SWANTON] INDIAN TRIBES OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 325 



The only specific reference by an early writer to the mortuary cus- 

 toms of this tribe is by La Source, who says : " They inter their dead, 

 and the relations come to weep with those of the house, and in the 

 evenino- they weep over the grave of the departed and make a fire 

 there and pass their hands over it, crying out and weeping." 



Accounts of the modern ceremonies were obtained from different 

 sources by Doctor Gatschet and the writer, and the following is an at- 

 tempt to weave them together: 



The body of a dead person was kept for one day and then interred, 

 many persons making speeches on the occasion. The corpse was laid 

 with its head toward the east, which the Tunica chief told the writer 

 was simply *' their way of burying," the reason having evidently been 

 forgotten. For four successive nights thereafter a fire was lighted 

 at the head, as Gatschet's informant explained, to keep away the bad 

 spirits who sat in that direction for the same period. During that 

 time the people watched the grave and fasted, and on the morning 

 of the day after the fourth, just before daybreak, all, both old and 

 young, went to plunge four times in water. By that time the soul 

 was satisfied and had " gone up." Then all reassembled in the house 

 from which the burial had taken place and breakfasted together, eat- 

 ing white dumplings and the fresh meat of large geese. Then the 

 principal speaker delivered an address, after which he made all put 

 on mourning, he himself and the other near relations wearing it for 

 six months and the father and mother of the deceased for one year. 

 A mourning garb is thought not to have been known before the peo- 

 ple " learned how to pray;" i. e., before Christianity Avas introduced, 

 which seems proljable. During their da^s of mourning, people did 

 not eat or drink until noon. 



Cemeteries were placed on hills in the open country, and because 

 spirits were believed to dwell around them the protection of each 

 cemetery was intrusted to one man. Each new A^ear the guardian said 

 to all those who had ripe corn : '^ Ripe corn must be thrown on the 

 cemetery ! Eijje beans must be thrown on the cemetery!" Then all 

 went to work to collect their corn and beans and place them there. This 

 took three or sometimes four days, and at the same time, evidently 

 in later 3'ears, they cut the cemetery grass. These last statements are 

 according to Gatschet's informant. The Tunica chief only stated that 

 a second fast, called the " corn fast " [fete du hie), took place for the 

 benefit of the dead at the time when the little corn had just become 

 good to eat. The ears were roasted close to the fire and then placed in 

 a saucer at the head of the grave. Before this time a " sign," which 

 in later times was probably a cross, had been made by a par- 

 ticular person who always performed this office and placed at the 



" Shea, Early Voy. Miss., 81. 



