Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-07-10
CROSSING TIE STYX.
HOW GREEK MEETS eRtEK IN THE
OTHER WORLD.

OTHER WORLD.
Old charon still in the Ferryboat Bust.
neos-connection Between the HEiIen-
Ism of the Past and Of the Presens--A
Painful sight.
When a death is expected, the attendant
mouTners in the Greek islands have many
little customs peculiar 10 themselves. The
moribund is handed bowl of water, into
which he puts pinch of salt for each person
with whom he is at enInity, saying as he
does 80: May my wrath perish as this salt::1
for it is considered dreadful for a man %
die leaving an enemy behind kim. His spirit.
it is believed, win not rest, bat will wander
about poor ghost, sucking the blood Of
his friends, like the shades in ancient hades.
TO gain strength for his earthly wanderines.
II the complaint is consumption, they sup
pose that three EFinnyes stand ready to
pouncs on children at the corners Of the
room; hence tue young are kept cut Of tie
way when the dying il in extrsEnis, and a
hope is opened over his head TO allow the
Erinnyes 10 escape. Feyers are best cured
BY priestly incantatiols; the name Of the
disease IS written on slip Of ,eper, and
with prayer and much ineensinx this is
bound to a tree, hoping thereby to transfer
the mslady Incense IS much used BY the
priest III his visitAfions to the sick: the whois
room is thick with it, and perhaps contagion
Is thus often avoided
Where the death has occurred the women
rush on TO the fat roof or some other conspic-
uoIs place. where they reud the air with
their cries, tear their hair and give way TO
unbridled grief The town crier Is sent
round TO announce the fact to the neighbyrs
and to summon friends to the death wall.
which takes place an hour or two after the
spirit has left the body. After the body has
been washei in wine it is laid out on bier in
the center Of the one roomed house, arrayed
in the dsceas-sis best clothes, deeked ont with
flowers. and With lamps burning at the side.
reminding Us Of the ancient custom of placing
tbs corpse thus in the midst Of the hall.
dressed in as handsome a robe as the family
could afford, in order, according TO Lueian,
that the dead may not be cold on the passage
TO hafles and may not be seea naked BIZ Ger
bez7is' Then begins the death wall ceremony,
a scene Of heart rending grief, such as took
place in PriaIn's palace over the dead body
Of Hector
These death walls are, in fact, one Of the
most striking bonds Of connection between
the Hellenisna Of the past and the Hellenisrn
Of the present, and in the Greek islands, de-
spite the stFictness Of the more civilized
members Of the orthodox church, they cling
70 them with surprising tenaeity. a body
which dies unlgmented cannot enter hades.
and wsnders about ike that Of Patrocins
and Eipenor in misery in the upper air,
neither belonging TO the living nor 70 the
dead. Consequently, the death walls and
the bnrlals take place as soon as possible
after death that the gates of hades may be
opened 70 them as soon IS may be.
From these death walls we learn how much
that is heather is incorporated in the belief
Of today respecting an after life. They sing
OF hades as frozen, miserable place, where
the dead wander forever, anxious to return
to the upper air, and endeavoring 70 gtaal
from CharOn, the lord Of the lower earth. his
keys, but Intellectually. Char5n plants the
bones Of the departed in his garden, and
they come up as weird plants. His tent pegs
are heroes bones, and the ropes are made OF
maidens tressss, he rides on horse 70 cor
lect his victims, driving tire young and
strong before him, dragging the aged after
him by ropes, and carrying with him on his
saddle the little children.
Sometimes, when a man dies who has been
conspicuous for his good fortune during life
I they VIII cit OF his nails before the corpse
i removed and tie them up in a bag to be
} preserved among toe other sacred things
which are hung Up in the sanctuary belong
ing 10 every house.
Before the CORPSE leaves the house q vase Of
water is broken on the threshold When any
one starts on journey. 1t IS customary 70
spill water as an earnest Of his success and
safe return, and when the body goes on its
last long journey the vase is broken. The
bier is carried by four male bearers. and
about a bier the Greek islanders have this
most grewsome riddle: What IS that which
he who makes does 50 to sell, he who buys
does no. use himself, and be who USES does
not see! As the funeral procession passes
4 through the village street the priests chant
7 the offics Of the dead, and from time TO time
4 tie mourners, who 60 il front break forth
into their hideous walls, and women come
( forth from their houses to groan ia concert
with the Others.
OF truth Greek island funeral Is pain
F full sight 10 witness. On reaching the church
{ the corpse Is left in the porch, and While the
liturgy is proceeding the mourners cease 70
wall Then comes the very impressive
+ stichera Of the last kiss, which is chanted by
J all the congregation. and begins, BLESSED IS
the way thou shalt go to-day whereat ezch
rnourner advances and gives the last kiss to
the cold face Of tie sarp>e, and once more
+ the extravagant demonstrations OF grief
break forth Finally the corpse Is lowered
without q coffin into IL. shallow grave, and
( each bystander casts on 10 il handful OF
soil-Scottsh Review.