Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-01-06
CURIOUS BURIAL CUSTOMS
FUNERAL oTSERvANCES ANON
DIFFERENT NATIONS.

ONhOA
The ancient Egyptians celebrated a
funeral by feasting and drinking while
the work of embalming-which took
seventy days-was going on but through
out all they remembered that no one is
exempt from death, and to remind them
of the fact skeleton was paced in tn
banqueting hall, where it remained dur
ing the feast. Sacrifices were offered t.
the gods, and the flesh used for food
among the priests and guests. In tho
ease of a great lord or rich person a
costly monument was erected, but the
poorer clas es were laid in the ground
sometimes with no embalming, and at
times even without coffin.
The Hindoes burned their dead and
sometimes sacrificed human beings at the
funeral of any parsonage of note. The
suttec, or widow burning, among great
| pers Onages was very repulsive feature
| of the ceremony. The ceremonies were
conducted amid feastirg, singing by der
wishes and dancing by girls. Sometimes
the mourners lashed themselves with
| knotted cords and sticks until they fell
exhausted from exert.on and loss Of
blood.
There are in Africa almost as many
different burial customs as there are
tribes Of negroes, each triLe having its
own peculiar ideas and manners. The
ma iority of tribes, however, bury the
dead and destroy all property belonging
to the deceased, even taking down the
house. If it lie chief of high rank, the
more barbarous tribes kill numbers of
slaves to serve him in the next world,
and bury his favorite wife alive in the
same grave with her deceased lord.
The natives of Peru placed their dead
in sitting posture with the lad be-
tween the knees and the arms crossed on
the breast. Ropes of bark were tight ly
bound around the body, which was then
wrapped in cloth and again bound until
than anything else. Bodies thus pre-
served, and from which the air was en-
entirely excluded, are constantly bell 9
found among the ruins of the old cities
devastated by the Spaniards. The an.
cient Mexicans observed much the same
custom, adding to it the sacrifice Of
hundreds of human beings, in many cases
the victims freely giving their consent
to die, believing that by this means they
more surely reached the abode of theil
gods and enjoyed everlasting peace.
Among our Indians the burial customs
differ somewhat, but all believe in 6
Great Spirit, and in the main they are
alike. The Indians of the eastern part
of the country east of the Mississippi
buried their dead in almost all cases il
sitting posture, wrapped in blanket
With the dead warrior were buried hi!
arms, ammunition and food for his
journey to the Happy Hunting Grounds
and over his grave his favorite war horse
was slaughtered, and sometimes his dog
in order that he might enter the land O.
the Great Spirit in manner becoming {
chief of renown and of good repute
The Indians of the West erect high scaf
folds, on which they place their dead, il
order that they may be out of reach o
wild animals. The dead braves arms
cooking utensils and blanket are PLACED
with him for use in the next world.
The Hebrew manner of conducting
funeral is very plain and simple. Tht
body is wrapped in shroud and PLACED
in plain pine coffin, with Lighted
candle at its head The candle is al
lowed to burn itself out and symbolic
the dedication of the soul of the dead It
the Creator, who gave it. A simple
ceremony is held at the grave by tn,
rabbi, and it is very rare occurrence fo
any portion of the service over the deaC
to take place under roof.
A most curious sight to the residents
of New York is a Chinese funeral, which
is much the same when held here q
when the Chinaman is at home in tn,
Flowery Kingdom. Itmakes all the diff
ference in the world whether the deaC
Chinaman is member of the Orde
Freemason or not, and whether or no
he is rich. If he is a Mason his funera
is the occasion of great spread and dis
play in Chinatown. A brass band i
hired to play in front of the dead man
residence and also accompanies the bod,
to the grave. 1t would seem that noise
and not the appropriateness of the tune
is the object in view, for the friends o
the dead man are perfectly satisfied, NJ
matter whether the tune be some Ger
nan waltz or the "Poulanger March,
and it is fact that at a recent hines,
funeral in this city the band hired TO
the occasion played "Sunday Nigh
When the Parlor is Full" On the wa,
to the grave prominent Chinaman sit'
on the hearse and scatters pieces of col
ored paper along the route the object o
this being to occupy the attention of tn,
evil spirits, which are supposed to follow
the departed Chinaman until the grave
closes over him. In the coffin with tn,
body is placed pack of Chinese play
ing cards in order that the spirit of tn,
dead man may have an opportunity o
making a little change during his Ions
and dark journey.
At the grave food is placed arount
the coffin, but after the ceremony is con
Guided this is taken to the lodge rooms
and the friends eat for themselves ant
the dead also. No Chinaman is evel
buried in this country whose body is no
some time, usually after lapse of two
or three years, taken up and carried
home to China by his friends. This is
sacred custom among all Chinese, ant
the body of Chinaman who has beer
dead three or four years is no uncommon
freight on the steamers plying between
fan Francisco and China.-NeO Yorl
Telegram.
Baby'S Charmed Life.