BtrsSNELt] THE CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMB, LOUISIANA 27 



were permitted to do so. This closed the ceremony and then the 

 feasting and dancing began. 



The man continued to hve in his wife's village and their children 

 belonged to her ogla. 



By mutual agreement the two parties could separate and, in the 

 event of so doing, were at liberty to marry again. The man usually 

 returned to his own village, taking all his property with him. 



If a man died in his wife's village, even though he left children, 

 his brothers or other members of his ogla immediately took posses- 

 sion of all his property and carried it back to his native village. His 

 children, being looked on as members of another ogla, since they 

 belonged to their mother's family, were not considered as entitled to 

 any of this property. 



Death and Burial 



There appears to have been very little lamenting or mourning on 

 the occasion of a death or a burial. The body was borne to the grave 

 and the interment took place without a ceremony of any sort. In 

 the event of the death of a man of great importance, however, the 

 body was allowed to remain in state for a day before burial. During 

 that time it was decorated with various ornaments and garments, but 

 these were removed before interment. Such objects are said to have 

 been preserved and handed down from one generation to the next, 

 and used whenever required. 



Usually a hunter's gun was placed in the grave with the body. 



Mourning 



The period of mourning varied with the age of the deceased. For 

 a child or young person it was about three months, but for an older 

 person, as one's mother or father, from six months to one year. 



The women cut their hair and ''cried" at certain times near the 

 grave. 



When a person desired to cease mourning he stuck into the ground 

 so as to form a triangle three pieces of wood, each several feet in 

 length, about one foot apart. The tops of these sticks were drawn 

 together and tied with a piece of bright-colored cloth or ribbon. 

 This object was placed near the door or entrance of the lodge and 

 indicated to all that the occupant desired to cease mourning. 



During the next three days the mourners cried or wailed three 

 times each day — at sunrise, at noon, and at sunset. While wailing 

 they wrapped blankets around their heads and sat or knelt upon the 

 ground. During these three days the friends of the mourners 

 gathered and began dancing and feasting. At the expiration of the 

 time they ceased weeping and joined in the festivities, which con- 

 tinued another day. 



