An Introduction to the Mortuary Customs of the North American Indians | Page 7

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