A Further Contribution to the Study of the Mortuary Customs of the North American IndiansYarrow, H. C. (Harry Crécy)
History
A Further Contribution to the Study of the Mortuary Customs of the North American Indians
Yarrow, H. C. (Harry Crécy)
Indians of North America -- Funeral customs and rites
A noble woman came to join herself to the number of victims of her
own accord, being engaged by the friendship she bore the _Stung
Serpent_ to follow him into the other world. The Europeans called
her the _haughty_ lady, on account of her majestic deportment and
her proud air, and because she only frequented the company of the
most distinguished Frenchmen. They regretted her much, because she
had the knowledge of several simples with which she had saved the
lives of many of our sick. This moving sight filled our people with
grief and horror. The favorite wife of the deceased rose up and
spoke to them with a smiling countenance: “I die without fear;” said
she, “grief does not embitter my last hours. I recommend my children
to you; whenever you see them, noble Frenchmen, remember that you
have loved their father, and that he was till death a true and
sincere friend of your nation, whom he loved more than himself. The
disposer of life has been pleased to call him, and I shall soon go
and join him; I shall tell him that I have seen your hearts moved at
the sight of his corps; do not be grieved; we shall be longer
friends in the _country of the spirits_ than here, because we do not
die there again.”[91*]
These words forced tears from the eyes of all the French; they were
obliged to do all they could to prevent the Great Sun from killing
himself, for he was inconsolable at the death of his brother, upon
whom he was used to lay the weight of government, he being great
chief of war of the Natches, i.e. generalissimo of their armies;
that prince grew furious by the resistance he met with; he held his
gun by the barrel, and the Sun, his presumptive heir, held it by the
lock, and caused the powder to fall out of the pan; the hut was full
of Suns, Nobles, and Honorables[92*] but the French raised their
spirits again, by hiding all the arms belonging to the sovereign,
and filling the barrel of his gun with water, that it might be unfit
for use for some time.
As soon as the Suns saw their sovereign’s life in safety, they
thanked the French, by squeezing their hands, but without speaking;
a most profound silence reigned throughout, for grief and awe kept
in bounds the multitude that were present.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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