CHAP. XVI. LAMENTATION FOR THE DEAD. 403 



of respect to his memory.* Hired mourners 

 were also employed to add, by their feigned de- 

 monstrations t of grief, to the real lamentations 

 of the family, and to heighten the show of respect 

 paid to the deceased. " The men, in like man- 

 ner, girding their dress below their waist 1^, went 

 through the town smiting their breast," and throw- 

 ing dust and mud upon their heads. § But the 

 greater number of mourners consisted of women ||, 

 as is usual in Egypt at the present day ; and since 

 the mode of lamentation now practised at Cairo 

 is probably very similar to that of former times, a 

 description of it may serve to illustrate one of 

 the customs of ancient Egypt.^ 



As soon as the marks of approaching death are 

 observed, the females of the family raise the cry of 

 lamentation ; one generally commencing in a low 

 tone, and exclaiming, " O my misfortune ! " which 

 is immediately taken up by another with increased 

 vehemence-, and all join in similar exclamations, 

 united with piercing cries. They call on the de- 

 ceased, according to their degree of relationship, 

 — as, "O my father," "O my mother," **0 my 

 sister," *'0 my brother," " O my aunt;" or ac- 



* As the Egyptians mourned for Jacob. Gen. 1. 3, 



-|- " Ut qui conducti plorant in funere dicunt 



Et faciunt prope plura dolentibus ex animo." 



(Hor. de Arte Poet, verse 429.) 

 Conf. Jerem. ix. 17.; Matt. ix. 23. 



J Herodot. ii. 85. " ETrf^wfr/tfj/ot km ovroi." llcfe pnsshn. 



»5 Herodot. ii. 85. Diodor. i. 91. 



II From the sculptures. In the Woodcut, No. 7. (Vol. I. p. 256.), 

 are nine women, one man, and one child 



If For minute details of this I refer to Lane's admirable work on 

 the Modern Egyptians, vol. ii. p. 286. 



D D 2 



