and the wailing funeral song; and there are many examples of each in the
Scriptures. As there was no definite notation among the ancient Hebrews,
the actual tunes that were sung with these songs will never be known.
But it may be possible that the melodies have been preserved by rote,
for it is certain that these three schools of singing exist to-day in
Arabia and Syria. Whole villages are known to unite in a seven-day
festival of rejoicing, not unlike the one at the wedding of Samson, as
described in the fourteenth chapter of Judges.

The Song of Solomon presents an entire set of bridal songs in the
popular vein. A good example of the mourning song is found in the
opening chapter of the second book of Samuel, where David laments the
death of Saul and Jonathan. It is somewhat exceptional because of its
being rendered by a man, for in Eastern countries the professional
mourners were always women, hired for the occasion. The men might join
in the chorus of woe if they wished, but the main part of the song was
always given by the women, who were not unlike the "Keeners," heard in
Ireland on similar occasions, even down to recent times. The book of
Lamentations presents a series of funeral songs, written in imitation of
the professional lays of grief, and containing many allusions to the
mourning women. In the fifth chapter of Amos, in Habakkuk, and many
other books, are further illustrations of such folk-songs. The fifth
chapter of Isaiah begins with the cheerful style of the vintage song,
and then suddenly changes to a song of grief, forming an artistic
contrast that must have been highly effective.

In the Hebrew songs, as in the Egyptian, there must have been much
dramatic action united with the vocal work. When the word "dancing"
occurs, it generally means only gesture and pantomime. Its use is made
evident in the song of Moses, in Exodus XV. It requires little
imagination to picture Miriam using a folk-song with which her hearers
were familiar, improvising words to suit the occasion, and illustrating
the whole with successive gestures of pride, contempt, sarcasm, and
triumph, while the assembled multitude joined in the chorus at every
opportunity.

Still more evident does this union of voice and action become in the
song of Deborah and Barak, in Judges V. A possible description of the
performance of this musical comedy is given by Herder, who suggests that
"Probably verses 1-11 were interrupted by the shouts of th