Nænia

, the godde of funerals at Rome, whose temple was without the gates of the city. The songs which were sung at funerals were also called nænia . They were generally filled with the praises of the deceased, but sometimes they were so unmeaning and improper, that the word became proverbial to signify nonsense. Varro , ♦ Anti quit ates rerum human arum et divinarum .— Plautus , As in aria . ♠ act 4, scene 1, li. 63 . ♦ ‘de Vitâ P. R.’ replaced with ‘Anti quit ates rerum human arum et divinarum’ ♠ ‘41’ replaced with ‘4’