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:
"Among the Carolina tribes, the burial of the dead was accompanied
with special ceremonies, the expense and formality attendant upon the
funeral according with the rank of the deceased. The corpse was first
placed in a cane bundle and deposited in an outhouse made for the
purpose, where it was suffered to remain for a day and a night guarded
and mourned over by the nearest relatives with disheveled hair. Those
who are to officiate at the funeral go into the town, and from the
backs of the first young men they meet strip such blankets and
matchcoats as they deem suitable for their purpose. In these the dead
body is wrapped and then covered with two or three mats made of rushes
or cane. The coffin is made of woven reeds or hollow canes tied fast
at both ends. When everything is prepared for the interment, the
corpse is carried from the house in which it has been lying into the
orchard of peach-trees and is there deposited in another bundle.
Seated upon mats are there congregated the family and tribe of the
deceased and invited guests. The medicine man, or conjurer, having
enjoined silence, then pronounces a funeral oration, during which he
recounts the exploits of the deceased, his valor, skill, love of
country, property, and influence, alludes to the void caused by his
death, and counsels those who remain to supply his place by following
in his footsteps; pictures the happiness he will enjoy in the land of
spirits to which he has gone, and concludes his address by an allusion
to the prominent traditions of his tribe."
Let us here pause to remind the reader that this custom has prevailed
throughout the civilized world up to the present day--a custom, in the
opinion of many, "more honored in the breach than the observance."
"At last [says Mr. Lawson], the corpse is brought away from that
hurdle to the grave by four young men, attended by the relations, the
king, old men, and all the nation. When they come to the sepulchre,
which is about six feet deep and eight feet long, having at each end
(that is, at the head and foot) a light-wood or pitch-pine fork driven
close down the sides of the grave firmly into the ground (these two
forks are to contain a ridgepole, as you shall understand presently),
before they lay the corpse into the grave, they cover the bottom two
or three time over with the bark of trees; then they let down the
corpse (with two belts that the Indians carry their burdens withal)
very leisurely upon the said barks; then they lay over a pole of the
same wood in the two forks, and having a great many pieces of pitch-
pine logs about two foot and a half long, they stick them in the sides
of the grave down each end and near the top, through of where (sic) the
other ends lie in the ridge-pole, so that they are declining like the
roof of a house. These being very thick placed, they cover them many
times double with bark; then they throw the earth thereon that came
out of the grave and beat it down very firm. By this means the dead
body lies in a vault, nothing touching him. After a time the body is
taken up, the bones cleaned, and deposited in an ossuary called the
Quiogozon."
Dr Fordyce Grinnell, physician to the Wichita Agency, Indian
Territory, furnishes the following description of the burial
ceremonies of the Wichita Indians, who call themselves. "_Kitty-la-
tats_" or those of the tattooed eyelids.
"When a Wichita dies the town-crier goes up and down through the
village and announces the fact. Preparations are immediately made for
the burial, and the body is taken without delay to the grave prepared
for it reception. If the grave is some distance from the village the
body is carried thither on the back of a pony, being first wrapped in
blankets and then laid prone across the saddle, one walking on either
side to support it. The grave is dug from 3 to 4 feet deep and of
sufficient length for the extended body. First blankets and buffalo
robes are laid in the bottom of the grave, then the body, being taken
from the horse and unwrapped, is dressed in its best apparel and with
ornaments is placed upon a couch of blankets and robes, with the head
towards the west and the feet to the east; the valuables belonging to
the deceased are placed with the body in the grave. With the man are
deposited his bows and arrows or gun, and with the woman her cooking
utensils and other implements of her toil. Over the body sticks are
placed six or eight inches deep and grass over these, so that when the
earth is filled in it need not come in contact with the body or its
trappings. After the grave is filled with earth a pen of poles is
built around it, or, as is frequently the case, stakes are driven so
that they cross each other from either side about midway over the
grave, thus forming a complete protection from the invasion of wild
animals. After all this is done, the grass or other _debris_ is
carefully scraped from about the grave for several feet, so that the
ground is left smooth and clean. It is seldom the case that the
relatives accompany the remains to the grave, but they more often
employ others to bury the body for them, usually women. Mourning is
similar in this tribe as in others, and consists in cutting off the
hair, fasting, &c. Horses are also killed at the grave."
The Caddoes, _Ascena_, or Timber Indians, as they call
themselves, follow nearly the same mode of burial as the Wichitas, but
one custom prevailing is worthy of mention.
"If a Caddo is killed in battle, the body is never buried, but is left
to be devoured by beasts or birds of prey and the condition of such
individuals in the other world is considered to be far better than
that of persons dying a natural death."
In a work by Bruhier [Footnote: L'incertitude des Signes de la Mort,
1740, tom 1, p. 430] the following remarks, freely translated by the
writer, may be found, which note a custom having great similarity to
the exposure of bodies to wild beasts mentioned above.
"The ancient Persians threw out the bodies of their dead on the roads,
and if they were promptly devoured by wild beasts it was esteemed a
great honor, a misfortune if not. Sometimes they interred, always
wrapping the dead in a wax cloth to prevent odor."
M. Pierre Muret, [Footnote: Rites of Funeral, Ancient and Modern,
1683, p 45] from whose book Bruhier probably obtained his information,
gives at considerable length an account of this peculiar method of
treating the dead among the Persians, as follows:
"It is a matter of astonishment, considering the _Persians_ have
ever had the renown of being one of the most civilized Nations in the
world, that notwithstanding they should have used such barbarous
customs about the Dead as are set down in the Writings of some
Historians, and the rather because at this day there are still to be
seen among them those remains of Antiquity, which do fully satisfie
us, that their Tombs have been very magnificent. And yet nevertheless,
if we will give credit to _Procopius_ and _Agathias_, the
_Persians_ were never wont to bury their Dead Bodies, so far were
they from bestowing any Funeral Honours upon them. But, as these
Authors tell us, they exposed them stark naked in the open fields,
which is the greatest shame our Laws do allot to the most infamous
Criminals, by laying them open to the view of all upon the highways:
Yea, in their opinion it was a great unhappiness, if either Birds or
Beasts did not devour their Carcases; and they commonly made an
estimate of the Felicity of these poor Bodies, according as they were
sooner or later made a prey of. Concerning these, they resolved that
they must needs have been very bad indeed, since even the beasts
themselves would not touch them; which caused an extream sorrow to
their Relations, they taking it for an ill boding to their Family, and
an infallible presage of some great misfortune hanging over their
heads, for they persuaded themselves, that the Souls which inhabited
those Bodies being dragg'd into Hell, would not fail to come and
trouble them, and that being always accompanied with the Devils, their
Tormentors, they would certainly give them a great deal of disturbance.
"And on the contrary, when these Corpses were presently devoured,
their joy was very great, they enlarged themselves in praises of the
Deceased; every one esteeming them undoubtedly happy, and came to
congratulate their relations on that account: For as they believed
assuredly, that they were entered into the _Elysian_ Fields, so
they were persuaded, that they would procure the same bliss for all
those of their family.
"They also took a great delight to see Skeletons and Bones scatered up
and down in the fields, whereas we can scarcely endure to see those of
Horses and Dogs used so. And these remains of Humane Bodies, (the
sight whereof gives us so much, horror, that we presently bury them
out of our sight, whenever we find them elsewhere than in Charnel-
houses or Church yards) were the occasion of their greatest joy
because they concluded from thence the happiness of those that had
been devoured wishing after then Death to meet with the like good
luck."
The same author states and Bruhier corroborates the assertion that the
Parthians, Medes, Iberians, Caspians, and a few others had such a
horror and aversion of the corruption and decomposition of the dead
and of their being eaten by worms that they threw out the bodies into
the open fields to be devoured by wild beasts, a part of their belief
being that persons so devoured would not be entirely extinct, but
enjoy at least a partial sort of life in their living sepulchres. It
is quite probable that for these and other reasons the Bactrians and
Hircanians trained dogs for this special purpose called _Canes
sepulchrales_ which received the greatest care and attention, for
it was deemed proper that the souls of the deceased should have strong
and lusty frames to dwell in.
George Gibbs [Footnote: Schoolcraft's Hist. Indian Tribes of the
United States Pt. 3, 1853, p. 140] gives the following account of
burial among the Klamath and Trinity Indians of the Northwest coast.
The graves which are in the immediate vicinity of their houses exhibit
very considerable taste and a laudable care. The dead are inclosed in
rude coffins formed by placing four boards around the body and covered
with earth to some depth; a heavy plank often supported by upright
head and foot stones is laid upon the top or stones are built up into
a wall about a foot above the ground and the top flagged with others.
The graves of the chiefs are surrounded by neat wooden palings, each
pale ornamented with a feather from the tail of the bald eagle.
Baskets are usually staked down by the side according to the wealth or
popularity of the individual and sometimes other articles for ornament
or use are suspended over them. The funeral ceremonies occupy three
days during which the soul of the deceased is in danger from _O-mah-
u_ or the devil. To preserve it from this peril a fire is kept up
at the grave and the friends of the deceased howl around it to scare
away the demon. Should they not be successful in this the soul is
carried down the river, subject, however, to redemption by _Peh-ho
wan_ on payment of a big knife. After the expiration of three days
it is all well with them.
The question may well be asked, is the big knife a "sop to Cerberus"?
Capt. F. E. Grossman, [Footnote: Rep. Smithson. Inst., 1871, p. 414]
USA, furnishes the following account of burial among the Pimas of
Arizona:
"The Pimas tie the bodies of their dead with ropes, passing the latter
around the neck and under the knees and then drawing them tight until
the body is doubled up and forced into a sitting position. They dig
the grave from four to five feet deep and perfectly round (about two
feet in diameter), then hollow out to one side of the bottom of this
grave a sort of vault large enough to contain the body. Here the body
is deposited, the grave is filled up level with the ground, and poles,
trees, or pieces of timber placed upon the grave to protect the
remains from the coyotes (a species of wolf). Burials usually take
place at night, without much ceremony. The mourners chant during the
burial, but signs of grief are rare. The bodies of their dead are
buried, if possible, immediately after death has taken place, and the
graves are generally prepared before the patients die. Sometimes sick
persons (for whom the graves had already been dug) recovered; in such
cases the graves are left open until the persons for whom they were
intended die. Open graves of this kind can be seen in several of their
burial-grounds. Places of burial are selected some distance from the
village, and, if possible, in a grove of mesquite bushes. Immediately
after the remains have been buried, the house and personal effects of
the deceased are burned, and his horses and cattle killed, the meat
being cooked as a repast for the mourners. The nearest relatives of
the deceased, as a sign of their sorrow, remain in the village for
weeks and sometimes months; the men cut off about six inches of their
long hair, while the women cut their hair quite short"
The Coyotero Apaches, according to Dr. W. J. Hoffman, [Footnote: U.S.
Geol. Surv. of Terr. for 1876, p. 473] in disposing of their dead,
seem to be actuated by the desire to spare themselves any needless
trouble, and prepare the defunct and the grave in this manner.
"The Coyoteros, upon the death of a member of the tribe, partially
wrap up the corpse and deposit it into the cavity left by the removal
of a small rock or the stump of a tree. After the body has been
crammed into the smallest possible space the rock or stump is again
rolled into its former position, when a number of stones are placed
around the base to keep out the coyotes. The nearest of kin usually
mourn for the period of one month, during that time giving utterance
at intervals to the most dismal lamentations, which are apparently
sincere. During the day this obligation is frequently neglected or
forgotten, but when the mourner is reminded of his duty he renews his
howling with evident interest. This custom of mourning for the period
of thirty days corresponds to that formerly observed by the Natchez."
Somewhat similar to this rude mode of sepulture is that described in
the life of Moses Van Campen, which relates to the Indians formerly
inhabiting Pennsylvania:
"Directly after the Indians proceeded to bury those who had fallen in
battle, which they did by rolling an old log from its place and laying
the body in the hollow thus made, and then heaping upon it a little
earth"
As a somewhat curious, if not exceptional, interment, the following
account, relating to the Indians of New York is furnished, by Mr.
Franklin B. Hough, who has extracted it from an unpublished journal of
the agents of a French company kept in 1794:
"Saw Indian graves on the plateau of Independence Rock. The Indians
plant a stake on the right side of the head of the deceased and bury
them in a bark canoe. Their children come every year to bring
provisions to the place where their fathers are buried. One of the
graves had fallen in and we observed in the soil some sticks for
stretching skins, the remains of a canoe, &c., and the two straps for
carrying it, and near the place where the head lay were the traces of
a fire which they had kindled for the soul of the deceased to come and
warm itself by and to partake of the food deposited near it.
"These were probably the Massasauga Indians, then inhabiting the north
shore of Lake Ontario, but who were rather intruders here, the country
being claimed by the Oneidas."
It is not to be denied that the use of canoes for coffins has
occasionally been remarked, for the writer in 1875 removed from the
graves at Santa Barbara an entire skeleton which was discovered in a
redwood canoe, but it is thought that the individual may have been a
noted fisherman, particularly as the implements of his vocation--nets,
fish-spears, &c.--were near him, and this burial was only an
exemplification of the well-rooted belief common to all Indians, that
the spirit in the next world makes use of the same articles as were
employed in this one. It should be added that of the many hundreds of
skeletons uncovered at Santa Barbara the one mentioned presented the
only example of the kind.
Among the Indians of the Mosquito coast, in Central America, canoe
burial in the ground, according to Bancroft [Footnote: Native Races of
Pacific States, 1874, vol. 1, p 744.], was common, and is thus
described:
"The corpse is wrapped in cloth and placed in one-half of a pitpan
which has been cut in two. Friends assemble for the funeral and drown
their grief in _mushla_, the women giving vent to their sorrow by
dashing themselves on the ground until covered with blood, and
inflicting other tortures, occasionally even committing suicide. As it
is supposed that the evil spirit seeks to obtain possession of the
body, musicians are called in to lull it to sleep while preparations
are made for its removal. All at once four naked men, who have
disguised themselves with paint so as not to be recognized and
punished by _Wulasha_, rush out from a neighboring hut, and,
seizing a rope attached to the canoe, drag it into the woods, followed
by the music and the crowd. Here the pitpan is lowered into the grave
with bow, arrow, spear, paddle, and other implements to serve the
departed in the land beyond, then the other half of the boat is placed
over the body. A rude hut is constructed over the grave, serving as a
receptacle for the choice food, drink, and other articles placed there
from time to time by relatives."