In the inland towns, the women live in a separate part of the house, and are nearly as much confined as those of the Turks. Before marriage, they are rarely seen by any male person, except those of their own family ; but, afterwards, they are introduced to people of their own nation, or to travellers. They can seldom read or write, but are all able to embroider, and generally to play on the lute. Dancing is an universal accomplish ment, and is learned from one another here in a style which displays neither elegance nor liveliness, and which chiefly consists in a solemn poising of the body on one foot, then on the other, accompanied by various eleva tions and depressions of the arms. But, notwithstand ing their want of education, most of them are acquaint ed with a number of songs or recitations, accompanied with tales, which are taken up and continued, apparently without end, by different individuals of the party for hours together. Whenever they have an opportunity of making farther attainments, they discover great quickness of understanding, and readily acquire the modern languages, and the elements of general litera ture. Their character is described as amiable, and they make assiduous housewives and tender mothers.
The dances of the young women, particularly those called Romaica, consists in slow movements, in which they hold by each other's handkerchiefs, while one of them, as a leader, sets the step and the time. In their mixed dances, a male and female are alternately linked together, holding their handkerchiefs high over their heads, while the leader dances through them ; and vari ous figures are performed as well as single hornpipes. Single performers among the men exhibit frequently a rapid and fantastic step, which is considered as the ancient pyrrhic dance. To such amusements the natives are greatly devoted; and, "amidst all their poverty and op pression," says Sandys, " they will dance whilst their legs will bear them, and sing till they grow hoarse." There is an ancient dance, much in request, performed by boys or by girls in the harems for the entertainment of the Turks, and which is wholly of a lascivious ten dency. Nay, in most parts of modern Greece, these indecent attitudes, which are esteemed as the highest accomplishment of the art, are practised by the most discreet females, without any appearance of depraved feelings on their part.
In the marriage ceremony, which is considered as still resembling the ancient usages, the bride and bride groom stand near the altar, holding a lighted candle in their hands, while the priest, facing them, reads and sings a service, during the progress of which he takes two rings, which he puts upon their fingers, and two garlands, which he places on their heads, changing them several times with great rapidity, gabbling and singing all the time, till at last the rings are left on the proper fingers, and the garlands laid aside together. Some breed, which has been blessed and marked with the sign of the cross, is then broken and eaten by the bride and bridegroom, and a cup of wine is presented to them successively ; alter which the woman hands round the cake end liquor to the persons present, Irom whom, if she is not of high rank, she receives a piece of money, and kisses their hands in return. On the same, or some
times the fo.lowing day, she is carried in procession to her husband's house, and the evening is concluded with music, dancing, and a least, chiefly of knits, and particu larly nuts, The Greeks are remarkable for the formality and te diousness of their salutations. NV hen two of them meet, however casually, they stand with their hands on their hearts, bowing gently for five minutes together, in quiring after each other's healtns, their wives, daughters, sons, family, and affair., twenty times over, before they begin to converse, or even when they are intending to separate immediately.
The modern Greeks are full of superstitions prac tices and unmeaning usages, many or which they have communicated to their Turkish conquerors. During the birth of a child, the lamp burns before the picture of the virgin, and the cradle is adorned with handker chiefs and trinkets, as presents to the fairies. As soon as the infant is laid in the cradle, it is loaded with amulets : and a bit of soft mud, particularly prepared by various charms, is stuck upon tire forehead, to pre vent the effects of the evil eye. When a stranger looks intensely upon a child, the mother spits in its face, or in her own bosom, if he look at herself; but the sove reign remedy against the evil eye is the use of garlic, or even the pronouncing of the name of it, and bunches of it are attached to new built houses and vessels. When a person sneezes in company, the conversation is stopped, and all present pronounce benedictions on him, at the same time crossing themselves. They wear rings as spells ; observe all manner of lucky and unlucky days; spit into their own bosoms upon any sudden emer gency ; show a peculiar veneration for salt, and practise a multitude of divining ceremonies on all occasions.
The funerals of the Greeks, like those of their ances tors, are celebrated as occasions for various entertain ments, and in some respects bear a considerable resem blance to those of the lower Irish. On the death of any person of dignity, the body is dressed in a rich garment, and the litter covered with flowers. The friends and domestics, with the priests, walk in procession before the body, and a few old women, on each side of the bier, continue howling and lamenting, enumerating the virtues of the deceased, and dwelling on the many reasnns w hich should have made him remain longer in life. Behind the burly come the female relations and friends. [ruff d up in mourning habits. At the place of interment a funeral service is read, and the body, rolled in a winding sheet, is deposited in the grave with some of the flowers that had adorned the bier. About the ninth day after the fu neral, a feast is prepared by the nearest relation, who makes presents to the priests, and entertains the guests with music, dancing, and every kind of merriment. The burying grounds are at a distance front the towns, and the churches are generally near the high road. Their groves of cypress or yew trees generally stir round the tombs; and these spots are frequented on cer d tys by the relatives of the recent dead, who, after shedding a few tears, and depositing a garland, or lock of hair, in the grave, spend the remainder of the day in dancing and singing-.