unknown, the buryingg- ground serves in
their stead twill be seen from the above
brief description that the Turkish funeral is
far simpler than the Christian; while still,
in nearly every essential point it is carried out
on the same principle. Affection and sorrow
and Joy have as firm hold upon the human
heart in the Last as in tho West
VIM JEW, in.