The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-01-25
THE TURKS AND THEIR DEAD.
A People WlIo Believe in Disnifted and I'm
ostcntatious Monrning-A Description of
Their Simple Ceremonies.

oSpeiitastlOuS VkONrllnk-A description of
Their simple Ceremonies.
CoNsTANT1NoPLE. Special Correspondence,
Nov. al do not think that in any letter
which l 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 q good deal of the char
acter OF the Turks. He who would learn the
customs and ideas OF Il 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 n
race and who could see more beauty of
character in the outward expression OF q
happy feeling than in the sober, steady, pa
tlent endurance of a 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, % less boisterOus
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 IN explanation ct
this we have not far to seek. 1t is in the
blind belief in kismet fatci that its strength
lies. What comes must be accepted, and O.
man is manly in so far as he Yields to the
force of circumstances uncpmplainingly and
with dignity. With all the apathy of the
East upon him, the victim OF a great sorrow,
a heavy trial or a 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 lets 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-kismet!
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 a long-in-
grained idea of the uselessness OF resisting.
II is here that the meekness of the man and
the force OF the belief are so'clearly visible.
DIGN1FIED
1t is owing to this idea of kismet that the
Turk is one of the most digniied of mourn
ers. There is no weeping OF wailing to be
heard as the corpse is carried from the house
to the grave. All is donein a calm. a dignified
manner, and but for the mllrmuringso of the
lmaum, in silence. Immediately the breath
has left the body, preparations are made
Tor the funeral, every part of the
simple ceremony being hurried on as fast
as possible s11os The sun, if possible, is
house. Within q few hours of the decease
the funeral takes place and the sorrow is
hidden in cold reserve. The body to be
inferred is Dathed and wrapped in a shroud..
n ll1S'l COlllu, WHICH lSIillV DGiODyS TO The
mosque, is brought to the house. The body
is placed therein and the. friends and rela-
lives, having been Informed OF the calamity
that has oyertaken n mortal brother or sister,
gather inside the h use of woe and there in
silence await the eat of the cortege. The
whole procession directs its way to the
mosque. If the deceased was a man, the
BODY is taken INTO the mosque; if a woman,
1t is placed upon Il marble slab
erected for the purpose, outside the mosque
for the woman has No soul Tho i,,,o,,,,, ra,1,
a few prayers over the body, and then heads
the procession which starts ut once for the
burial place. During this part of the Journey
the coffin is invariably borne upon the Shout
ders, and the bearers are continually
changed. AT n decently large funeral | do
not suppose that the same parties bear the
coffin for any three consecutive minutes.
Changes are repeatedly made, friends, rela-
load upon their shoulders. This custom has
its origin in the Moslem doctrine that he who
aids in carrying q 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
in transit in this way is no easy task; yet it
is well and easily done by these people, who
seem accustomed to it. Arrived at the grave,
the mourners and blowers 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 q sitting no
sition in the grave. This is 80 as to be ready,
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 dissolyes in an orderly
way. The priest remains and prays for the
easy and gracious transit of the body into
heaven. This done the burying ground is by all
concerned in this funeral abandoned, though
if weather be fine, is is rare for the grave
yard to be empty-for in a land where parks
are unknown, the burying -ground serves in
their stead. 1t will 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
and Joy have as firm a hold upon the human
heart in the East as in the West.
VIM JEW, JR.