The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

THE FLEMISH DON'T BELIEVE IN SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY
ON COFFINS. THE COFFINS ARE USUALLY ROUGH BOARDS
WITHOUT ANY LINING INSIDE THEM, ALSO THERE IS NO
EMBALMING THE BODY. WHEN THERE WAS A DEATH, THE BODY
WOULD LIE ON A TABLE, WRAPPED IN A SHEET OR ELSE BE
LYING IN THE BED. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FUNERAL, THEY
WOULD SWITCH THE BODY TO THE COFFIN. UNTIL THEN, YOU
WOULD NEVER LEAVE A DEAD BODY ALONE, YOU KEPT A WAKE.
SOMEONE WAS ALWAYS WITH THE BODY, THEY WOULD PUT A
PRAYER BOOK UNDER THE CHIN TO KEEP THE MOUTH FROM
OPENING AND RIGOR MORTIS FROM SETTING IN, THEY WOULD
ALSO HAVE SOMETHING ON THE EYES TO KEEP THEM SHUT.
FOR THE FUNERAL, A PERSON WOULD GO AND TALK TO A
FARMER WHO HAD TWO HORSES AND HE WOULD VOLUNTEER TO TAKE
THE BODY TO AND FROM THE CHURCH IN HIS WAGON (THERE
WERE NO HEARSES), AND ON THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL THEY
PUT THE BODY IN THE WAGON AND TWO WOMEN WOULD SIT IN
FRONT AND TWO WOMEN SAT BEHIND, THE REST OF THE PEOPLE
WOULD WALK. AT EACH CROSSROAD THAT THEY PASSED, THE
NEIGHBORS HAD PUT A STRAW CROSS IN THE TREE. AND IT WAS
SAID THAT IN THE MORNING OF THE FUNERAL, THE FARMER
WOULD GO AND TALK TO THE HORSES AND BLESS THEM WITH
PALMS AND HOLY WATER. (MR. VALKEN HAD NEVER SEEN THIS
DONE WITH THE HORSES, BUT HE HAD HEARD OF IT AND
BELIEVED IT TO BE TRULY DONE).
WHEN YOU ENTER THE CEMETERY, A MAN WOULD STAND BY THE
GATE AND PASS OUT A FLOWER TO EACH PERSON AS THEY
ENTERED AND THEN THE FAMILY DROPPED THEIR FLOWERS ON
TOP OF THE COFFIN AND THEN THE REST OF THE PEOPLE
WOULD FOLLOW SUIT.
BECAUSE THEY WERE SO RELIGIOUS, DYING DIDN'T MEAN SO
MUCH. THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO A BETTER PLACE.

Submitter comment: I TRIED TO REPEAT THIS AS MR. VALKEN TOLD IT TO ME.
HE ADDED THAT THE DAY AFTER THE FUNERAL, THE STRAW
CROSSES WERE TAKEN DOWN.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: 10-20-1971