860 FOX MORTUARY CUSTOMS AND BELIEFS. [ELH. ANN. 40, 
put food on the fire. It is believed that if the adopted looks back, 
some relative of those adopting will soon die. If the adopted stum- 
bles, the same will happen. The rules for a widow to observe are 
nearly the same as for widowers. Yet after a man is released, he is 
released entirely. A woman is not. She must wait longer before 
getting married. As soon as women lose their husbands they 
unbraid their hair. For four days they have a feast for those who 
did the burying. The fourth day they comb her hair and braid it. 
And it must remain so till she is released. Till released the widow 
must not laugh nor wash her face. Nor dare she go about and talk 
much. She may talk decently to some women. She may not go any 
place where festivals, etc., are being held. She must not put on any 
clothing she wishes: it must be only the clothing which she receives 
from the relatives of her dead husband. If she wears out her moc- 
casins, she dare not patch them. It is proper for the man’s relatives 
to do so. In the morning for four days unreleased widows go east- 
ward quite a way, about 3 o'clock in the morning. They do this to 
get out of sight of their husbands. When walking they might know 
that some one was walking behind them; it would be the spirit of 
their dead husband. If they hear something they must not look 
back. Before releasing the widow the man’s relatives come over and 
change her clothing, and comb her hair. When they hold an adop- 
tion-feast for the man, at the same time, the same parties will prepare 
some goods for the widow. When the person to be adopted is called 
the widow is called at the same time. As they feed the one to be 
adopted the widow is also fed. It is the belief that the widow and 
her husband are eating together for the last time. The face of the 
widow is washed for the first time since the death of her husband, and 
her hair is combed. The widow will be on the bench opposite the 
man who is to be adopted. After this is done, both will be clad in 
finery. The widow goes out through the west door. Widows are 
then told that from that time onward they can dress better if they can 
afford it. When the widows go home they change their clothes and 
put on their old clothing to show their sorrow at the loss of their 
husbands. Formerly widows waited four years before remarrying; 
to-day they do not. If a widow dreams of her husband, especially 
if she dreams she is sleeping with him, she will die. As soon as a 
woman’s husband dies she is told to try to forget him. 
I also subjoin translations (by myself) of three Fox texts appur- 
tenant to Fox mortuary customs and beliefs, the first two written in 
the current syllabary by Alfred Kiyana and the last by Harry 
Lincoln. The Indian texts themselves were received too late to 
incorporate in the present volume. 
