_North Side of Churchyards_ (Vol. ii., pp. 55. 189).--One of your
writers has recently endeavoured to explain the popular dislike to
burial on the north side of the church, by reference to the place of the
churchyard cross, the sunniness, and the greater resort of the people to
the south. {254} These are not only meagre reasons, but they are
incorrect.
The doctrine of regions was coeval with the death of Our Lord. The east
was the realm of the oracles; the especial Throne of God. The west was
the domain of the people; the Galilee of all nations was there. The
south, the land of the mid-day, was sacred to things heavenly and
divine. The north was the devoted region of Satan and his hosts; the
lair of demons, and their haunt. In some of our ancient churches, over
against the font, and in the northern walls, there was a devil's door.
It was thrown open at every baptism for the escape of the fiend, and at
all other seasons carefully closed. Hence came the old dislike to
sepulture at the north.