| Show leJDOI JLDOUMVU TiE mUTE oluatNorTilE CUSTOM OK TLANTWa E IN CEMETERIES Men have always gIven much thought tothe subject of ucath and mourners fur the dead liavo strlvci In many ways to show the depth of ho Uieir devotion to their departed ones I by fitting outward manifestations I thrlr home in tkalgint of tho public and about the gmC Tho gravels s naturally place of despair des-pair and gloom and the thought of corruption going on beneath tho surface of the earth has been so revolting volting to sorrowing hearts tha they have been glad to bring euch ornaments around the place or burial as would be signs of grief nnd yet be beautiful and where possible suggestive of the hopes that look beyond the grave AN ANCIENT CCSTOM The association uf artlcular plants and trees with the person of the dead and the abode of death iso is-o far back in the history of man o to steIn one of the first Instinctive Ideas of tin human lc There are allusions t I in the most ancient an-cient writings and record One of eent rUug rn the oldest trees thus mentioned was a lice of life which grew at the side of tlie road that was passed over by Lbe tools oC the departed and the fruit of that tree was tho symbol of eternal life It Is probably a remnant of tills old belief that sometimes appears in folk lore tales where the fruit is called the annlo of life Why back upon the oldest Assyrian As-syrian inscriptions is I probably tho earliest reprrsentaUonknown of thIs tree of life and although it la I very common among the inscriptions generally guarded by celestial genii and sometimes also worshipped by royal figures yet no one has been able ascertain L exact meaning except that Babylon in its earliest Uiat K I antlsemitlc days was its piiucial place of honor the old name of Babylon TIntirkl nlgnifying the place of the tree of life I In Greek oJ Ytf merely trees but plants and lowers are connected with the departed In tho ElysIan lieldeUUtt is In that part of the domain of Pluto her the souls of the good dwell whole plains were raid to b covered with asphodel the very flowers which tine Greeks and Romans were accustomed to place on tho graves of the departed a symbols of the future llfu Sometimes In the early Christian days the previous usages of the Inhabitants In-habitants appear in local custom as in France where tho o who prepared pre-pared tl dead hfr burial 1 were accustomed ac-customed to scatter In tine bottom ol coMliu beneath the corse seedi of various plautr probably those which they were expected to live upon in dt the new life beyond tine grave The ancient Egyptians were In the habit of burying bulbs of flowers flow-ers and wheat with their dead in the belief that the body was coming to life again and could sow these fur use in that new le Some of these kernel of wheat after being kept for thousands of years in the mummy mum-my case have been planted by Uie finders and have produced wheat very much like that which is still grown in Egypt The belief In future existence probably led t the custom of planting plant-ing trees on or near tombs especially the rypnes which was regarded asa as-a type of both life and death The tree growing over tine grave W also considered an emblem of the saul become immortal The bay according to Sir Thom Browne was originally adopted as a symbol of the resurrection because when to all outward appearance I Is dead and withered It will unexpectedly pectedly I revive from tine root and its dry leaves assume their former vlvldity Evergreen trees who growth Is like a pyramid or pire whose top points heavenward are emblematic of eternity of these the arbor vita and cypress are the moL favored Tile weeping birch tile willow and Australian casuarlna with oi igc bending t tIne earth find their natural places In churchyards a emblems of human sorrow I THE YEW Te The yew tree has been considered e the emblem of mourning I from an early day The Grks adopted I as such from the EgypUans the Romans from the Greeks and the Britain alter Crcsara invasion from the Briton Through Midi afsoclatHns for so long a I vrlod Uie yew acquired a meaning of sacred symbolism which everywhere made I an ornament of consecrated churchyards Henro I l very seldom sel-dom cultivated elfcwliorv although II 1 wood 1 ref valuable I 1 a little singular that melt a strong growing tree as theycw should have maintained its place in England after the Saxons came in for one o t their peculiar tuperstitlons was tha the trees prey upon the bodies DC the dead who rest beneath theIr shade At one Ume I was the universal custom to carry branch of the yew tree In the solemn procession cession to the grave depositing them beneath the body In Wales we have the evidence eC WnC another superstition in the custom of planting mountain ub orrowa tree in the grave yarIs as a protection protec-tion against evil spirits but not dll1 1 with the usual idea of tim funeral treeThe The walnut tree whose shade I I said to produce death I in com countries a funeral tree and both tine elm and the oak are connects 0 cnnee with the grave by their lndetruc Rule qualities on account which they are used to tints day fur collIns Just as the ancients used tile cypress and the cedar The tree a being long of life ana an-a > over pointing upward has been connected with graveyards from the beginning beta deeper and moru tender cymbolism has been ot Inched to the shorter lived and mere beautiful flowers which in many hues and varied into the form hoe been so woven Int history and legends all the actions cf Uie world Their use in ciAinec ton with Ibo dead began way lack 10 the times when records were firs made and wlUi tho first tales DC lumnn existence mcnUou Is mlle of them The ancients plant tie asphode and the mallow around tho tmlJ of the deceased believing Ulat their feeds gave nourishment to thedead The holy basil or tulasi 1 regarded garded by the Hindoos a a mot sacred herb and is grown in pone po-ne every timpleaud the dwelling devout Hindoos Their celestial Saga Xarada lens sung the praises of he immortal plant liich it S t rActloii itself It is supposed to irotect Unto who cultivate it from eel misfortune and sanctifies and guides thim to heaven through the belief tht the tulasi opens the gatns of heaven t the devout wor hlpcr In this It was probably tie origin of the sesame plant men ioned In Arabian Xlghts Whei n Hindoo dies they place upon his reast a leaf of tulasi when dead flf lillw hey I wasli ills head in water into which had been dropped some flax drlI seeds and Lull leaves Dilntt Xguu |
