Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-09-05
ANCIENT AND MODERN FUNERALS.

| selves to the celebration OF the OoSequles o
General Grant. His funeral is destined tt
rank with the great funerals of history. In
thus honoring him America followed an
old and time honored custom. From the
earliest times it has been the custom TO dc
honor to the illustrious dead, and the senti
ment of Immortality has been encouraged
| by pyramid and pillar, by monumental
bronze, by church and tower. The monu
ments of the Old World-what are they in
most instances but monuments to the dead
| In Jerusalem, at Cairo, at Westminster, by
the banks of the Hoogly and by the banks
| of the GaDges, what is it that most interests
| the traveller? 1t is the tombs of the illus
trous dead--the tombs of prophets and OF
kings, of mighty warriors and of sainted
| men.
Public funerals were common among the
ancient Greeks, and many of the ceremo-
MES which are still observed among US have
come down from the earliest times. A public
funeral was considered great honor. In
the days of Augustus Cesar they became
more common than formerly. On the day
of the funeral, when the people were assem-
bled, the dead body was carried out, feet
foremost, on a couch covered with rich
cloth, with gold and purple, and borne on
the shoulders of the nearest relatives of the
deceased. Julius Caesar was borne by the
magistrates; Augustus was borne by the
Senators; Germanicus was borne by the tri-
bunes and centurions.
In the carriers time, both among the Greeks
and Romans, the custom was to bury at
night Hence the prominence of the fun.
eral torch in classical literature. Later
g., L. oh tod IN, he oftn
but the torches were used all the same.
Then, as now, the procession was beaded by
bands of music. 1t was customary, also, to
bear before the corpse the images of the
deceased and of his ancestors, and if the de-
ceased had distinguished himself in war
there was display of the crowns or other
trophies he had won. At the funeral Of
Sylla, it is said, two thousand crowns were
thus exhibited. The oration, also is of very,
ancient date. In Rome the custom was to
bear the body to the forum where the pro-
cession halted and where the Grafton was
delivered. During the Grafton the body
was laid before the rostra. The body Of
Julius Caesar was placed in gilt pavilion,
| like small temple; the robe in which he
| was slain was suspended on pole, and on
| movable machine was an image of the
| BODY with the marks of all the wounds.
Cremation was common among the Romans
of the Republic. 1t gradually died out un.
! der the Empire, and with the growth of
Christianity interment became popular, the
graveyard becoming an accompaniment of
the Church.
Some very singular practices connected
with funerals, public and private, at one
time common, are now no longer witnessed.
In some parts Of England it was customary,
not so very long ago, to carry, as it was
said, "the dead with the sun" to the grave.
A West Hartlepool clergyman was struck
one day with what he considered an
extraordinary movement made by funeral
party. When the procession had reached
| the gate the entire party turned back and
| marched around the churchyard wall, thus
| traversing its west, north and east bounda-
ries. On inquiring the reason one of the
mourners quickly replied why, ye wad
ma hae them carry the dead again the sun ?
The dead men aye go VII the sum-" A
strong prejudice at one time existed against
the north side of the church: 1t was sup
posed to be outside the sanctuary, and was
called "the wrong side of the church" AT
one time, too, much attention was paid to
the position of the grave. 1t must be due
east and west.
In his domestic Folk Lore" Mr.. Thistle.
ton Dyer mentions very pretty custom
which at one time prevailed in some parts
of rural England. At the funeral ofay young
unmarried girl. or of bride who had died
during her honeymoon, chaplet of flowers
was carried before the corpse by young
girl, and afterward hung up in the church
over the accustomed seat of the deceased.
! In earlier times the church was very hard
| on offenders against her laws There was
generally part of the churchyard left un'
consecrated for the special benefit Of excom.
municated persons. 1t was considered un'
lucky to meet funeral, and there are many
people in rural districts to-day who would
walk good mile out of the way to avoid
such an event. One popular belief was that
the ghost of the person last buried kep'
watch over the churchyard till the next fu
neral. These old superstitions are rapidly
becoming things of the past-N Y. Herald
|