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Credit
A congregation of Russian mourners preparing a corpse for burial. Engraving with etching by B. Picart, 1732. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection.
The funeral procession that can be seen in the background is headed by a priest carrying the image of the particular saint who was made choice for the patron of the deceased at his or her baptism. Four young virgins, who are the nearest relations to the deceased follow him, or for want of such virgins the same number of women are hired to attend. Several friends march on each side of the corpse , purifying it and singing as they go along, to drive away the evil spirits and prevent them from hovering about it
The corpse is washed, dressed in clean linen and wrapped in a shroud, and shod with "Russia Leather" and put into a coffin, the arms being laid over the stomach in the form of a cross
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