CEREMONIES FOR THE DYING AND DEAD.
The Siamese dispose of their dead by cremation. When a prince of rank
is found to be near death, the relatives suspend every other care, and
assist in giving the departing spirit as good a passport as possible
into the spirit land. Every effort is made to fix the thoughts of the
dying man on Budha. They take their turns in calling out as loudly,
and distinctly as possible, _"Pra Arahang,"_ one of the names of
Budha. It is uttered as much as eight times in a minute, so that it is
impossible to hear anything else. This seems to be the "Extreme
Unction" of the Budhist. When all evidence of the dying man's hearing
is past, the attendant friends will raise their voices to a stunning
pitch, hoping that the departing spirit may still hear _Pra Arahang_.
After it is thought Pra Arahang can be no longer heard, the most
uncontrollable wailing is commenced, which can be heard to a great
distance. The friends of the deceased, household slaves, and all,
engage in this outburst of grief.
When a prince of high rank has died, the King visits the house of
mourning and bathes the corpse with water, with his own hands. After
him other princes present come forward, and pour a dipper of water
upon the corpse. Next comes the nobles who are present, according to
their rank, and do the same. When all the princes and nobles present
have performed this office, certain officials present proceed to dress
the corpse. They put on it a pair of tight-fitting pantaloons, and a
tight jacket. Over these they apply a winding-sheet, wrapping it as
tightly as possible. Quicksilver is also poured down the throat. The
corpse is then placed in a copper urn, in a sitting posture. This
copper urn is then placed inside of a golden urn. The inner urn has a
grating at the bottom, and the outer one has a stop-cock, by which the
juices flowing from the body are daily drawn off, until it becomes
perfectly dry. The King usually remains until the corpse has been
placed in the urn, and that placed on an elevated platform, ascending
by three gradations to the height of about five feet. Whilst the
corpse is being thus elevated, conch-shell blowers and trumpeters are
performing lustily upon their instruments, with all the harmony
possible. This trumpeting is called the inviting of the corpse to be
seated on the platform.
When thus seated, all the insignia of royalty to which the prince has
been accustomed during life are brought and arranged in order at the
foot of the urn. These consist of his golden areca nut box, his golden
cigar case, his golden spittoon, his writing apparatus--in short, all
the utensils which he was accustomed to use in daily life. The band of
trumpeters come at early dawn, at noon, and at dusk, every day, to
perform the funeral dirge. They come in concert with some wailing
women, who chant the virtues and excellences of the deceased. These
women spend an hour each day in that service, and in the intervals a
company of priests, seated upon a platform near by the urn, chant
incantations, and recite moral lessons in the Pali language. These
services are kept up daily until the time appointed for burning has
arrived, which is six, and sometimes even eight months after death.
The remains of a king generally lie in state about twelve months,
before burning.
Upon the death of a king his successor commences at once to make
arrangements for erecting the temporary building for his cremation,
which is called a _Pra mane_. The building is generally in size and
grandeur proportionate to the estimation in which the deceased has
been held. Royal orders are sent to all the provinces, and even to the
tributary States, where large timber grows, requiring them to furnish
posts for the _Pra mane_, and especially four enormous sticks, which
are to form the central pillars of the building. These central pillars
must be of the finest timber that can be found, very straight, and
from two hundred to two hundred and fifty feet long. Besides the large
ones, twelve other pillars of smaller size are needed. Timbers which
have been used on a former occasion cannot be used again, but all must
be new. The large pillars are cut in the forest, dragged to the river
by elephants, and floated down at high water to the capital. When they
arrive at the city, a general levy is made all over the country for
workmen, and those huge logs are dragged up to the place mainly by
force, as it would be contrary to custom to employ any labor-saving
machine in getting them up. They are first dressed off, and then
planted with great difficulty in the ground about thirty feet deep.
The four large pillars are planted in a square, about one hundred and
sixty feet in circumference. When planted, the tops incline a little
toward each other, forming a kind of truncated pyramid, having four
sides, and is about two hundred feet high. On the top of these pillars
is erected a pagoda-shaped spire, adding about fifty feet more to the
height. The spire is covered with gilded and tinselled paper, so as to
give it a neat and grand appearance, especially from a distance. At
each side of this central pyramid is erected a wing, by means of other
smaller posts, and extending about forty feet, and facing the four
cardinal points of the compass; and each wing is also capped with a
pagoda spire. The whole is covered with a basket-work made of bamboo
splits, which is covered again with gilt and tinselled paper. The
building is surrounded by a bamboo fence, enclosing, perhaps, two
acres of ground, and entered by two large gates. Inside of the fence
are numerous temporary buildings, made of bamboo, for the
accommodation of priests, theatrical performances, and other
exhibitions. On the west side of the Pra mane is the building for the
accommodation of the King and his family. The roof of this building is
made of crimson cloth, with gilt edges, and the sides are covered with
curtains, which in front are tucked in neatly to the posts. At each
end, at the comb of the roof, is a peculiar shaped horn extending out,
which is peculiar to royal buildings and temples.
The whole area of the enclosure is covered with a floor made of split
bamboos neatly woven together. Immediately at the base of the Pra mane
are small artificial mountains, and artificial lakes, and ponds, upon
which small boats and miniature floating houses are moored. Also
flowers, shrubbery, and every other thing imaginable, which is
considered at all ornamental. On the outside of the enclosure are
houses built for the accommodation of princes, nobles, and all
foreigners who may wish to attend, and who are all entertained at the
royal expense. Rope dancing, juggling, and every other imaginable feat
are also carried on outside. At night, too, those brilliant fireworks,
in which the Siamese so much excel, are touched off by the King
himself, and are kept up to a late hour every night.
Directly under the tall spire in the centre of the building is erected
what may be termed the _Pra mane_ proper. A floor is laid over the
whole building about twenty feet from the ground, and upon that floor,
directly under the tall spire, is erected an octagonal pyramid, about
sixty feet in circumference. It diminishes by right angled gradations,
to the height of about thirty feet, and terminates in a truncated top,
and upon this top is placed the urn containing the royal remains. On
an appointed day the royal remains are brought out and placed upon the
_Pra mane_. This is done in a procession. The governors of the
different provinces, and the kings of the different tributary states
have all been ordered to be present at the cremation. Early in the
morning of the day of the procession, the chief princes, nobles, and
rulers, assemble at the palace. The golden urn, richly decked with
diamonds, containing the remains, is placed on an elevated seat, upon
a huge and unwieldy car, drawn by two horses, assisted by hundreds of
men. The funeral car is preceded in the procession by two others. The
first is occupied by the high-priest of the kingdom alone, reading as
he goes moral lessons from the sacred books, in the Pali language. The
second car is occupied by a few of the favorite children of the
deceased. A strip of silver cloth, about six inches wide, extends from
the thighs of the high-priest to the seat occupied by the children in
the next car, and thence to the funeral car, and is attached to the
urn. This forms the mystical union between the deceased, the sacred
book, and his children. The car next behind the funeral car contains a
few sticks of sandal wood, with ends gilded, for the purpose of
burning the corpse. These cars are all drawn by horses, assisted by
scores of men. There are also in the procession numbers of other cars,
containing figures of lions, tigers, elephants, rhinoceroses, and
numbers of indescribable fabulous animals, and upon the backs of all
these animals are placed piles of yellow cloths, to be presented to
the priests. There are also numbers of boats placed on small wheels
and drawn along, which are also to be presented to the priests. In
front and rear of the cars are hundreds of men, dressed in white, and
having white turbans, terminating in a pagoda point, and who represent
the _Tewedas_, or Budhist angels. When the procession arrives at the
place, the urn is drawn up an inclined plane, and placed upon the top
of the truncated platform already described. The piece of narrow
silver cloth, already mentioned, is attached to the top of the urn,
and extends to the floor, and then out the east and west wings of the
building to the steps. High above the urn is suspended a neat golden
canopy, of that indescribable form for which the Siamese are so
celebrated. Around and under the canopy are hung beautiful white
scented flowers, arranged in the form of a chandelier; splendid
chandeliers are also suspended all around for the purpose of
brilliantly lighting up the _Pra mane_. Nearly all the priests in the
kingdom are called into requisition on these occasions, who chant
prayers and recite moral lessons.
All the chief princes and nobles, the family and family servants of
the deceased, are all dressed in white, and have their heads shaven,
the badge of mourning. When the time has come for igniting the fire
the outer golden urn is removed, leaving only the inner copper urn.
The grating at the bottom of the copper urn is covered over with
spices and fragrant powders. All valuable or precious articles are
removed from the platform. The platform is also lowered some feet, to
make it more convenient. The sandal wood is arranged under the grate
of the urn, and precious spices and fragrant articles are placed
amongst the wood. A gunpowder train is arranged, extending to the
place where the king is. All being ready, the king takes electrical
fire, which has been preserved in the palace for a long time for such
purposes, and ignites the fuse, and soon the wood is in a blaze. The
family of the deceased, and the chief princes and nobles are all
standing near, with lighted wax candles in their hands, and each in
turn steps up and places the candle amongst the wood. Tubs of water
are standing near, and men with dippers ready to prevent the flames
from rising too high, and consuming the whole building. Many persons
from reading descriptions of these cremations, have got the idea that
the whole building is burned, but nothing is burned but the sandal
wood and the corpse which is in the urn. When the wood is fired the
band strikes a funeral dirge, and the women commence wailing, which
generally lasts only a few minutes. When the ceremonies are all over
the _Pra mane_ is taken down, never to be used again.
The corpse is generally burned on the third day of the ceremonies, and
they are kept up in the same manner for three days after the burning
proper, making about six days in all. After the burning, the charred
bones still remaining are collected, put into a small golden urn, and
kept by the family. The present king has the remains of his ancestors
for many generations back, preserved in this manner. The ashes are
also collected, when a procession of boats is formed, and they are
scattered upon the river.
During these ceremonies much is given away in presents, for the
purpose of making merit. Small gold and silver coins, and gold rings,
are put into _limes_, and other small fruit, and these are scattered
amongst the crowd, and they scramble for them. The king amuses himself
at this kind of sport very frequently during the ceremonies. Other
small fruits contain lottery tickets, which always draw a small
article of some kind. These are also given away. Outside the enclosure
are artificial trees, full of _limes_, in every one of which is a
small coin. A person frequently during the ceremonies ascends a
platform, pulls off the _limes_ and scatters them amongst the crowd,
and then such a scramble as there will be. Persons frequently get hurt
in the scramble, and it is frequently muddy, and I have seen the
scramblers all covered over with mud. The royal funerals are very
expensive. The funeral of the late king must have cost at least
$150,000.
The common people, on account of the expense, do not keep their dead
long, but burn them as soon as possible, but in substantially the same
manner. They do not erect a _Pra mane_, but most of the temple grounds
have a permanent _Pra mane_. I have also frequently seen them burning,
out in the open space, without any covering. The corpse is placed in a
board coffin, covered over with figured paper, and is then taken to
the temple and burned. There is a very disgusting practice more or
less common amongst them. Sometimes the person dying orders it to be
done in order to make merit, and sometimes the friends do it of their
own accord. When the corpse is taken to the place of burning, they
take knives, cut the flesh from the bones, and feed it to the
vultures. These filthy birds will be perched near by, and will come
down into the crowd to receive the coveted morsel, which they either
carry off, or swallow upon the spot. After the flesh is thus taken
off, the bones are burned.
Persons dying of cholera, small-pox, in childbirth, or any sudden
disease, and by suicide, are not burned immediately, but are buried
for a few months, and are then taken up and burned. Criminals
executed, and paupers, are given to the vultures wholesale. Medical
students would have no difficulty in getting subjects there.