DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4098#0512
464 MODERN BURIALS.
to the tomb with rich garments, which however are not buried with
them. When the daughter of Speridion Logotheti died, she was in-
terred with the funereal pomp of ancient times. Her corpse was deco-
rated in the richest attire, with her ear-rings and other ornaments,
as if she had been decked out for a wedding, rather than for the
tomb. She was placed upon a cataletto, or open bier, with her
face uncovered ; and was accompanied to the grave by women, who,
on such occasions, are hired to cry and scream; which office they
do not fail to perform with theatrical vehemence, like the uoiSxi, or
the B^apxoi 6pyvuu, of ancient Greece, and the prceficce of Rome.
They invoke the corpse by every soft and endearing name; and
a stranger to the custom would imagine, that they were really be-
wailing the loss of some near and beloved relation. Though it fre-
quently happens that they never knew nor even saw the individual
when living, the usual rhapsody of these " fictarum lachrymarum si-
mulatrices" is, " Alas! when I saw you last, so handsome, so lively,
and so gay, little did I expect to have the misfortune to outlive
you, and to see you in your present situation !"—
" Qui conducti plorant in funere dicunt,
Et faciunt prope plura dolentibus ex ammo."1
The same custom is still prevalent in Calabria, and something simi-
lar is practised in parts of Scotland and Ireland.2 It was carried to
such ridiculous lengths in early times, that Solon, according to Plu-
tarch, made a law prohibiting women from tearing their faces at
funerals, which is also noticed by Cicero:—" Mulieres genas ne
radunto, neve lessum funeris ergo habento.""
The Athenians are fond of long epitaphs, but in other parts of
1 Horace, Art. Poet. v. 431.
* The Irish hulluhuh is no doubt derived from the ululatus of the Latins, or the o\o\vyii
of the Greeks. This is their funereal lamentation. See Valiancy on this curious subject.
to the tomb with rich garments, which however are not buried with
them. When the daughter of Speridion Logotheti died, she was in-
terred with the funereal pomp of ancient times. Her corpse was deco-
rated in the richest attire, with her ear-rings and other ornaments,
as if she had been decked out for a wedding, rather than for the
tomb. She was placed upon a cataletto, or open bier, with her
face uncovered ; and was accompanied to the grave by women, who,
on such occasions, are hired to cry and scream; which office they
do not fail to perform with theatrical vehemence, like the uoiSxi, or
the B^apxoi 6pyvuu, of ancient Greece, and the prceficce of Rome.
They invoke the corpse by every soft and endearing name; and
a stranger to the custom would imagine, that they were really be-
wailing the loss of some near and beloved relation. Though it fre-
quently happens that they never knew nor even saw the individual
when living, the usual rhapsody of these " fictarum lachrymarum si-
mulatrices" is, " Alas! when I saw you last, so handsome, so lively,
and so gay, little did I expect to have the misfortune to outlive
you, and to see you in your present situation !"—
" Qui conducti plorant in funere dicunt,
Et faciunt prope plura dolentibus ex ammo."1
The same custom is still prevalent in Calabria, and something simi-
lar is practised in parts of Scotland and Ireland.2 It was carried to
such ridiculous lengths in early times, that Solon, according to Plu-
tarch, made a law prohibiting women from tearing their faces at
funerals, which is also noticed by Cicero:—" Mulieres genas ne
radunto, neve lessum funeris ergo habento.""
The Athenians are fond of long epitaphs, but in other parts of
1 Horace, Art. Poet. v. 431.
* The Irish hulluhuh is no doubt derived from the ululatus of the Latins, or the o\o\vyii
of the Greeks. This is their funereal lamentation. See Valiancy on this curious subject.