ta,” “Receive, oh Lord, into thy kingdom.” After other prayers and blessings, the people sit down at tables set out near the church, and feast.
Water plays an important part in connection with “pomeni” and other customs connected with death. Thus, water is always given freely, “de pomană,” though the tip, or “bacşis,” habit otherwise flourishes.
A curious custom observed by my husband at Runcic, a village with a Vauclusian spring, is called “A duce isvorul morţilor” (to bring the spring to the dead). A woman, the sister, mother or wife of the dead goes to the spring and pours out several spoonfuls of milk on a napkin, saying, “May God receive into his kingdom my ——— !” (naming the relationship and the name). She puts the napkin into a half pumpkin rind which has been hollowed out; next she puts into it two candles arranged in the form of a cross with all four ends lit. Then she launches the pumpkin into the spring and lets it be carried down by the current. Owing to the character of the spring, the pumpkins could be carried away in safety without dashing into anything. Afterwards she comes back, and brings seven pails of water, one after the other to her neighbours, as “apă de pomană,” an offering of water for the dead.
Running water is supposed somehow to be able to carry objects to another world. Thus (1):—On the Monday after Easter Monday, women put the red egg-shells from Easter eggs into running water, so that they may be carried to the Blajini, good men living in some other world and ignorant of what passes in this. By means of the egg-shells, these men will see that Easter has come, and they too will rejoice (S. page 180).
(2) There is also the well-known story of the gypsy and his cap. A gypsy was walking over a bridge when a gust of wind carried his “caciula” (fur cap) into the water. He ran down the stream and tried to fish it out, but found this was impossible, so he said, “After all, I did want to make
