408 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XVI. 



Several points of resemblance may be observed 

 between the funeral processions of ancient Egypt 

 and the above-mentioned ceremony : as in the 

 female mourners ; their heads bound with a fillet ; 

 the procession of the friends on foot ; the head of 

 the corpse foremost ; the horses (or chariot) in the 

 procession ; and the ox or calf for sacrifice, the 

 meat of which was probably given to the poor, 

 like the visceratio of the Romans. 



Of the magnificent pomp of a royal funeral in 

 the time of the Pharaohs no adequate idea can be 

 formed from the processions represented in the 

 tombs of ordinary individuals ; and the solemn 

 manner in which a public mourning was observed 

 in his honour, the splendour of the royal tombs, 

 and the importance attached to all that apper- 

 tained to the king, sufficiently show how far these 

 last must have fallen short of regal grandeur. A 

 general mourning was proclaimed throughout the 

 country, which lasted seventy-two days after his 

 death. " The people tore their garments* ; all 

 the temples were closed ; sacrifices were for- 

 bidden ; and no festivals were celebrated during 

 that period. A procession of men and women, to 

 the number of 200 or 300, with their dresses at- 

 tached below their breast, wandered through the 

 streets, throwing dust t and mud upon their heads ; 

 and twice ever)' day they sang the funeral dirge in 



* Diotlor. i. 72. Vide sitpra, Vol. I. p. 256. 



■\- The Greeks say " nmd ; " hut in the (h-y dusty Egypt this would 

 havehecn more difficult to find tJian dust in England, if we had so un- 

 pleasant a custom at our funerals. 



