Democratic messenger., 1894-12-01
STRANGE FUNERAL CUSTOMS.
Points On the Manner In which varioul
Countries Observe Them.

Countries Observe Them.
Some singular customs i'll relation to
funerals not generally known among
English people prevail in other lands.
and many of those with which travellers
have made us familiar appear nevcrthe-
less somewhat strange TO Us.
a recent resident in Valparaiso states
that the Chileans make a funny side
even 10 funeral The more degraded
class look upon the death Of relative
as an excuse for wild orgies, and the
body. especially if il be that Of child,
is kept i'll the house for festive purposes
for many days after death and some
times even lent To friends who are not
SO fortunate To possess corpse Of enc
of their own relatives.
On the continent We had great va
riety in funeral ceremonies and observ
ances. In Paris more outward manifes-
tations of respect are paid to the dead
than III any other city. When u funeral
passes through the street, il Is the Gus
tom for all men 10 take of their hats
and bow their heads until the cortege
has passed. women expressing their sor-
row by the conventional courtesy.
AS contrast TO this y funeral at st.
Petersburg is considered quite jolly
affair. outward expressions of sorrow.
etc, being delegated TO professional
mourners, who abound in the city. The
employment of these mourners Is gen.
eral-the richer the deceased the bigger
the funeral-and many Of the inhabi-
tants gain good living by simply
mourning for other people. They are
expected 10 fill the church with hideous
means and yells. and at the grave they
must - and do scream and yell As
though suffering the widest parOxysm
of grief Ii their employer is satisfied
that these duties have been carried cut
in an efficient and satisfactory manner,
the mourners-in addition TO their re-
enumeration, which varies from l to 8
silver roublcs - are entertained nc a
banquet after the funeral is over.
II is i'll Italy. however. where many
of the funeral customs have remained
unchanged from the middle ages to the
present time. that the poetry ot burial
is brought out moro fully than in any
part of the world. Many Of the Gus
toms. besides being picturesque and
beautiful. are extremely touching. Even
So far back as the days of the Roman
republic tho mourning and sacrifices
We're continued for nine DAYS, and. ly
the women, mourning habilimcn;s Were
worn for year after the death of a near
relative. The funeral procession was an
observance III which all connected with
the deceased took part. This procession
always took place at night and was
headed by men, who sang the funeral
song. Then tho corpse. in the mouth
of which coin was placed to pay his
ferriage across the Styx, was carried on
a couch. generally by freedmen. The
family followed, the men with heads
uncovered. the women with diShcveled
hair heating their breasts and uttering
piercing cries. Finally the corpse was
placed on funeral pyre, which the
nearest relative kindled. and while il
was being consumed perfumes, oil. food
and clothing Were thrown on the pyre.
Among many other old customs
which have survived till today is the
Misericordia confraternity at Florence
for the care Of people injured by acci-
dent and thci. burial in the case of
death. The members of the society are
never seen in public without wearing -
masking hood and habit, and while per-
forming their duties they defy indiyid-
ual identification.
In Venice much pomp is displayed.
especially if the deceased was n noble
or high dignitary of state The gondola,
highly decorated becomes perfect
blaze of lights and torches rs it passes
through the city to the metropolis. In
the ease of II young woman the cere-
mony of conveying the body 10 the
grave is full O: poetry and grace. Re.
clining on - raised couch, covered with
flowers. the dead girl. floating ON her
funeral bier like Elaine, the maid of
Astolat. is conveyed 10 III island, and
after the preliminary service the re-
quiem begins. and loving hands place
the body III it, last resting place. Cas-
sells Magazine