Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/238

 134 DESCRIPTION OF AN ANCIENT TUMULAR CEMETERY. solemn procession, and there once more sliown to his friends ; songs in his praise were then perhaps recited, and a festive banquet commenced, a share of which was offered to the corpse. The revehy must have been of a very hvely character, from the quantity of broken pottery which we find in these tombs, and which was then committed to the earth.' " Funeral feasts and customs of this kind, more or less modified by a purer faith, may very likely have continued long after the introduc- tion of Christianity. Even at the close of the tenth century, the clergy were forbidden, by a canon of Aelfric, to allow the recitation of "heathenish songs and obstreperous ejulations" at the funerals at which they officiated ; and it is added : — " Do not yourselves eat or drink where the corpse lies, lest ye become imitators of the heathen superstition which they there practise." The attention of antiquarians does not appear to have been directed to the question whether the funeral festivities of the ancient Germans were usually held in the open air at or near the place of interment. This would seem to be implied in the passage just quoted from Klemm ; and, unless we suppose some building specially appropriated to this purpose, is also suggested by the cMra urbem position of the burial-place. Possibly, some light may be thrown on this question by a passage in the well-known letter of Gregory the First, in regard to the most expedient measures for securing the con- version of the Anglo-Saxons. Recommending Augustine not to destroy the heathen temples, but, after the destruction of the idols, to consecrate them as Christian churches, he pro- ceeds : — "And because they have been used to slaughter many oxen in the sacrifices to demons, some solemnity must be exchanged for them on this account, as that on the day of the dedication, or the nativities of the holy martyrs, whose rehcs are there deposited, they may build themselves booths of the houcfhs of trees about those churches which have been turned to that use from temples, and celebrate the solemnity with religious feasting ; and no more offer beasts to the devil, but kill cattle to the praise of God in their eating, and return thanks to the Giver of all things for their sustenance ; to the end that, whilst some gratifications are outwardly permitted them, they may the more easily be attached to those joys which are of the spirit." We have seen that some of the bones and teeth of horses,