Dramatic Funeral Ceremony of the Lascars

1893

How the Lascars Prepare Their Dead For the Grave

In the deadroom of the Medico-Chirurgical hospital recently a strange and dramatic ceremony took place. The occasion was the observance of the last rites and ceremonies by the crew of Lascars of the steamship Lanark over the body of one of their shipmates, who died in the hospital. The body had as usual been prepared for the undertaker by the hospital staff soon after death, and the body was removed from the ward to the deadroom. As soon as the steamship crew learned of the death of their countryman they all presented themselves at the hospital and asked to see the body.

The scene that followed was an impressive one. The dimly lighted room, the still form lying on the table surrounded by a dozen or more of his sorrowing people, with strange costumes, dark, handsome features and pointed beards formed a memorable picture. As the men stood with bowed heads and clasped hands and muttered their prayers to Allah, those who witnessed the scene were filled with emotions of respect and sorrow for those strange people, far away from their sunny tropical home among strangers.

They requested a bountiful supply of warm water and soap and 20 yards of clean new linen. This being provided they reverently removed the winding sheet. Every time their hands came in contact with the body they offered a prayer in concert. Then they removed their own shoes and stockings and washed their feet and ears and nostrils. After this they began the ablution of their late comrade, pouring the water over the head and face of the dead man. The entire body was thoroughly cleansed, the men touching it lovingly and reverently.

The new linen having been prepared by one of their number and the body having been dried the sailors requested another table, the one in use being thought contaminated by the water. This was provided. The shroud was placed upon it and sprinkled with camphor. Then the body was gently lifted and laid on the shroud while all offered up prayers in concert. It was rapidly enveloped in the winding sheet and strict instructions were given in broken English and by signs to those of the hospital staff present not to touch it. The sailors then formed in line, one who seemed to be the leader standing alone, the others standing behind in threes and fours. Turning their faces to the east and raising their hands above their heads they solemnly committed their comrade to Allah's care.

No Christian can touch the body after performing this rite, so the Lascars presented themselves at the hospital again the nest morning and placed the body within the coffin. — Philadelphia Press.

Why We Lower the Head in Deep Thinking

1912

WHY HEAD IS LOWERED

GENERALLY THE ACCOMPANIMENT OF DEEP THOUGHT

However, One May Take His Choice of Various Scientific Reasons Assigned for This Practically Universal Habit.

It is a regular part of the education of a Mussulman to learn how to balance his head in order to aid his memory, an exchange says. Although the natives of other countries do not make this a matter of training, it is noticeable that the habit of bowing the head when in deep thought is customary with all humans, even when they do not know why they do it. Closing the eyes can readily be explained by the desire to shut out the sight of objects that might otherwise confuse the brain activities, but the simple act of bending the neck seems to have special significance whether the eyes are closed or not.

Lessening one blood supply and increasing another appears to bring into contact and use an impression on the brain which has not been used frequently or not for a long time.

The innumerable individual mannerisms count for but little, for the habit of contracting the jugulars and carotids and then letting loose the whirlpool seems to be universal and important. The physicians cannot tell us why, for the actual workings of man's brains are still a mystery to a large extent, but men do contract the arteries mentioned and loosen the others instinctively in an effort at concentrated thought.

Bowing the head to conceal thought is also common, although we know of no country where that is a part of one's education. This is doubtless due to a desire not to look a person directly in the eye.

The honest man, searching his brain for truth, thus makes the same obeisance to his instinct as the clever rascal seeking to hide a trick too dangerous for human observation.

Ask the ordinary cheat his price for produce and almost invariably he makes the sign of humility. His head drops forward and frequently his eyelids follow. Intelligent rogues, who do not wish to be found out, avoid thinking of their crimes in the presence of certain people. Instead, they endeavor to concentrate their thoughts upon something distant from the facts, as if they feared a too plain mental picture might be observed by other than their own individual egos.

This fear may be justified in that experience which we all have at some time when a person ransacking his memory for a forgotten thing hears it spoken of by one who has made no effort to think it up, but has merely read it from the brain of the thinker before the thinker himself has put it into words.

—The Daily Commonwealth, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, December 19, 1912, page 3.