134 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 99 



known. The moment the moribund dies some one of the relatives 

 or friends present says: a^'skwuDfoa' (i. e., "he has ended"). 



In referring to the event a couple of hours after, the expression 

 Goli' ayo^*u*i' ("he was lost just now ") is used; whereas the next day 

 one says i;yo'*i;so°' ("he has been lost"). 



Between Death and Burial 



As soon as the moribund breathes his last a relative — usually a male 

 member of the family, as the father, the husband, or a brother- 

 forces the legs of the corpse down to a straight position and lays the 

 arms in such a position that the upper arms lie along the body, the 

 forearms over the stomach, one hand lying over the other on the 

 abdomen; it is immaterial which hand lies on top. 



It is usually a female relative — a wife, a mother, or a sister — who 

 closes the eyes and ties a (usually white) kerchief round the face and 

 under the chin to prevent the jaw from dropping. 



Then the body is washed. This is done by members of the same 

 sex as the deceased, but never by relatives. Relatives do not take 

 any part whatever in preparing the body for burial, or in disposing 

 of the corpse, apart from closing the eyes, straightening the limbs, 

 and tying the kerchief round the face. 



The corpse is dressed in the best clothes that are available, and that 

 must not necessarily have belonged to the succumbed person; a 

 brother, a sister, a friend may bring as a present a particularly fine 

 neckerchief, or even a valued coat or skirt, according to the sex of the 

 deceased, to dress the corpse in. 



A new hat, a new pair of shoes, a silver or gold trinket, are objects 

 which people are especially fond of dressing the corpse with. A de- 

 ceased woman is often given her favorite cup or saucer along with 

 her. These are never "killed." 



No food is put into the coffin with adults, but into that of babies 

 a bottle of milk is placed. 



If a woman dies immediately after parturition, and her baby dies 

 with her, the baby is placed in the right arm of the mother in the 

 coffin. 



On the breast of the corpse of an adult of either sex a little vessel 

 (a cup or a glass) of salt is placed. (PI, 9, b.) Of this custom not one 

 Cherokee can explain the reason; some vaguely hint that the salt 

 serves the purpose of preventing the flesh from decaying. This ex- 

 planation, however, as well as the custom itself, seems to me so foreign 

 to the Cherokee mind that I am inclined to see in this a borrowing 

 from the whites, either directly from traders, settlers, or mountaineers, 

 or through the mediacy of negro slaves. (Cf. Bucket, pp. 83, 87.) 



There are indications that in former times it was customary to 

 bury with the deceased some of the property belonging to him. A 



