Post by blackcrowheart on Jun 13, 2007 14:52:17 GMT -5
Death - Chinook
When a person dies who has many relatives, much property, and many slaves,
his relatives tie [dentalia] to his body. Two young men are selected to
prepare the corpse. If [the deceased] had a good canoe, he is placed into it
and it is put up. It is painted and two holes are made in its stern. The
people go down to the beach and wash and comb themselves. They cut their
hair--men, women, and children. After they have cut their hair, they take
other names. Women, men, and children change their names. Then the dentalia
of the deceased are distributed. His relatives take them as well as his
slaves and canoes. If the deceased liked one of his relatives [particularly]
he would say. "He shall take my wife after I am dead." If he had two wives
he speaks in this way to two persons. Now the women are taken to his
relatives. When a woman loves her husband and she is near her death, she
will say to her elder sister: "Your brother-in-law shall marry you;" or she
may say so to her younger sister. When an old man dies and his widow is
young, she is taken to his younger brother. In the same way [when and old
woman dies and her widower is young, he is given his wife's younger sister].
When there is a chief, he takes the [deceased chief's name a long time,
after the death of the latter]. His relative takes his name. Two people are
told to name him. Now two people give him the name. They are given much
property [for performing this service]. This is done when a man, a woman, or
a child is named. After a year the corpse is cleaned. Two young men are
hired, who also rearrange the canoe and paint it.
When a man dies who has a guardian spirit, his baton is placed next to the
canoe. When a shaman dies, his baton is placed next to the canoe. His rattle
of bear claws is hung on to the stern of the canoe. When he had a rattle
made of shell, it is hung in the same place. When a shaman has many
children, his baton is carried far into the woods. His rattle is carried
there also. When a brave dies, his headdress is placed on top of a pole near
his canoe burial. When he had a shell rattle, it is hung on to the canoe.
When a woman dies, only her coat is hung on the canoe burial.
When anybody takes the dentalia away from a corpse, the person who took them
is killed. When anybody makes fun of a canoe burial, and [the relatives of
the deceased] learn about it, he must give away many dentalia, else he is
killed. If he gives away many dentalia he is not killed.
When the child of a chief dies, he becomes very sad. He says to his
relatives: "Let us go to the chief of that town." The chief tries to please
him. Now the people go to another town. Then he is given three slaves,
canoes, and dentalia by the chief whom he visits. He receives many dentalia.
He distributes all these dentalia and canoes among his relatives. He keeps
only two slaves. If [the chief of] that town does not give him any dentalia
they fight. Many people are killed, and now a feud originates. When a
relative [of the chief] who has given dentalia dies, he assembles all his
relatives and goes to the man whom he had given dentalia. Now the same is
done [as before]. They give him slaves, dentalia, and canoes. His heart
becomes glad.
When a chief dies, his relatives are sad. They speak to each other and go to
war. They kill the chief of another town.
When a person has been killed, an old man who has a guardian spirit is asked
to work over the murderer. The old man takes coal and mixes it with grease.
He puts it onto the face [of the murderer]. He gives him a head ring of
cedar bark. Cedar bark is also tied around his ankles and knees and around
his wrists. For five days he does not drink water. He does not sleep, and
does not lie down. He always, stands. At, night he walks about and whistles
on bone whistles. He always says ä ä ä. For five days he does not wash his
face. Then on the next morning the old man washes his face. He takes off
that coal. He removes the black paint from his face. He puts red paint on
his face. A little coal is mixed with the red paint. The old man puts this
again on to his face. Sometimes this is done by an old man, sometimes by an
old woman. The cedar bark which was tied to his legs and arms is taken off
and buckskin straps are tied around his arms and his legs. Now, after five
days he is given water. He is given a bucket, out of which he drinks. Now
food is roasted for him, until it is burned. When it is burned black it is
given to him. He eats standing. He takes five mouthsful, and no more. After
thirty days he is painted with new red paint. Good red paint is taken. Now
he carries his head ring and his bucket to a spruce tree and hangs it on top
of the tree. [Then the tree will dry up.] People never eat in company of a
murderer. He never eats sitting, but always standing. When he sits down [to
rest] he kneels on one leg. The murderer never looks at a child and must not
see people while they are eating.
When a woman's husband dies she becomes a widow. Then she goes up the river.
[There she stays] sometimes one day, sometimes two days. She bathes. For
thirty days she does not eat fresh food. She also does not look at a child
or at a sick person. She bathes every day. She rubs her body with
sweet-smelling herbs. She never wears a good blanket. Her blanket is always
bad. For one year she must not laugh. Then her dead husband's relatives tell
her: "Now be glad; your brother-in-law will marry you;" then she puts on a
good blanket. When she laughs shortly after becoming a widow, her husband's
relatives are not pleased. When she marries again quickly, they ask a shaman
to send disease to her and she dies. When a widow has a child which is
small, her dead husband's relatives say to her soon: "Now be glad," and,
indeed, she gets glad.
Chinook Texts, by Franz Boas; U.S. Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin
no. 20; US Government Printing Office; [1894] and is now in the public
domain.
When a person dies who has many relatives, much property, and many slaves,
his relatives tie [dentalia] to his body. Two young men are selected to
prepare the corpse. If [the deceased] had a good canoe, he is placed into it
and it is put up. It is painted and two holes are made in its stern. The
people go down to the beach and wash and comb themselves. They cut their
hair--men, women, and children. After they have cut their hair, they take
other names. Women, men, and children change their names. Then the dentalia
of the deceased are distributed. His relatives take them as well as his
slaves and canoes. If the deceased liked one of his relatives [particularly]
he would say. "He shall take my wife after I am dead." If he had two wives
he speaks in this way to two persons. Now the women are taken to his
relatives. When a woman loves her husband and she is near her death, she
will say to her elder sister: "Your brother-in-law shall marry you;" or she
may say so to her younger sister. When an old man dies and his widow is
young, she is taken to his younger brother. In the same way [when and old
woman dies and her widower is young, he is given his wife's younger sister].
When there is a chief, he takes the [deceased chief's name a long time,
after the death of the latter]. His relative takes his name. Two people are
told to name him. Now two people give him the name. They are given much
property [for performing this service]. This is done when a man, a woman, or
a child is named. After a year the corpse is cleaned. Two young men are
hired, who also rearrange the canoe and paint it.
When a man dies who has a guardian spirit, his baton is placed next to the
canoe. When a shaman dies, his baton is placed next to the canoe. His rattle
of bear claws is hung on to the stern of the canoe. When he had a rattle
made of shell, it is hung in the same place. When a shaman has many
children, his baton is carried far into the woods. His rattle is carried
there also. When a brave dies, his headdress is placed on top of a pole near
his canoe burial. When he had a shell rattle, it is hung on to the canoe.
When a woman dies, only her coat is hung on the canoe burial.
When anybody takes the dentalia away from a corpse, the person who took them
is killed. When anybody makes fun of a canoe burial, and [the relatives of
the deceased] learn about it, he must give away many dentalia, else he is
killed. If he gives away many dentalia he is not killed.
When the child of a chief dies, he becomes very sad. He says to his
relatives: "Let us go to the chief of that town." The chief tries to please
him. Now the people go to another town. Then he is given three slaves,
canoes, and dentalia by the chief whom he visits. He receives many dentalia.
He distributes all these dentalia and canoes among his relatives. He keeps
only two slaves. If [the chief of] that town does not give him any dentalia
they fight. Many people are killed, and now a feud originates. When a
relative [of the chief] who has given dentalia dies, he assembles all his
relatives and goes to the man whom he had given dentalia. Now the same is
done [as before]. They give him slaves, dentalia, and canoes. His heart
becomes glad.
When a chief dies, his relatives are sad. They speak to each other and go to
war. They kill the chief of another town.
When a person has been killed, an old man who has a guardian spirit is asked
to work over the murderer. The old man takes coal and mixes it with grease.
He puts it onto the face [of the murderer]. He gives him a head ring of
cedar bark. Cedar bark is also tied around his ankles and knees and around
his wrists. For five days he does not drink water. He does not sleep, and
does not lie down. He always, stands. At, night he walks about and whistles
on bone whistles. He always says ä ä ä. For five days he does not wash his
face. Then on the next morning the old man washes his face. He takes off
that coal. He removes the black paint from his face. He puts red paint on
his face. A little coal is mixed with the red paint. The old man puts this
again on to his face. Sometimes this is done by an old man, sometimes by an
old woman. The cedar bark which was tied to his legs and arms is taken off
and buckskin straps are tied around his arms and his legs. Now, after five
days he is given water. He is given a bucket, out of which he drinks. Now
food is roasted for him, until it is burned. When it is burned black it is
given to him. He eats standing. He takes five mouthsful, and no more. After
thirty days he is painted with new red paint. Good red paint is taken. Now
he carries his head ring and his bucket to a spruce tree and hangs it on top
of the tree. [Then the tree will dry up.] People never eat in company of a
murderer. He never eats sitting, but always standing. When he sits down [to
rest] he kneels on one leg. The murderer never looks at a child and must not
see people while they are eating.
When a woman's husband dies she becomes a widow. Then she goes up the river.
[There she stays] sometimes one day, sometimes two days. She bathes. For
thirty days she does not eat fresh food. She also does not look at a child
or at a sick person. She bathes every day. She rubs her body with
sweet-smelling herbs. She never wears a good blanket. Her blanket is always
bad. For one year she must not laugh. Then her dead husband's relatives tell
her: "Now be glad; your brother-in-law will marry you;" then she puts on a
good blanket. When she laughs shortly after becoming a widow, her husband's
relatives are not pleased. When she marries again quickly, they ask a shaman
to send disease to her and she dies. When a widow has a child which is
small, her dead husband's relatives say to her soon: "Now be glad," and,
indeed, she gets glad.
Chinook Texts, by Franz Boas; U.S. Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin
no. 20; US Government Printing Office; [1894] and is now in the public
domain.