FUNERAL RITES, ceremonies accompanying the interment or burial of any person. The word is formed of the Latin funus; and that of funalia, on account of the torches (which were fumes cera circumdati) used in the funerals of the Romans; though others derive funus from the Greek θάνατος, death or slaughter.

These rites differed among the ancients according to the different genius and religion of each country.

The first people who seem to have paid any particular respect to their dead, were the Egyptians, the posterity of Ham. The first cultivators of idolatrous worship and superstition after the flood; they were also the first who affected the immortality of the soul, its migration into all kinds of animals in earth, air, and sea, and its return to the human body; which they supposed to be within the term of 3000 years; hence proceeded their very great care in embalming of their dead bodies, and their being at such vast expenses, as they were, in building proper repositories for them; for they were more solicitous about their graves than their houses: This gave birth to those wonders of the world, the pyramids, which were built for the burial of their kings, with such vast charges, and almost incredible magnificence. See PYRAMID.

Whenever a person died among the Egyptians, his parents and friends put on mournful habits, and abstained from all banquets and entertainments. This mourning lasted from 40 to 70 days, during which time they embalmed the body. See EMBALMING.

When this ceremony was finished, the embalmed body was restored to the friends, who placed it in a kind of open chest, which was preserved either in their houses, or in the sepulchres of their ancestors. But before the dead were allowed to be deposited in the tomb, they underwent a solemn judgment, which extended even to their kings. Of this remarkable custom we have a particular account in the first book of Diodorus Siculus. "Those who prepare to bury a relation, give notice of the day intended for the ceremony to the judges, and to all the friends of the deceased; informing them, that the body will pass over the lake of that district to which the dead belonged: when, on the judges assembled, to the number of more than 40, and ranging themselves in a semicircle on the farther side of the lake, the vessel is set afloat, which those who superintend the funeral have prepared for this purpose. This vessel is managed by a pilot, called in the Egyptian language Charon; and hence they say, that Orpheus, travelling in old times into Egypt, and seeing this ceremony, formed his fable of the infernal regions, partly from what he saw, and partly from invention. The vessel being launched on the lake before the coffin which contains the body is put on board, the law permits all, who are so inclined, to produce an accusation against it. If any one steps forth, and proves that the deceased has led an evil life, the judges pronounce sentence, and the body is precluded from burial; but if the accuser is convicted of injustice in his charge, he falls himself under a considerable penalty. When no accuser appears, or when the accuser is proved to be an unfair one, the relations, who are assembled, change their expressions of sorrow into encomiums on the dead: yet do not, like the Greeks, speak in honour of his family, because they consider all Egyptians as equally well-born; but they set forth the education and manners of his youth, his piety and justice in mature life, his moderation, and every virtue by which he was distinguished; and they supplicate the infernal deities to receive him as an associate among the blest. The multitude join their acclamations of applause in this celebration of the dead, whom they consider as going to pass an eternity among the just below." Such is the description which Diodorus gives of this funeral judicature, to which even the kings of Egypt were subject. The same author affirms, that many sovereigns had been thus judicially deprived of the honours of burial by the indignation of their people; and that the terrors of such a fate had the most salutary influence on the virtue of their kings.

The funeral rites among the Hebrews were solemn and magnificent. When any person was dead, his relations and friends rent their cloaths; which custom is but faintly imitated by the modern Jews, who only cut off a bit of their garment, in token of affliction. It was usual to bend the dead person's thumb into the hand, and fasten it in that posture with a string; be- Funeral.

cause the thumb then having the figure of the name of God, they thought the devil would not dare to approach it. When they came to the burying-place, they made a speech to the dead in the following terms: "Blessed be God, who has formed thee, fed thee, maintained thee, and taken away thy life. O dead! he knows your numbers, and shall one day restore your life, &c." Then they spoke the eulogium, or funeral oration, of the deceased; after which they said a prayer, called the righteous judgment of judgment; then turning the face of the deceased towards heaven, they called out, "Go in peace."

Among the ancient Greeks it was usual sometimes before the interment, to put a piece of money into the mouth of the deceased, which was thought to be Charon's fare for wafting the departed soul over the infernal river. This ceremony was not used in those countries which were supposed to be situated in the neighbourhood of the infernal regions, and to lead thither by a ready and direct road. The corpse was likewise furnished with a cake, composed of flour, honey, &c., which was designed to appease the fury of Cerberus, the door-keeper of hell, and to procure the ghost a safe and quiet entrance. During the time the corpse continued in the house, there stood before the door a vessel of water: the design of which was, that those concerned about the body might purify themselves by washing; it being the opinion of the Greeks, as well as of the Jews, that pollution was contracted by touching a dead body.

The ceremonies by which they expressed their sorrow for the death of their friends were various; but it seems to have been a constant rule to recede as much as possible in habit and behaviour from their ordinary customs. For this reason they abstained from banquets and entertainments; they divested themselves of all ornaments; they tore, cut off, or shaved their hair, which they cast into the funeral pile, to be consumed with the body of their deceased friend. Sometimes they threw themselves on the ground, and rolled in the dust, or covered their head with ashes; they beat their breasts, and even tore their flesh with their nails, upon the loss of a person they much lamented. When persons of rank, such as public magistrates or great generals, died, the whole city put on a face of mourning; all public meetings were intermitted; the schools, baths, shops, temples, and all places of concourse, were shut up.

After interment followed the epulae or feasts, at which the company used to appear crowned; when they spoke in praise of the dead, so far as they could go with truth, it being deemed a notorious wickedness to lie upon such an occasion. And not only at these feasts, but even before the company departed from the sepulchre, they were sometimes entertained with a panegyric upon the dead person.

The Grecian soldiers, who died in war, had not only their tombs adorned with inscriptions showing their names, parentage, and exploits, but were also honoured with an oration in their praise. Particularly the custom among the Athenians in the interment of their soldiers was as follows, namely, "They used to place the bodies of their dead in tents three days before the funeral, that all persons might have opportunity to find out their relations, and pay their last respects to them. Upon the fourth day, a coffin of cypresses was sent from every tribe, to convey the bones of their own relations; after which went a covered hearse, in memory of those whose bodies could not be found. All these, accompanied with the whole body of the people, were carried to the public burying place, called Ceramis, and there interred. One oration was spoken in commendation of them all, and their monuments adorned with pillars, inscriptions, and all other ornaments usual about the tombs of the most honourable persons. The oration was pronounced by the fathers of the deceased persons, who had behaved themselves most valiantly. Thus, after the famous battle at Marathon, the fathers of Callimachus and Cynagyrus were appointed to make the funeral oration. And upon the return of the day, upon which the solemnity was first held, the same oration was constantly repeated every year."

Interring or laying the dead in the ground, seems to have been the most ancient practice among the Greeks; though burning came afterwards to be generally used among them. It was customary to throw into the funeral pile those garments the deceased usually wore. The pile was lighted by one of the deceased's nearest relations or friends, who made prayers and vows to the winds to assist the flames, that the body might quickly be reduced to ashes; and during the time the pile was burning, the dead person's friends stood by it, pouring libations of wine, and calling upon the deceased.

The funeral rites among the ancient Romans were very numerous. The deceased was kept seven days; and every day washed with hot water, and sometimes with oil, that, in case he were only in a slumber, he might be thus waked; and every now and then his friends meeting, made a horrible outcry or shout, with the same view; which last action they called conclamation. The third conclamation was on the seventh day; when, if no signs of life appeared, the defunct was dressed and embalmed by the pollinctorii; placed in a bed near the door, with his face and heels towards the street; and the outside of the gate, if the deceased were of condition, was garnished with cypresses boughs. In the course of these seven days, an altar was raised near his bed side, called acerra; on which his friends every day offered incense; and the libitiniari provided things for the funeral.

On the seventh day a crier was sent about the city, to invite the people to the solemnization of the funeral in these words: Exequias L. Tit. L. filii, quibus effecit commodum ire, jam tempus est. Ollis (i.e. illis) ex edibus effecerunt. The people being assembled, the last conclamation ended, and the bed was covered with purple; a trumpeter marched forth, followed by old women called presifia, singing songs in praise of the deceased; lastly, the bed followed, borne by the next relations; and if the person were of quality and office, the waxen images of all his predecessors were carried before him on poles. The bed was followed by his children, kindred, &c., atrati, or in mourning; from which act of following the corpse, these funeral rites were called exequiae. The body thus brought to the rostra, the next of kin, laudabat defunctum pro rostris, made a funeral oration in his praise and that of his ancestors. This done, the body was carried to the pyra, or funeral pile, and there burnt; his friends first cutting off a finger, to be bury... Funeral, ried with a second solemnity. The body consumed, the ashes were gathered; and the priest sprinkling the company thrice with clean water, the eldest of the presiding crying aloud, silenced, dismissed the people, who took their leave of the deceased in this form, Vale, vale, vale: non te ordine quo natura permisit, sequeris.—The ashes, inclosed in an urn, were laid in the sepulchre or tomb.

The ancient Christians testified their abhorrence of the Pagan custom of burning the dead; and always deposited the body entire in the ground; and it was usual to bestow the honour of embalming upon the martyrs at least, if not upon others. They prepared the body for burial, by washing it with water, and dressing it in a funeral attire. The exportation or carrying forth of the body was performed by near relations, or persons of such dignity as the circumstances of the deceased required. Psalmody, or singing of psalms, was the great ceremony used in all funeral processions among the ancient Christians.

In the Roman church, when a person is dead, they wash the body, and put a crucifix in its hand. At its feet stands a vessel full of holy water, and a sprinkler, that they who come in may sprinkle both themselves and the deceased. In the mean time some priest stands by the corpse, and prays for the deceased till it is laid in the earth. In the funeral procession, the exorcist walks first, carrying the holy water; next the cross-bearer, afterwards the rest of the clergy, and last of all the officiating priest. They all sing the miserere, and some other psalms; and at the end of each psalm a requiem. We learn from Alet's ritual, that the faces of deceased laymen must be turned towards the altar, when they are placed in the church; and those of the clergy, towards the people. The corpse is placed in the church surrounded with lighted tapers: after the office for the dead, mass is said; then the officiating priest sprinkles the corpse thrice with holy water, and as often throws incense on it. The body being laid in the grave, the friends and relations of the deceased sprinkle the grave with holy water.

The funeral ceremonies of the Greek church are much the same with those of the Latin. It needs only be observed, that, after the funeral service, they kiss the crucifix, and salute the mouth and forehead of the deceased: after which each of the company eats a bit of bread and drinks a glass of wine in the church, wishing the soul a good repose, and the afflicted family all consolation.