A MERRY FUNERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16456, 18 June 1921, Page 12

A MERRY FUNERAL.

GIPSIES FEAST AND REVEL. In the course of a European tour for horse selling and fortune telling, a large Norwegian gipsy tribe was robbed recently by death of its patriarch, nu octogenarian named Aiorisian Vai Vally (writes tho Milan -correspondent of tne “ Daily Chronicle. *) The beresvement occured at Bergamo, in North Italy. Vai Vally was a devout Catholic, but decidedly averse to Western funeral conventions. 1 n his last moments he reviewed his life in the presence of his camp-followers. “My vocation/ 7 he said, “has been to make good people merry- AVliy should I make the Inst item on the programme one to make them look glum and weep? Let. therefore, all who love me mark my exit with a light merry funeral/* Vai Vally*s body was taken to church in an open colliii, linen with costly white brocade, wherein he lay robed in a. new coat of many colours, heavily adorned with curious amulets. After the ceremony a long procession was formed, at the head of which marched twenty-throe musicians, with a band of J clergy and ballot girls immediately fol- | lowing the hearse. Next came carriages full of gailygarbed gipsies, many of them dangling naked babies in their arms. Another long lino of carriages was at the dis> position of the public, and, on the principle that “Time i« money. 7 * each poison taking part was handed a 10 franc Numerous halts were made on the lengthy route to the cemetery for music and dancing. Before the grave was sealed relatives and friends threw in abundant offering* of gold coins and jeweiiery, Finally, hors-d'oeuvre a roast chicken, and three bottles of best brand champagne were reverently deposited therein for the benefit of the traveller to the “ other side/* The whole company of monrncrfl was invited to the cnrvsv encampment, where a meal lasted till dawn. For tribal reasons, the dead man's son was the members of the nartv debarred from j taking part in the banquet. His role j was to encourage the rent with laughter, ! ringing, tears nr,d dance. T 7 1