The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-10-25
CURIOUS CUSTOM IN GREECE.
His Long slavery to the Turk ''"s
its Mark on the Greece.

His Long slavery TO the Turk ''"s
its Mark on the Greece
The Mohammedan kneels most pune
tiiousy in the mosque or on ms p''s
or mat in the street. The Armenian
Christian. who removes his shoes as
an act of reverence when he enters ms
church. though he may keep ms leA
ON his head, kneels like ms "es'e'n
brother. But the Greeks stand TO pray
as his early Christian forefathefs una
before him, to show his dignity DIS
man made in the image OF God anu DIS
a uartaller of the divine nature through
the incarnation of the Eternal 80
No amount of suffering, not even ms
LONG slavery to the "unspeakahie
Turl,'' has been able to quench inns
spirit in the Greek, nor to change 'la'
outward sign of it, his standing 10
pray. which has been the natioha'
ruetou since Greece was first Chris-
| tIan.
! But that long and hard slavery,
which could not change the Greek III
his relation to the church, did leave
| its mark on him as man. "A Single
! incident may serve to indicate "hal
that result has been. On November
last. an American bishop was travelling
bv railway from Patras to fyrgos oh
the Journey lad of Il or l3 years OF
age was discovered hiding under seat
in one of the third class carriages,
irving to steal ride to his nome III
pyrpos. He had been sent to fatras
by his mother to learn his trade AS d
Icarupntcr. aud in fit Of homesickness
vas running back to the maternal
/ auron strings. Just at night fall he
was put down at a little station WIN
hardly a house in sight, and AS the
train prepared TO move on ana ms nope
Of getting home was about to depart
with it. he looked as if his heart woulu
break. When the needed railway
ticket was furnished by AMERICAN gold
fof which the Greek thinks there IS
an unlimited supply the boy came
rushing to the railway carriage with
. his heart quite overilowing, and showed
his gratitude to his benetactor py
kissing both his hands and by placing
them on his forehead-to indicate that
he was the "slave of my lord'-then
by kissing the right knee, and finally
{ bv going on his knees and kissing inc
5 right foot. 1t was very touching; pu'
, would a Greek have shown his gratl
e tude in that same manner before Inc
! period of his slavery to the Turk
One result of Turkish rule shows
4 itself in what may perhaps be callec
d an ecclesiastical custom. During the
ppriod of their domination in Greece
q the Turks were constantly on the
is watch for concealed arms, and ammunl
!, y tiop among the subjugated race. s.
strict WAS their search, that all collins
! we're required to be opened to the in
" sncction of the officers of the law, tina
d thcv might be assured that they con
+ tanned nothing contraband. Hence
arose the custom of burying the bodle
l. of the dead in open and uncovered
e baskets. in order that the funeral
# might not be interrupted by Iurklsl
A. officials. And this custom, which !
is in reality a relic of the days of thei
If slavery, the Greeks cling to with tn
T. greatest tenacity 1t is said that II
&c body of one of the poorer and more is
If norant class were placed in a close
+. coffin. the friends would suspect fou
Is play and tear the coffin to pieces.
Other funeral customs in Greece ar
in unique. The body of an unmarrle
as Girl is always dressed as bride, tn
common saying being She Is Marie
ty to death. - The body of boy is a
e, WAYS dressed as sailor. No especli
, nc reason is given for this, but one NIGH
or be suggested 10y the fact that Greco
in is the most sea grit nation IN Europe
~ 1t has only II square miles OF terriior
ed to each mile of sea coast, while Eng
ch land, which ranks next, has 81 !
square miles to each mile OF short
Women never accompany funerals I
IN church, or to the grave. Procession
&c are always on foot, the priest leading
accompanied by acolytes bearing tn
cross and lanterns The body of tn
al deceased Is tDNdTldbly tAb'o''
~ view. and at the close of the service J
the church, which concludes with tn
le words Take the last kiss, bot
er friends and strangers press about tn
=, body and give this token of farewell
n. Every effort is made that the bod
st shall return "dust to dust as quick
8, as possible, only the merest shell sci
he arating it from the superintendent
In earth at the time of burial.
ck Another funeral custom is peculli
ce TO the rural districts. The church be
is tolled from the time that the breat
nc leaves the body until it is buried. ~
=; that time is not long. 1t was ON Sa
l., urday, November last. that poor Thee
of dora Papadiamantopoulou died, large
na from overwork, in Old Corinth, Il
'c- very place where St. Paul spent
q. months. (Acts xviii IL. The churc
! bell rang all day until O'Clock IN IL
! g, afternoon, when the worn tout boo
which had breathed Its last at 10
the morning was laid to rest. III
other women of the village all like
IL.