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These are placed at the head or
foot of the grave, or both, and have painted or carved on them a history
of the deceased or his family, certain totemic characters, or, according
to Schoolcraft, not the achievements of the dead, but of those warriors
who assisted and danced at the interment. The northwest tribes and
others frequently plant poles near the graves, suspending there from
bits of rag flags, horses tails, etc. The custom among the present
Indians does not exist to any extent. Beltrami [Footnote: Pilgrimage,
1828, ii, p. 308.] speaks of it as follows.
"Here I saw a most singular union. One of these graves
was surmounted by a cross, whilst upon another close to it a trunk of a
tree was raised, covered with hieroglyphics recording the number of
enemies slain by the tenant of the tomb and several of his tutelary
Manitous."
Fires
It is extremely difficult to
determine why the custom of building fires on or near graves originated,
some authors stating that the soul thereby underwent a certain process
of purification, others that demons were driven away by them, and again
that they were to afford light to the wandering soul setting out for the
spirit land. One writer states that "the Algonkins believed that the
fire lighted nightly on the grave was to light the spirit on its
journey. By a coincidence to be explained by the universal sacredness of
the number, both Algonkins and Mexicans maintained it for four nights
consecutively. The former related the tradition that one of their
ancestors returned from the spirit land and informed their nation that
the journey thither consumed just four days, and that collecting fuel
every night added much to the toil and fatigue the soul encountered, all
of which could be spared it". So it would appear that the belief existed
that the fire was also intended to assist the spirit in preparing its
repast. "Stephen Powers [Footnote: Cont. to N. A. Ethnol., 1877, ii,
p.58] gives a tradition current among the Yurok of California as to the
use of fires.
"After death they keep a fire burning certain nights in
the vicinity of the grave. They hold and believe, at least the 'Big
Indians' do, that the spirits of the departed are compelled to cross an
extremely attenuated greasy pole, which bridges over the chasm of the
debatable land, and that they require the fire to light them on their
darksome journey. A righteous soul traverses the pole quicker than a
wicked one, hence they regulate the number of nights for burning a light
according to the character for goodness or the opposite which the
deceased possessed in this world." Dr. Emil Bessels, of the Polaris
expedition, informs the writer that a somewhat similar belief obtains
among the Esquimaux.
Superstitions
An entire volume might well be
written which should embrace only an account of the superstitions
regarding death and burial among the Indians, so thoroughly has the
matter been examined and discussed by various authors, and yet so much
still remains to be commented on, but in this work, which is simply
preliminary, and is hoped will be provocative of future efforts, it is
deemed sufficient to give only a few accounts. The first is by Dr. W.
Mathews, U. S. A., [Footnote: Ethnol. and Philol. of the Hidatsa
Indians. U.S. Geol. Surv. of Terr., 1877, p. 409] and relates to the
Hidatsa:
"When a Hidatsa dies his shade lingers four nights
around the camp or village in which he died, and then goes to the lodge
of his departed kindred in the 'village of the dead.' When he has
arrived there he is rewarded for his valor, self-denial, and ambition on
earth by receiving the same regard in the one place as in the other, for
there as here the brave man is honored and the coward despised. Some say
that the ghosts of those that commit suicide occupy a separate part of
the village, but that their condition differs in no wise from that of
the others. In the next world human shades hunt and live in the shades
of buffalo and other animals that have here died. There, too, there are
four seasons, but they come in an inverse order to the terrestrial
seasons. During the four nights that the ghost is supposed to linger
near his former dwelling, those who disliked or feared the deceased, and
do not wish a visit from the shade, scorch with red coals a pair of
moccasins which they leave at the door of the lodge. The smell of the
burning leather they claim keeps the ghost out; but the true friends of
the dead man take no such precautions."
From this account it will be seen that the Hidatsa as well as
the
Algonkins and Mexicans believed that four days were required before the
spirit could finally leave the earth. Why the smell of burning leather
should he offensive to spirits it would perhaps be fruitless to
speculate on.
The next account, by Keating, [Footnote: Long's Exped.,
1824, ii, p. l58.] relating to the Chippewas, shows a slight analogy
regarding the slippery-pole tradition already alluded to:
"The Chippewa believe that there is in man an essence
entirely distinct from the body; they call it "Ochechag," and appear to
supply to it the qualities which we refer to the soul. They believe that
it quits the body at the time of death and repairs to what they term "Chekechekchekawe;"
this region is supposed to be situated to the south and on the shores of
the great ocean. Previous to arriving there they meet with a stream
which they are obliged to cross upon a large snake that answers the
purpose of a bridge; those who die from drowning never succeed in
crossing the stream; they are thrown into it and remain there forever.
Some souls come to the edge of the stream but are prevented from passing
by the snake that threatens to devour them: these are the souls of the
persons in a lethargy or trance. Being refused a passage, these souls
return to their bodies and reanimate them. They believe that animals
have souls and even that inorganic substances such as kettles etc., have
in them a similar essence."
In this land of souls all are treated according to
their merits. Those who have been good men are free from pain, they have
no duties to perform, their time is spent in dancing and singing and
they feed upon mushrooms which are very abundant The souls of bad men
are haunted by the phantom of the persons or things that they have
injured, thus if a man has destroyed much property the phantoms of the
wrecks of this property obstruct his passage wherever he goes, if he has
been cruel to his dogs or horses they also torment him after death. The
ghosts of those whom during his lifetime he wronged are there permitted
to avenge their injuries. They think that when a soul has crossed the
stream it cannot return to its body, yet they believe in apparitions and
entertain the opinion that the spirits of the departed will frequently
revisit the abodes of their friends in order to invite them to the other
world and to forewarn them of their approaching dissolution.
Stephen Powers in his valuable work so often quoted,
gives a number of examples of superstitions regarding the dead of which
the following relates to the Karok of California.
"How well and truly the Karok reverence the memory of
the dead is shown by the fact that the highest crime one can commit is
the "pet- chi-e-ri", the mere mention of the dead relative's name. It is
a deadly insult to the survivors and can be atoned for only by the same
amount of blood money paid for willful murder. In default of that they
will have the villain's blood. At the mention of his name the moldering
skeleton turns in his grave and groans. They do not like stragglers even
to inspect the burial place. They believe that the soul of a good Karok
goes to the 'happy western land' beyond the great ocean. That they have
a well grounded assurance of an immortality beyond the grave is proven,
if not otherwise, by their beautiful and poetical custom of whispering a
message in the ear of the dead. Believe that dancing will liberate some
relative's soul from bonds of death and restore him to earth"
According to the same author, when a Kelta dies a
little bird flies away with his soul to the spirit land. If he was a bad
Indian a hawk will catch the little bird and eat him up soul and
feathers, but if he was good he will reach the spirit land. Mr. Powers
also states that "The Tolowa share in the superstitious observance for
the memory of the dead which is common to the Northern Californian
tribes When I asked the chief Tahhokolli to tell me the Indian words for
'father' and 'mother' and certain others similar, he shook his head
mournfully and said 'all dead,' 'all dead,' 'no good.' They are
forbidden to mention the name of the dead, as it is a deadly insult to
the relatives," and that the "Mat-toal hold that the good depart to a
happy region somewhere southward in the great ocean, but the soul of a
bad Indian transmigrates into a grizzly bear, which they consider of all
animals the cousin-german of sin."
The Mosquito Indians of Central America studiously and
superstitiously avoid mentioning the name of the dead, in this regard
resembling those of our own country.
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Introduction to the Study of Mortuary Customs
Among the North American Indians
Native American Nations
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