Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 392

women mourners
professional
352
who was
really afflicted by the loss of her husband confined
herself to shedding real tears and uttering real sobs, she
would only be thoroughly despised and considered an idiot.
The parents of a young widow once complained to me of
So foolish is she that, on the
her stupidity as follows
death of her husband, she did not utter a single word
'
:
;
V
she did nothing but cry, without saying anything
In several parts of India, as formerly among tbe Greeks
and Romans, professional women mourners may be hired.
When called in to attend the obsequies, these women arrive
with dishevelled hair and only half clothed, wearing their
scanty garments in a disordered fashion. Collecting in
a group round the deceased, they commence by setting
up in unison the most doleful cries, at the same time
beating their breasts in measured time. They weep, sob,
and shriek in turns. Then addressing themselves to the
deceased, each in succession eulogizes his virtues and good
Anon they apostrophize him, vehemently re-
qualities.
monstrating with him for quitting life so soon. Finally,
they point out to him, in the plainest possible terms, that
he could not have committed a more foolish act. In dis-
charging these duties, which are a curious mixture of
tragedy and comedy, they take turn and turn about, and
their affected sorrow lasts until the corpse is removed.
As soon as the obsequies are over, they receive their wages,
and their faces, which were so lugubrious a few moments
before, once more assume their wonted calmness.
Widows, who in the learned tongue are called vidhava,
a word akin to the Latin vidua, are held in much less
and when they happen to have
respect than other women
no children, they are generally looked upon with the
utmost scorn. The very fact of meeting a widow is calcu-
lated to bring ill-luck.
They are called moonda, a reproach-
ful term which means
shorn-head,' because every widow
This rule, however,
is supposed to have her hair cut off.
2
is not everywhere followed, especially among the Sudras
The Hebrews also, on the death of friends and relatives, made a great
parade of all the external signs of sorrow. They cried, rent their gar-
ments, beat their breasts, tore out their hair or beards, or else had them
;
'
.
1
cut,
and even inflicted cuts on their bodies. See Leviticus
Jeremiah xvi. 6, &c. Dubois.
also among the Tengalai Vaishnava Brahmins.
Ed.
xxi. 5
2
;
And
xix. 28,