Eng f] 
Ir was not before fome degree of civility was introduced 
among us, that our rude poetry, mufic and lamentations, af- 
fumed a regular form. Cambrenfis, in the 12th century, fays, 
the Irifh then mufically exprefled their griefs, that is, they 
applied the mufical art, in which they * excelled all others, 
to the orderly celebration of funeral obfequies, by dividing 
the mourners into two bodies, each alternately finging their 
part, and the whole, at times, joining in full chorus. This 
antiphonial + finging was coeval with Chriftianity in this 
ifle. It was then the funeral elegy rofe in poetic numbers, 
and was fung in poetic accents to the found of mufical inftru- 
ments. 
TuE body of the deceafed, dreffed in grave-clothes, and orna- 
mented with flowers, was placed on a bier or fome elevated 
fpot. The relations and Keeners ranged themfelves in two divi- 
fions, one at the head and the other at the feet of the corps. 
The bards and croteries had before prepared the funeral Caoinan, 
The chief bard of the head chorus began, by finging the firft 
ftanza in a low doleful tone, which was foftly accompanied 
by the harp: at the conclufion, the foot femi-chorus began 
the lamentation or Ullaloo, from the final note of the preced- 
ing ftlanza, in which they were anfwered by the head {femi- 
chorus; then both united in one general chorus. The chorus 
of the firft ftanza being ended, the chief bard of the foot femi- 
| chorus 
* Walker’s Irifh Bards. Append. p. 20. 
4+ Walker, fupra. ; 
