An Introduction to the mortuary customs of the North American Indians — John Shaqi
An Introduction to the mortuary customs of the North American IndiansYarrow, H. C. (Harry Crécy)
History
An Introduction to the mortuary customs of the North American Indians
Yarrow, H. C. (Harry Crécy)
Indians of North America -- Funeral customs and rites
4th. By AERIAL SEPULTURE, the bodies being deposited on scaffolds or
trees, in boxes or canoes, the two latter receptacles supported on
scaffolds or posts, or on the ground. Occasionally baskets have been
used to contain the remains of children, these being hung to trees.
5th. By AQUATIC BURIAL, beneath the water, or in canoes, which were
turned adrift.
These heads might, perhaps, be further subdivided, but the above seem
sufficient for all practical needs.
The use of the term _burial_ throughout this paper is to be
understood in its literal significance, the word being derived from
the Anglo-Saxon "_birgan,_" to conceal or hide away.
In giving descriptions of different burials and attendant ceremonies,
it has been deemed expedient to introduce entire accounts as
furnished, in order to preserve continuity of narrative.
INHUMATION.
The commonest mode of burial among North American Indians has been
that of interment in the ground, and this has taken place in a number
of different ways; the following will, however, serve as good examples
of the process.
"The Mohawks of New York made a large round hole in which the body was
placed upright or upon its haunches, after which it was covered with
timber, to support the earth which they lay over, and thereby kept the
body from being pressed. They then raised the earth in a round hill
over it. They always dressed the corpse in all its finery, and put
wampum and other things into the grave with it; and the relations
suffered not grass nor any weed to grow upon the grave, and frequently
visited it and made lamentation." [Footnote: Hist. Indian Tribes of
the United States, 1853, part 3, p 183.]
This account may be found in Schoolcraft.
In Jones [Footnote: Antiq. of Southern Indians, 1873, pp 108-110] is
the following interesting account from Lawson, of the burial customs
of the Indians formerly inhabiting the Carolinas:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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