GT 3ZS/

NRLF

STb

m-

t!^^

..-.^

p-m
W&^:

GREEK FOLKLORE.

On

the Breaking of Vessels as a Funeral Rite in

Modern

Greece.

IVanslated

from

the

Original of

N. G. P0LITI8,
Professor of the University of
A*. he n.^.

LOUIS DYER.

LONDON:
HARRISON AND
Printers in Ordinary to
1893.

SONS, ST. MARTIN'S LANK, Her Majesty.

GREEK FOLKLORE.

On

the Breaking of Vessels as a Funeral Eite in

Modern

Greece.

Translated

from

the Original

of

N. G. POLITIS,
Professor of the University of Athens.

LOUIS DYER

LONDON:
HAEEISON AND
Printers in Ordinary to
1893.

SONS, ST. MAETIN'S LANE, Rer Majesty.

28

N. G. PoLiTis.

The Breaking

of Vessels as a

EAAHNIKH AAOrPAMA
TTepi

THC epaucecoc

drreicjC)N

Kara thn KHAeiaw.

To

KQi

TQcpouc

noAAoTc dAAoic AaoTc eOiMON thc epaucecoc napd touc drreiwN, dcpiepOMeNCON eic touc NCKpouc h eic thn

KHAeiQN xpHCMeucdNTOON, THpe?Tai KQi napd tco Ka0' hmqc 'EAAhniko) Aacp, KOTdAoinoN kotq

ndcoN niGaNOTHTa on thc dnoTOU eGlMOU TOUTOU AUNQTOI Nd

TOTHC dpXOtlOTHTOC.

AlOTI

Aid

elHrneH H eupecic epaucMdTCON KepaiweicoN drrei'coN n tco uno ToO dNCOTaTOu dNOi'rMQTOC toSn uho toO Kupi'ou X. TcouNTa dNacKa90eNTOON Mukhnqicon Td9C0N- cxH/waTizoMeNw pdepco, to)
npoonpiOMGNCp fccoc eic x^dc
KepoMicoN
ccopo'i
^,

KaOobc eni'cHc kqi

oi

MepdAoi twn

N TH dpxcti'a 'AAelaNApGi'a, hc ai npoc dNO-

ToAdc KQi MGceMppiaN THC NGcoTepac noAecac dNCocpepeiai kqi oi pouNOi cuNiCTaNTQi dnoKAeicTiKwc aT\6 THC Kopu9HC Mexpi TOO
eic

pdeoc
'

8 1 6

KQI

nAeioNCON

MCTpcoN

dpxiKoO

eAd90uc Ik
thc noAecoc

CTpOOMdTOON TeepaUCMeNOON
KQI

KepdMCON

AirUHTldKOON, 'PCOMQIKCON
kti'cgcoc

EaAhniko3n Aia96pcoN enoxwN, dno thc

uno 'AAeSdNApou Mexp) thc dAoiceooc quthc uno twn 'ApdpcoN 2. OuTOC Ae KOTO TiNac elNQi 6 Aoroc Ai* ON eNi'oTe Td N toTc
dpxaioTc 'EaahnikoTc Td90ic eupiCKOMeNa AhkuGiq cxoucin dno-

KGKpOUCMCNON TON nuGMCNQ ^, Kq'i HOAAd KQGoAOU TOiN KTEplCMdTOON 9epouci Td Txnh eniTHAec IneNexQei'cHC auToTc pAdpnc
*

CN ToTc

EAAHNIKoTc Td90IC

*,

KQI GN npoVCTOplKoTc THC ^opeiou

Eupd)nHc ^
^

T.

BA. Che. Belger, cn Berliner philol. Wochenschrifi, 1891 (col. 707). NepouTCOC, KepOMJooN Aa3ai f.Nenirpa90i, dNfcupiCKOMNai eN
' '

th

apxa'ig

AAfcgaNApcia,

c.

kg.

Kui

cn

ABHNaicp (nepioAiKO) currpwMMQTi

Aei/fnicoN), i874^ii
I ,
,
I

^iilcjl2i5 kI.
^tur.

^.fierinaftfi-BlSiiiijer', Griechische-Privataltetihumer, 1882, c. 380.

*

JHernviij.-Blumner,
Oti^lSijuJ!^,;

YiPlwidlungen der Berliner Gesellschaft fur AnthroNun n 'EAAqAi cx'izouci xd cuNBanTOMeNa rco pologie Sfc, 1892, c. 166 K. NCKpo) eNAuMOxa Kai u9acMaTa- ctAAd xoO eSouc xouxou Aoroc (peperai h
eN

Funeral Bite in Modern

Greece.

29

GEEEK FOLKLOEE.
On
the

Breaking of Vessels

as

a Funeeal Rite in

Modern Greece.
Translated from the original of G. Politis, Professor at the University of Athens, by Louis Dyer.

The custom

in question obtains

among many

peoples besides

our own, and elsewhere as in Greece is probably a survival from the very remotest antiquity. Vessels either especially dedicated to the deceased or else having been used in the funeralrites are broken at the grave. This custom may explain the of of vases on the raised-step (BdOpov) at discovery fragments

the upper opening of the tombs excavated at Mycenae by Mr. Ch. Tsountas. Certainly libations could naturally and properly

be made at this
for the

step.^

huge heaps and south of the modern

16 metres,

of potsherds at

Perhaps the same explanation accounts Old Alexandria, where, east

exclusively,

of Greek, Egyptian, and Roman potsherds belonging to various epochs and deposited in successive layers beginning with its foundation by Alexander and ending with its

down

city there are mounds consisting to a depth which ranges between 8 and

capture by the Arabs.^

of

This

rite,

requiring as

some think for the numerous lecythi with their bottoms broken away which are found in ancient Greek tombs, ^ for this reason, too, most funeral offerings, both in the tombs of Greece,'* and in those of prehistoric Europe^ bear unmistakable marks of intentional mutilation of some kind.
ritual vessels, serves to

account

it

did the fracture

as

See Chr. Belger

in

tlie

Berliner

Philologische

WocJienschrift,

1891

(col. 707).
2 T. Neroutsos, Inscribed handles of vases found at Old Alexandria^ p. 3 ff.See also the Athenaion, an Athenian periodical, 1874, vol. iii, p. 215 ff. ^ Herrmann-Bliimner, QriecMsche Privatalterthiimer, 1882, p. 380. ^ Herrmann-Bliimner, op. cit. ^ Olshausen, Verhandlungen der Berliner Gesellschaft fiir Anthropologie, &c., 1892, p. 166 ff. To-day, in Grreece, they cut all the clothes and wrappings of the dead, but the current reason given is that this is done to guard against depredations from the riflers of tombs, and there is no reason for going farther afield to account for it.

411408

^2

30

N. G. POLITIS.

The

Breaking of Vessels as a

*En *EAAdAi NUN GpauoNjai nnAiNa drr^i^ct eni tou 70900 kqi TTpO THC OIKl'aC, Kaxd THN llOAON TOU NEKpOU, GNiaXOO AG Kq'i

KQTa THN oAON, HN Aiep^eTQi H tHiKHAeioc noMHH. 'AnaNTQxoG CXeAON THC 'EAAqAOC, KQO' HN CTITMHN 01 N6Kp06dnTai KOTQpipdzouci TON NeKpoN, 6 lepeuc eKcpcoNCON to rpc(9iK6N
KOI
eic
:

Fh

el

fHN dneAeucH

^,

enixeei eni toG Tdcpou oAi'roN uAoop Ik

kq'i

AapHNOu npdc toCto komizomenhc, htic ndpauTQ Gpaueiai

pdAAei

epQKa x<^MaTOC-

omoicoc

kqi

oi

eNTacpiacMON nomi'zouci GpHCKeuTiKON KaeflKON

eni

napiCTdMeNOi Nd pi'vpooci
ton,

eic

ton

x^wa
tco

TOU

NKpou,

eMcpooNOUNTec
Tto

0i6c

cxcopec

enoMeNOi
nomco

OUTCOC

dNenifNCjocTCOc

noAaicaTdTCo 'EaAhnikq)
dTd9Cf) coiMaTi

KeAeuoNTi

ToTc
a'

nepiTUXoOciN

enpdAAeiN

qutcu

THN

^.

EInqi

dliON napOTHpHcecoc oTc h toiquth lepOTeAecTi'a

HN ouAeic "EaAhn lepeuc napaAei'nei KOTd ton eNTa9iacM6N, Acn *Kupa30H ino THC eKKAHCiac, Aioti ouAeMi'a quthc MNei'a riNeTQi
N TH NeKpOOCIMCO dKOAOUGlOC
^.

*0

Kupioc

Edward Tylor
thn
unapIiN

octic

MeTd

eauMocTHC
eGiMOiN

noAu-

MaGeiac

KOTeAele

napanAncicoN

napd

AaoTc THC 'Aci'ac, thc *A9piKHc, thc 'AiwepiKHc, thc AucTpaAi'ac,

n9epei noAAdc eu9ueTc eiKociac

nepi

toon

AoIqctcon afTiNec
IGimoon
tKeiNO^N
^.

napecxoN
TTap'

d90pMHN
a'

eic

thn
kqi

rcNecm
toon

toon
oi

HMouN

01

lepeTc

Aqikoon

AopiooTepoi, 900-

TOiMeNOi

nepi

thc cnnoiqc tou

eGiMOu,
OTI

onep

unoAaMBdNOuci

GpHCKeUTIKON NOMIMON, dnOKplNONTQI

CTQcic THC AiaAuceooc TOU
(Ln
elNQI

cInQI CUM^OAIKH
eic

HQpd-

dyuxou coomqtoc THN fHN KQI TO CUNTeGeMCNON,

Td CTOixeTa, kl

UAOOp.

*H QAhGhC

omcjoc

eNNOia qutoO elNOi Aunqton NOMizoMeN no QNeupeGH Aid

ano thc
lepocuAixxc toon

TTp09{)Aa2ic

TUM3opu)(a)N ouAeMia

A*

ONotrKH uirapxei

CtNaZHTHCCOMeN OAAON.
^

Fen.

iii.

19.

Ba. npoc toTc aAAoic AiAiaNON, TToik. iot. v. 14. ' Kae' OCON riN00CKOMN MONON eN fopTUNia THC TTeAOHONNHCOU THpeTlQI MeN H oAAh iepoTeAecTia, GeN cuNeOizoNTai 6' h eirlxucic tou uboTOC kqI thc

AapHNOu H epaucic. * Tylor, Ptimitwe Culture, 3rd ed. 1891.

t. i. c.

483-4.

Funeral Bite in Modern Greece.

31

The present Greek custom is to break clay vessels upon the grave, and also, as the remains pass out, in front of the dead man's house. Sometimes the same thing goes on along the
whole road followed by the funeral. Nearly everywhere in Greece the instant the dead is lowered into the grave the officiating priest, while pronouncing the words,
"

Dust thou art and

unto dust

thou return'''^ pours water upon the grave from a This done the vessel is vessel specially brought for the rite.
sJialt

instantly broken while the priest flings with

a handful of earth.
'all

it upon the grave The mourners and bystanders at a funeral

deem
"

it

their religious

saying

May God
it,

forgive

duty to throw earth upon the dead, him (or her).'' Thus they, without

knowing

conform to the practice inculcated by immemorial custom upon the ancient Greeks, whereby they were bound to
strew earth upon any whom they saw unburied.^ It is noteworthy that this religious rite, which no Greek priest would

think of omitting, has never received the sanction of the Church, and is nowhere mentioned or provided for in the funeral
service.^

Dr.

Edward

Tylor, to

whose remarkable learning we owe

customs among various Asiatic,
offers

proofs of the existence of similar

African, American, and Australian peoples,

many

well

considered hypotheses to account for the firm footing of these customs in popular beliefs.'* In Greece, when priests or enlightened laymen are questioned about the meaning of this custom

which they adhere

to as a religious rite, their

answer

is

that

it

symbolizes the dissolution of the soulless body into earth and I believe, however, that its water, its component elements.
real or
beliefs

whole meaning can best be inferred after comparison with and customs of a similar kind elsewhere. A careful
inference that this practice of

scrutiny of these justifies the

^

Genesis

iii,

19.

2 ^

See among others ^lian, Var. Hist, v, 14. The only place known to rae where the pouring out of the water and the

breaking o the vessel are omitted from the rite, otherwise punctiliously observed, is Grortynia, in the Peloponnesus.
*

Tylor, Primitive Culture, 3rd ed. 1891, vol.

i,

483

f.

32

N. G. PoLiTis.

The

Breaki7ig of Vessels as a

THC QNapoAHc npoc dAAa napanAHCia Kai jdc cuNa9e?c auroTc 'EieydzoNTec Ae Mef elonjdcecoc tqCtq, cuNdpoMeN AoIacTdc.
OTi

Auo HCQN

ai

Kupi'ai

lAeai
A'.

kl

(Ln

npOHAGe to eGiMON thc

oti

epauceooc toon drreicoN.

*H lAea

ndN to

xP'^ciMeOcoN
Ai

npoc KaOapMouc npenei nq KaTacTpa9H, onooc mh pepHAooeH qAAhc xpHcecoc, kqi MeiooGH outooc h toon KaGapMOON
KQi
B'

eNeppeia*

OTI

Td9i6pooMeNa

etc

touc NeKpouc npenei

eni'cHc

no

ocTic ed eMOTaioTTO

KaTacTpe900NTai onooc e2ac9aAizHTai thc d9iepoc)ceooc 6 CKondc, on tuxon eriNCTO qAAh tic xRhcic qutoon.
Ae Ta eni toO Td90u eNarizoMCNa eM\j/uxa ineTiGeTO oti Aid

*Qc

TOO GQNdTOU aUTOO KaGlCTONTO UnHpeTIKd TO) TIMOOMCNCp NieKpO), outw kqi Td CKeuH eni'cHc unoAoMpaNOMeNa napd toTc KOTd
91JCIN AaoTc, npenei Nd KaTacTpa9oocH, Fno xpHciMeucoociN quto), QNenTHAeia ontq npoc ndcoN qAAhn xRhcin.

'Qc npoc TO npooTON napaTHpo?MeN oti kqi nOn, koGcoc tq ndAai, cuNeGizoNTQi KaGapMOi KOTd Tdc KHAei'ac, kqi ku iweN toTc
dpxai'oic xpoNoic 01 eni

thn oikion toO neNGouNTOc d9iKN0UM6N0i

eKaGai'pONTO KOTd thn IIoAon nepippamoMeNOi uAqti toCto Ae npOUKeiTO 6N drreiOIC KepOMeiO) kl QAAHC OIKIQC KCKOMICMeNON,

to

a'

drreToN 6KaAe?T0 dpAdNiON^.

H

Nun eN nAeicTOic 'Eaahni-

KOIC TOnOIC

KdGapCIC
eic

riNCTQI

KQTa THN enONOAON dno THC

toon
X^'P^^N toon

KHAei'ac, CUNICTQMeNH

NiVin

MeTQCXONTCON

QLTHC, HTIC a>C cni TO nAei'cTON riNeTQI N TH OlKlQ TOO NCKpoO 2. 'En Kunpcp Ae Kaf elai'peciN Ni'nTOuci tqc yiei^okc en auToO toG
TToAuAeuKHC, H, 65. ^x^^- 'ApiCT09. Nt9. 838: eeoc hn Mexd to KkomicGhnqi ^6 ccomq KaBapMOu )(apiN dnoAoi)feC0ai touc oikiouc toO TeGNecoTOC*
'

'Hcuxioc,
^

A.

dp^otNiON-

TO dpAaNiON eTiSeTO npo thc Gupac thc oiKiac,

BA. kq! Hermann-Blumner, op. *ApiCT0(pdN. 'EKKAHcictz. 1033. TTepI oMolcoN KaGapMOON napd 'PcoMaloic pA. Bekker, Gallus, t.
"

cit.

p. 365.

Kopan,

AroKxa,

t.

p. c.

c.

hmTn Ta9HC, *Ab. i860,

Aofoc,
T. iG'. c.

13.

'0

404

Ke.

iii. c.

*l(o.

TTpcoTO^^iKOu,

TTepi

378. thc nap

139

(eN

TzecMe thc MiKpdc

KcoNCTaNTiNOunoAei 'Eaa. 91A0A. cuA 'El iAIcon Ae nAnpo'Ac'iac).

^opiooN r'N0JCK0MN OTI toCto cuNeiGizeToi Kai eN FopTUNict, 'AGHNaic, TpiKukAc'iAoon. 'Omoicoc In tici toon x^P'^n thc XcoNia Koi eN tici toon

PaAAlac, tnoNepxcmeNOi eK KHAeiac, NinTOuci toc x^'P"^, to Ae MOKTpoN Ai' ou TTONTec cnorrizoNTai plnTOuciN eic thn CTepHN (Noel, Coutumes, mythes, et traditions des provinces de France, c. 94). "OGtN Kai cNTauGa
oi

Funeral Rite in Modern

breaking vessels
is

Greece.

33

based upon two leading notions or preoccupations, (a.) That everything used in the ritual of purification ought to be destroyed lest the efficacy of the purificatory act be
in

annulled through the profane use afterwards of things employed its performance, {h.) That objects given to the dead must be

destroyed, to guard against the possibility of their use for other

purposes which annuls their dedication to the dead. Just as animals sacrificed upon graves are believed by primitive man to become, by their death, serviceable to the departed, so all chattels

(which were also naively endowed with a

perish

life of their

own) must
order to

by

fracture or

mutilation of some kind

in

serve the dead man's purposes, becoming through such mutilation unfit for living use.

With regard to
now, as of

(a),

the

first

of these notions,

we

observe that

old, purifications are

all

a part of the funeral ritual.

Among
purified

the ancients

who visited

the house of mourning, were

them out

on issuing out of it by water, which was sprinkled upon of an earthen vessel brought from another house.

This vessel was called apBdvcov} Nowadays, in a great many parts of Greece, this purification takes place after the funeral is

and for the most part its rites are observed in the house of the dead, whither the mourners return.^ In Cyprus, by way of
over,

exception, the washing of the hands takes place over the open
^ " It was a custom after the Pollux, viii, 65. Scho. in Aristoph. Nub., 838 dead had been borne to the grave for his whole household to wash tliemselves by way of purification. HesycMus, s. v. apMuLov the vessel of purification (dpddviov) was placed in front of the house. Aristophanes, Ecclesiazousae, 1033.
:

at

See also Hermann-Bliimner, op. cit., p. 365. For equivalent purificatory ritea Eome, see Bekker's Oallus, vol. iii, p. 378.
2

Athens (1860),

Korae's Miscellanies, vol. ii, p. 404ff. J. Protodikos, Our Funeral Rites, Publications of the Greek Philological Association at p. 13.

Constantinople, vol. xix, p. 139, mention the ritual at Tzesme in Asia Minor. I know from private sources that this is the ritual observed at Grortynia, Athens,
Trichonia, and in several of the Cyclades. The same holds good in certain districts of France ; people on returning from a funeral wash their hands, and the towel used to wipe them is summarily disposed of (Noel, Coutumes, mythes
et traditions des provinces des France, p. 94). of anxiety to prevent any profane

employment

Here again we can discern what has served for a rite of

purification.

34

N. G. POLITIS.

The

Breaking of Yesseh as a
toO

70900, epaucMGNCON elja toSn AapHNCON toO uAqtoc kqi npoc qAAon cKonoN NOMizoMeNOu eAaioAoxou drrei'ou ^

01

*En AfNcp Ae THc GpdiKHc Ni'nTONTQi eni roO MNHMaroc ndNiec cuNOAeucaNxec thn KHAeiON, touto Ae noioOciN cbc AerouciN

ton NEKpoN kqG' uhnon ^, Zacpcoc A* Im9aiNeTai h eNNOia toO KaGapMoO eN toTc 'ApKoAiKoTc eGiMOic thc epauceooc toon uApiooN Kaxd thn AidpaciN thc NeKpiKHC noMnHC,
-fNa

MH

pAencoci

HN dAAa)(oG dAAoac elHroGciN

(be

KaTOOTepco ed I'AooMeN.

'En

ToTc nAei'cTOic x^J^p'O'c thc 'ApKaAiac kqi

In quth th TpinoAei

AerouciN OTI

OMQ npocTiepdcH to
h
Nid
KQI

Aei'vfOiNO, nperrei

QMeccoc Nd
Nid

ndpHc

eNO

konqto

= MiaN) (

ctqmno

AaHNa

= AdrHN0N) (

reMQTH NepO
'C

Nd TO X'O^CHC QHO TH Nid OlKpH

THN QAAH H xdMOU *C TdrKOONQpl TOC CHITIOO coO H MpnpocTd 'c THN HopTO coG Me ouAo Tdrreio H Meca *c tqTc Teccepaic drKooNaTc toG chitioG kqi Nd cndcHc Torreio Km
TOO ApOMOU dc

Nd

ei'nHC

Aioc

= 0e6c)
01

x<J^p6C

TONe to kqko tou Nd mh

x^^oucin

Mac

ppH.

'Eniotc

AeiciAaiMONecTepoi

oAon

to

onouAnnoTC thc oiKiac indpxoN lAoop, edN tuxh kqi AieA0H AeivfONON npo THC oiKiac, Aioti n TOiauTH nepinT0C)C6i t6 Nepo
epdcio (=0pacu), htoi oKaGapTON, dxpHCTON, miqcmq thc OiKi'ac, KQI npenei Aid toGto Nd \\)Qh dMecooc, Fno KaeapicGn h
elNQi
oiKi'a,

riOTi

CKOuAHKidzei to Nepo

otqn AieAGH to AeiyaNON.

'Eni'cHc x^NOuci TO uAoop

rid to

KaA6 h

rid

nq nacTpeuTH

TO

cnm

^.

'Ek Ae THC AeuTepac toon ONarpacpei'ccoN lAeooN dnoppeouci noAAai cuNHGeiai MapTUpoGcai thn nenoiGHciN toG AaoG, oti to
6N tqTc GpaucMCNaic AarHNOic uAcop elNQi npconpiOMCNON Aid ton

NCKpON, KQI OTI H X^CIC TOG CAQTOC eiC THN

fHN KQI H KOTQ-

CTP09H ToG nepiexoNTOc quto drr^iou GeoipoGNTai

wc

01

k tqA-

AiagAenOMeN trpocndGeiaN npoc napaNoAtciN thc PgPhAou xpHcecoc tou xP"CIMeucQNTOc eic KaGapMON.
^

r.

AouKci,
,

4>iAoAoriKni eniCKe\t/eic , 'A9.

i. c.

874,

c.

98.

'A9.

SaKeAAapioN,

KunpiaKa
^ '

738. eN KcoNCTONTiNOunoAei 'EAA. 91A0A. cuAAoroc, t. h. c. 549. Kut' dNaKO'lNOJCIN ToO 'ApKli^OC K. A. S. 'ApaNITOTTOUAOU.

'Ao. 1890, t.

Funeral Rite in Modern Greece.

grave.

35

The

water-jars are then immediately broken, together

with the

oil-jar

At Aenos

in Thrace all

brought there for a different purpose.^ who have followed the procession to

the grave wash themselves there. The reason they give for so " doing is In order not to see the dead man in their dreams."^

obviously embodied in this custom as well as in the Arcadian custom of breaking jars while the

But an idea

of purification

is

funeral goes by.

as will be

This

is

variously explained in various localities

In most Arcadian country places, and even in Tripolitza itself, the injunction is " As soon as the remains
door, take a jug full of water, or a jar or

shewn below.

come by your

some

vessel, straightway

empty

this,

pouring
it

it

from one end

of the

street to the other, or else

house or pour

it

on the cornerstone of your empty out in front of your door, or halfway between

the four corners of your house.

and
fell
I

May God forgive him say, on him not find us."

"

Break the vessel thus emptied (or her) and may the harm that

the water that

Sometimes those who are especially superstitious throw out all may be stored anywhere in the house when a corpse
to

be 'borne past, and the reason given in such a case is that the water is rough," that is impure, useless, a pollution to the house, and must therefore immediately be thrown away that

happens
"

the house

be purified, " for water breeds worms," if left in a house after a corpse has gone past. Or again they account for

may

their pouring out the

*'

"

water because

it

makes things

right," or

to get the

house clean."^
the second of the two notions mentioned above, spring

From (h),

various customs which bear testimony to the fixed popular belief that the water held by these broken vessels was an offering to

the dead, and that the pouring out of it on the earth, together with the breaking of the vessel holding it, is the most effectual

way

for

bringing the dead into possession of their own.

The

1 A. Sakellarion, G-. Louka, Philological Essays, Athens (1874), p. 98, Cypriote Studies, Athens (1890), vol. i, p. 738. 2 See Tol. viii, p. 549, of the Proceedings of the OreeJc Philological Society of

Constantinople. ' On the authority of Mr. A.

S.

Abanitopoulos, an Arcadian.

36

N. G. POLITIS.
TpOnOI

The
AqBH

Breaking of Vessels as a

AHAOTajOl

OTTCOC

*Qc

KQi

napd

to?c

nAei'cTOic

npOC9p6MeNON 6 NGKpOC. AaoTc, oKwaia AiaTHpeTxai kqi

to

napd

TO?c "EaAhcin h Aolaci'a nepi enipicocecoc toon NGKpoaN

km

THC THC KQI H napnOMNH TH AoIaClQ TQUTH CUNHGeiQ THC HpOTToAAa)(oO thc'EaAqAoc elOKoAocpopac Tpo(pcc)N ejc aurouc.
oCciN eNari'zONTec toTc NeKpoTc, cac In dAAr^i joncp AiaAoMpd-

NOMGN

^.

'ENxaCea

A*

dpKOUMeGa

dNa(t)epcoMeN

on eN

tqTc

TTAei'cTaic 'EaAhnikqic x<^PQic eni

Tpi'a

HMepONUKxa dNdnrouciN

In TO)
KQI

AooMOTi'cf)

onoO

5evpu)(HCN 6
kqi

TTapaGeTOuciN

dpTOuc

NKp6c qkoi'mhton AlXNON AdfHNON nAHpH uAqtoc 2. 'En

KpHTH dnoTieejai

km

toO Td90u AdrHNOc uAqtoc kqi 0916x01

IkcT HMepac jeccapdKONra Aioti AoldzouciN

on Kaxd ton xpoNON

toOton h yu)(H ToO NKpoG nepi9ep0MeNH eic touc tohouc eic ouc z(2)N napeupeGH nmei Ik toO uAqtoc Ikci'nou InaNepxoMeNH

THN IcnepON ^ 'EnioxoC omooc AHCMONHGei'cac thc Innoiqc ToO Igi'mou InAdcGH qAAh AiKQioAoria, on AhAqAh to drreToN'
ToC uAqtoc In to) 6\Ki^ toO

GaNONTOC xpHciMeuei onooc nicer

Mica 6 AidpoAoCj 6 6no?oc riNCTai cqn Mupa kqi epxcTOi "H OTI Aid TOO KpOTOU TOaN TldpH THN yUXHN TOU neAOMlOU *.)
epaucMeNOON drrei'coN iKAioaKONTQi 01 AaiMONec, ocoi nepiTpexoua 2HT0UNT6C NO CUpOOCI Aid THC pIQC CIC THN KOAOCIN THN ^UXHN ^

*En Tpin6Ai aI
ouciN OTI

kqi In noAAoTc x^p'O'c

thc MoNTiNeiac nicT66-

TorreTa

GpauoNTai

npoc IK96PHCIN toO

Xdpou Km

dnOTpOnHN QUTOO.
*

ZunCIGIZOUCIN IkC? KOTd THN lK90pdN TOU

TTap9N(0N , *Ae. 1872, T. ii. c. 143. X. MerActNOu, AxNoc AiopeNOuc, 1818, c. 273 (MaKe^ONia). "On to 6\M0N TOUTO Kpaxe? noAAaxoG thc 'EaAoiAoc f'NwcKOMeN e2 lAlac onti*

AHV(/eo)C.
'

Bj'bilakis,
c.

Neugriechisches Lehen,

c.

67.

TTaNAcopn

1876,

t.

xvii.

331* Kar* ciNaKOiNCociN tou Kupiou

Kparei noAAaxoO thc

TO uAcop KQI nNifH

320, 456.)
*

f. ApociNH. TTaponAHcia np6AH\i/ic emTaAAiac, onou knouci irctNTa Topreia ''no mh necH eic H \\>vy^H TOU TeeNEcoTOC. (BA. Melu'siue, T. i. col. 97,

'Antcdnic'iAou KpHTmc , c. 346-7. "Omoiq Innoiq onoAi^OTQi Kal efc thn JpaOciN nHA'iNcoN arreicoN to Mcrn Iap3aT0N htic kqI dAAaxoG men cuneieizetui, ciaipcTwc i,* cn KepKupg
,
.

Funeral Bite in Modern Greece.

37
peoples, that

Greeks are as firmly convinced, as are

the dead have a further lease of
life

many other

upon earth.

Hence the cus-

tom of making offerings

monly made
Let
it

of food to them.

These offerings are com-

in Greece as I have recorded at length elsewhere.^

only be noted here that in

many places

a light is kept burn-

ing for three consecutive days and nights in the chamber of the -3)^

departed where bread as well as a jar of water

ness.^

is

kept in readi-

In Crete a jar full of water

is

deposited at the grave, where

it is left

for forty days, the belief being that during all that

time

the departed soul wanders over the haunts where

returns

it lived,

and
In
lost

every evening to drink of the water provided.^

some
sight

places,
of,

where the meaning

of this

custom has been

other explanations have suggested themselves.

The

jar
fall

of water placed in the house of the

dead

is for

the devil to

into

when

"

he comes in the form of a fly

to take off the soul

of the

deadr^ Or else the noise of the breaking of the jar drives away
the demons

who hover around

seeking violently to drag off the

dead man's soul to torments.^

At

Tripolis

and in many Mantineian

villages it is believed

that the vases are broken to frighten Charon, and to keep

him

away.
1

There

it is

customary for the more well-to-do to break a

Parthenon (Athens, 1872), vol. ii, p. 143. Ch. Megdanou, The Lantera of Diogenes^ 1818, p. 273, where Macedonia is spoken of. That this custom prevails widely in Grreece I know from private
2

sources of information.
^ ^

ByblJakis, Neugriechisches Lehen, p. 67.

Pandora
GI-.

(1876), vol. xvii, p. 331.

This fact
is

is

kindly communicated by Mr.

in

Drosines.

An

analogous pre-

where they empty all vessels in sumption many order that the soul of the departed may not run the risk of falling in and being drowned (see Melusine, vol. i, col. 97, 320, 456).
parts of France,
*

made

Antoniados, Krete'is, p. 346

f.

similar

significance

is

attached to the

custom of breaking earthen pots as a part of the Great Sabbath. observed in many places, but most punctiliously at Corfu.

This

is

38

N. G. POLITIS.
01

The

Breaking of Vessels as a

NCKpoG NQ epaUOOCIN,

AdrHNON,

01 a'

MEN GUnOpCOTepOl KQlNOUpfH UAplQlSl H dnopobxepoi naAaiON ti drreToN h dnAooc Kepa/wON

oiki'qc,

npo FHC Gi'pac thc

exeAGUTHceN 6

npo thc Gupac toO AooMariou gn a

Aoomqti'o)

NCKpoc, h gn a

eleAexGH htoi N tco

AcoMaTiqj icon eiKONiCMajooN.

To

drreToN epauei cieNoc cupreNHC

91A0C ToC eoNONTOC, cuNHGecTaTa Ae ruNH, dAAd npecpuric, Ixouca hAikiqn onco toon 50 eroaN* eic neon Ggn eniTpeneiai
H

TOUTO

AlOTI 01 NeOI elNQI dNl'cXUpOl N

NQ Ta pai'ouN Me to Xapo ) h\ Aioti onep dAnGecTepoN, ( tou ckAikhcin nq eKGecoociN ec 9opouMeNOi Xdpou, npOTiwooci

aNTIMeTOOniCCOCI TON

XdpoN

auTHN npecBuTHN mqAAon h ngon. TTicTeiouci Ae oti h Gpaucic TOO drrei'ou, eKcpopouca ton XdpON, e2ac9aAizei thn zoohn toon
GpauoNTec to drr^ToN "ENaNe Mac = lAoO auTOc) eNTauQa GpauNdNTOTOC ^nnpec, Moope Xdpo, ( h onooc cndzei dAAoNe GeN Mac CTQi TO drrei^ON naipNCic
dAAooN. Kai
eniAerouct

TO KepaMiAi, Itoc, pe Xdpo, Nd cndcH to Ke9dAi coO on lONdp-

Ghc!
efcQCTe
v\

{v\

"ON lONaMnHC
(h

'c TO
!

cniTi

Mac
'noi

ciAepeNioi
01

nq
!

Nd eiMacTe
01

Nd
!

ciAepeNioi

niciNOi
cTnoi

""Enoc exdGH,
a'

Aerouci

oti

). (unoNoelTOi Gpauouci to drreiON '^r^^ no CKidzouNC to Xdpo,

dAAoi ciAepeNioi

dc

coiCH NopGH nAid 6 Xdpoc," h

no mhn 5aNdpGH, h no mh rid no mhn laNdpGH 6 Xdpoc, H no mh ccoch nAid NdpGn koi oAAh poAd'c to cniTi Mdc, h pa NQ MHN ToO nepNdn nAid, h Nd lecndcH to koko 'c to
6

-Non f dKOucH

Xdpoc

Kai

rid Nd 9urH to KaKO dnd to chi'ti Mdc, K9dAi tou Xdpou, H H rid Nd MH Mac iaNai'pH TO KaKO," H fid Nd zHcouNe 01

dAAoi," H

nd Nd MHN neGdNH

dAAoc, h

na Nd MeiNOUNe

01

dnoceAoinoi," h
^

rid

Nd'Nai

01

aAAoi repoi'.*^

KctT*

aNQKOiNCociN TOU

96PHCIN TOU Xctpou Kara Tcic CNiOTC Gpauouci to KaAoMiAi

K. A. S. 'ApaNiTonouAou, Ttpoi Tponoi npoc eKKHAeiac cuNei9izoNTai 01 e2e?c In 'ApKoAiof

h
:

KaAoMi

toG

dproAeioG"

kqAomon

l\ Mexpl 2

TTHxecoN, eniAepoNTec

t6 KaAoMi to cndcec, Mcape Xapo,

Mci

mhxoc to

'ENiaxoO Ae thc MonciAepo ed MPopecHC, h ciAepeNioi ol niciNoi. TiNeiac Kai Ah Kai eN TpmoAei kohtoucin ck toG cagaNOu MOKpoN AtoplAa, HN dNapTcbci npo thc Supac thc oiKiac h eic thn Aokon thc CTepnc (eic to

Funeral Rite in Modern Greece,

39

new

jar or jug

on the occasion of a funeral, while the poorer

tile,

people will break an old vessel or only a

before the house

door, the door of the death chamber, or even inside the room

where the body

is laid

out,

which
is

is

the one where the holy

pictures are kept.

The vase

broken by some near relation or

friend of the dead, in

most cases by a woman.

But she must be

rather old, over fifty as a rule.

"

No young
to
it

person

may

do

it,

since the

young have not the strength

some
say.

measure themselves

against Charon,"

Others put

more plausibly by sayis

ing that

it is

for fear of Charon's

revenge that an old person

preferred to a
to inspire

young one. This breaking of a vase is believed Charon with fear and thus to preserve the lives of the

survivors.

While

in the act of breaking they say, "

Thou hast
is,"

taken one from us, oh Charon, thou numbskull, here he

Or

then they break the vase

"

"

none other shalt thou take

"
!

again

As

this tile breaks,

"
(or,

oh Charon, so be broken thy head if

if

thou comest again

of ours ").
"

"
"
:

thou enterest afresh this house

'

Or again

May we (or
"
!

you

')

be of iron

"
!

Or,

one

is lost,

be the others as iron

(i.e.,

the others shall be as

of this breaking

strong as iron).
of pots
"

The accounts popularly given

is

and potsherds

that they do

it

"

to frighten Charon," or

that Charon

may

hear the noise and not return," or " that he

may

" not come again to this house," or that he

"

may

not have

his will another time," or " head," or that the harm

that the
fly

harm may be upon Charon's

"

may
die,"

from our house," or

"

that the
live,"

harm may

not find us again," or

that the others

may
may

"that no one else

may
"

"that the survivors

bide

where they
^

are," or
S.

may

be lusty and strong."^

owe

to

Mr, A.

Abanitopoulos the following record of Arcadian customg

for terrifying Charon. Sometimes they break the rod of the loom which is from " li to 2 metres long, saying this rod hast thou broken, Charon, thou numbskull, but iron shalt thou not break ; " or, " may the survivors be as iron." In Tripohs,

not to speak of parts of Mantineia, they cut long strips from the shroud and

40

N. G. POLITIS.

The
TOUTO

Breaking of Vessels as a

*A\Kd Aid TO X^OM^NON KQTd fHC UACOp ZCOHpON IxOUCI THN

cuNeiAHciN
01

TO eeiMON

ApOCOOGH H YU^H TOU NEKpoO.

epaueTQ!
^.

THpouNTec oTc riNGTai Aid Nd ZunHGCOC H AdrHNOC TOO UAOTOC

oikiqc

napd thn

Gupaisi

thc

kotq

thn gIoAon toO

'En Xl'cp AOldzOUCI MGN CUM9CC)NaC npOC TOUC GpHNOUC NKp0U THC NeKpcociMOu aKOAouGiQc oti eninoNoaTaTON dpcoNa KappoAAei
H Y^X*^

X^P'^^^^" "^^^ CCOMQTOC, npOC dNaK0U9ICIN A* aUTHC pi'nTOuciN eic thn oAon nnAiNa drreTa CAqtoc otqn elaxGn to
Ik thc oikiqc, hAhn Ae toutou noAAoi toon 91A00N kqi
CUrrNa>N pIFTTOUCI TOiaUTQ KQI OTQN AiepXHTQ! H

Aei'vpctNON

oiKi'ac

Ta)N,

Aid

Nd

nOMnH HpO THC thn thc yuxHC toO ApocicouN Aaupa

NKpou2.

Xunoucin oGcn
KOLCplCIN

Kunptp Ae KOTd thn ckkomiAhn toO NeKpoG on AiepXHTQi h NCKpiKH noMnH npoc QNaTHC Y^X^^^ """^^ NEKpOU UAOOp KOGOpON CK HHAiNCON
kqi

'En

drreiooN,
zouci

ZuneiGidnep aMccooc pinTONTCC xctwai cuNTpi'pouci ^. npoccTi auToGi Nd eKxeoociN eic Tdc oAouc KdToniN toG

NEKpoO KQI OAON TO eN TqTc UAplQIC TOU orKOU dnOTeTaMICUMeNON uAcop niCTeuoNTec oti exei miqnGh Aioti dnenAuNCN eN quto)

THN aiMOCTafH MaxaipaN,

H 6 vpuxonoMHoc "ArreAoc

Ai'
*.

hc dneKTeiNeN ton NeKpoN 6 XdpcjON

AhAonoti napexeTQi outcjo kqi qAAh, muGoAopikh quth, elHTHcic TOU eGiMOu, htic omooc eniCKOTi'zei thn koinooc KpaToOcoN AolQN, OTI TO UACOp elNQI TTpOC90pd npOC TON NCKpON KQI OTI
enoMeNCiOc h GpaOcic toon
drreiooN

cKoneT thn e^accpdAiciN thc

uno TOU NeKpou xpHceooc thc npoctpopdc tquthc.

naxfepo)
r'o NO AecouNe to Xctpo on 2uNapeH, niCTeuONxec on 6 XdpojN, ON GeAHCH NO enaNeASH oncoc dnoKTe'iNH aAAON TiNd ck thc guthc oikiqc,

PAenooN

to

nponpiOMeNON

npoc
de
la

Accimon

qutoG

cxoinion
vi.

ed

<po3h6h

kqi

Gd
^

cpufH.

Pouqueville,
op.
*
'

cit.

c.

13.

ToVoyage eBiMON
cit.

Grece^ 1827,

t.

c.

147.

TTpojToi^iKoc,

napeTHpHeH un

eMOu In 'ASHNaic kqi noAAaxoC

c.

THC TTeAOTTONNHCOU.
K. KoNeAAcxKH, XiaNd 'ANoAeKTa, 'AGhn. 1890,

338.

Sarrdpioc, op.
*

AouKQC, op,

cit. c.

97.

Funeral Bite in Modern

Greece.

41

As

to the water spilled

upon the ground,

all

who keep up
it

this

observance are absolutely firm in their faith that

departed.

refreshes the

Usually a vessel

is

broken at the house door as the

is

body

is

carried out.^

On

the island of Chios there

a literal
the

understanding of the lamentations which form part of

funeral
service

attributing to the soul

it

feelings

of poignant

agony during the struggle which parts

of relief

from the body.

By

they empty way moment when the funeral moves away from
over

jars of

water upon the ground at the

the house.

Morethe pro-

many

friends

and kinsmen

of the departed,

when

cession passes their doors,

empty

vessels of water into the street

in order to ease the burning pains of the dead.^

In Cyprus,
is

all

along the road

taken by the funeral

pure water

thrown

upon the ground

ing
it

for the relief of the dead,

and the

jars contain-

are flung

down and broken when

all

emptied.^

Another

Cypriote custom requires that

the water standing in houses

passed by the funeral should be thrown away.

that Charon or the
'\jrvxo7rofnr6<;y
it

The

belief is

Summoning Angel
all

of the dead (dyyeXo^;

has polluted

such standing water by washing in

the blood-stained knife used to slay the dead.

This mythological explanation of the custom does not, however, supersede the generally prevailing belief that the water is

an

offering to the

dead and that the breaking of the vessels

assures the sole use of the offering to the departed.

hang them over the door or from the main roof-beam, in order to bind Charon with it, if he tries to come again. They beHeve instead of making a new victim in the house, he will see this and begone in fear and trembling.
^

Pouqueville, Voyage de la Orece, 1827, vol.

vi, p.

147.

Protodikos, op.

cit.,

p. 13.

I have myself witnessed this observance at Athens and in

many

parts of

the Peloponnesus.
2

K. Kanellakes, CUote Miscellanies, 1890,

Sangarios, op.
cit.

p. 338.
^

'

Loukas, op.

cit.,

p. 97.

[Eeprinted from the Journal of the Anthropological Institute, August, 1893.]

Harrison and

iSons,

Printers in Ordinary to

Her Majesty,

JSt.

Martin's Lane.

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