﻿fletchek 
  laflesche] 
  DEATH 
  AND 
  BURIAL 
  CUSTOMS 
  

  

  593 
  

  

  they 
  sang 
  in 
  unison 
  the 
  funeral 
  song— 
  the 
  only 
  one 
  of 
  its 
  kind 
  

   in 
  the 
  tribe. 
  The 
  contrast 
  between 
  the 
  bleeding 
  singers 
  and 
  the 
  

   blithe 
  major 
  cadences 
  of 
  the 
  song, 
  suggestive 
  of 
  birds, 
  sunshine, 
  and 
  

   the 
  delights 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  air, 
  throws 
  light 
  on 
  the 
  Omaha 
  belief 
  

   relative 
  to 
  death 
  and 
  to 
  song. 
  "Music," 
  it 
  was 
  explained, 
  "can 
  

   '.each 
  the 
  unseen 
  world 
  and 
  carry 
  thither 
  man's 
  thought 
  and 
  aspira- 
  

   tion. 
  The 
  song 
  is 
  for 
  the 
  spirit 
  of 
  the 
  dead; 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  cheer 
  him 
  as 
  he 
  

   goes 
  from 
  his 
  dear 
  ones 
  left 
  behind 
  on 
  the 
  earth; 
  so, 
  as 
  he 
  hears 
  the 
  

   voices 
  of 
  his 
  friends, 
  their 
  glad 
  tones 
  help 
  him 
  to 
  go 
  forward 
  on 
  his 
  

   inevitable 
  journey." 
  The 
  song 
  was 
  therefore 
  addressed 
  directly 
  to 
  

   the 
  spirit 
  of 
  the 
  death 
  Of 
  the 
  ceremonial 
  it 
  was 
  further 
  explained 
  

   that 
  "the 
  shedding 
  of 
  the 
  blood 
  was 
  for 
  the 
  mourners: 
  they 
  were 
  

   to 
  see 
  in 
  it 
  an 
  expression 
  of 
  sorrow 
  and 
  sympathy 
  for 
  the 
  loss 
  

   that 
  had 
  come 
  to 
  them." 
  The 
  cutting 
  of 
  the 
  flesh, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  

   already 
  stated, 
  was 
  a 
  common 
  method 
  of 
  indicating 
  grief. 
  There 
  

   was 
  a 
  custom 
  that 
  obtained 
  among 
  the 
  Omaha 
  which 
  also 
  referred 
  

   to 
  the 
  belief 
  that 
  sound 
  could 
  reach 
  the 
  dead; 
  hence 
  wailing 
  had 
  to 
  

   cease 
  after 
  a 
  time, 
  for 
  the 
  reason 
  that 
  "the 
  departing 
  one 
  must 
  not 
  

   be 
  distressed 
  as 
  he 
  leaves 
  his 
  earthly 
  home 
  behind 
  him, 
  since 
  he 
  is 
  

   obliged 
  to 
  go 
  forward 
  on 
  his 
  journey." 
  This 
  custom 
  is 
  consonant 
  

   with 
  the 
  meaning 
  of 
  the 
  music 
  of 
  the 
  funeral 
  song, 
  which 
  has 
  no 
  

   words, 
  only 
  vocables. 
  

  

  FUNERAL 
  SONG 
  

   (Sung 
  in 
  octaves) 
  Harmonized 
  by 
  J. 
  C. 
  Fillmore 
  for 
  interpretation 
  on 
  the 
  piano 
  

   Smoothly, 
  with 
  feeling 
  

  

  :_2—g-| 
  « 
  

  

  x 
  

  

  SS 
  

  

  tha 
  

  

  he 
  

  

  ha 
  

  

  m 
  

  

  ^=ps= 
  

  

  t 
  

  

  i 
  — 
  -z 
  P"*| 
  

  

  £ 
  

  

  pp 
  Taps 
  of 
  willow 
  sticks 
  

  

  -4—4- 
  

  

  E^glH 
  

  

  83993°— 
  27 
  etii 
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