In 1636 Jean De Brebeuf, a Jesuit priest, lived at the village of Ihonatiria, in the nation of the Huron. This village was near the Georgian Bay or Lake Huron, Canada. He described the burial ceremonies of the Huron. His account is extremely interesting. These ceremonies were those or the ancient Wyandot, and the follow­ing description of them, is condensed from the relation or Father Brebeuf, dated July 16. 1636. Slight changes have been made in the text. There are some omissions, and some variations from the original punctuation.

Our savages are not savages as regards the duties which nature herself requires us to render to the dead. They do not yield in this respect to nations much more civilized. You would say that all their labor and efforts were for scarcely anything but to amass means of honoring the dead. They have nothing too valuable for this purpose. They devote to this use the robes, the hatchets, and the shell beads in such quantities that you would think to see them, on these occasions, that they were considered of no great value, yet they are all the riches of the country. You may often see them in mid­ winter almost entirely naked, while they have good and fine robes in their chests, which they are keeping in reserve for the dead. This is, indeed, their point of honor. It is on this occasion especially that they wish to appear magnificent. But I speak here only of their peculiar funerals.

These good people are not like many Christians, who cannot suffer death to be spoken of, and who, in a mortal sickness, hesitate to break the news to the sick one for fear or hastening his death. Here, when the recovery of anyone is despaired of, not only do they not hesitate to tell him that his end is near, but they even prepare in his presence all that is necessary for the burial. They often show him the shroud, the hose, the shoes, and the girdle which he is to wear. Fre­quently they are enshrouded, after their custom, before they have expired, and they hold a feast of farewell to their friends, during which they sing, sometimes without showing any apprehension of death, which they regard very indifferently, considering it only as a change to a life very little different from this.

As soon as the dying man has drawn his last breath, they arrange the body in the same position that is to be preserved in the tomb; they do not lay it out horizontally, as is our custom, but crouched, like a ball. Until this time they restrain their mourning. After having performed these duties, all in the cabin begin to utter sighs, groans, and lamentations. No one seeing them thus weeping and mourn­ing would think that they were only ceremonial lamentations. They blend their voices all in one accord and in a lugubrious tone, until some one in authority calls for peace. At once they cease, and the chief hastens to announce through all the cabins that such a one is dead. Upon the arrival of the friends they resume their mourning. Frequently some one of more importance will begin to speak and will console the mother and the children, now extolling the deceased, praising his patience, his kindness, his liberality, his magnificence, and, if he was a warrior, his great courage; now saying, “What do you wish? There is no longer any remedy; it was necessary for him to die; we are all subject to death”; and then, “He lingered a very long time,” etc. It is true that on this occasion they do not lack for conversation. I am sometimes surprised to see them discourse a long time on this subject, and bring up, with much discretion, all considerations that may afford any consolation to the friends of the deceased.

Notice is also given of this death to the friends who lived in other villages, and as each family employs another who has the care of their dead, they come as soon as possible to give orders about everything and to fix the day of the funeral. They usually inter the dead on the third day. In the morn­ing the chief gives an order that kettles shall be boiled for the deceased throughout the village. No one spares his best efforts. They do this, in my opinion, for three reasons: first, to console each other, for they exchange dishes among themselves, and scarcely any one eats out of the kettle he has prepared; secondly, on account of the arrival of those of other villages, who often come in large numbers; lastly, and prin­cipally, to gratify the soul of the deceased, who, they think, takes pleasure in eating his share. All the kettles being emptied, or at least distributed, the chief informs all the village that the body is to be carried to the cemetery. All the people assemble in the cabin. The mourning is renewed, and those who have charge of the funeral prepare a litter upon which the body is placed, laid upon a mat, and wrapped in a robe of beaver skin. They then raise it and carry it by the four corners. All the people follow in silence to the cemetery.

There is in the cemetery a tomb made of bark and raised on four stakes of from eight to ten feet in height. While the body is placed in this and the bark is trimmed, the chief makes known the presents that have been given by the friends. In this country, as well as in others, the most agreeable con­solations for the loss of relatives are always accompanied by presents, which consist of kettles, hatchets, beaver skins, and necklaces of shell beads. If the deceased was of some impor­tance in the country, not only the friends and neighbors but even the chiefs of other villages will come in person to bring their presents. Now, all these presents do not follow the body into the tomb; a necklace of beads is sometimes placed on its neck, and near it a comb, a gourdful of oil, and two or three small loaves of bread; that is all. A large part of them goes to the relatives to dry their tears; the rest is given to those who have had charge of the funeral, to pay them for their trouble. They also keep in reserve some robes or hatchets to make presents to the young men. The chief places in the hand of one of them a stick about a foot long, offering a prize to anyone who will take it from him. They throw themselves headlong upon him and remain engaged in the contest sometimes for an hour. After this each one returns peaceably to his cabin.

I forgot to say that generally throughout the ceremony the mother or wife stands at the foot of the sepulcher, calling the deceased, singing, or rather lamenting, in mournful tones.

These ceremonies are not always all observed; those who die in war they place in the ground, and the relatives make presents to their patrons, if they have any, which is generally the case in this country, to encourage them to raise soldiers and avenge the death of the warrior.

When the funeral is over, the mourning does not cease; the wife continues it all the year for her husband, the husband for the wife; but the grand mourning itself lasts only ten days. During this time they remain lying on their mats wrapped in their robes, with their faces against the earth, without speak­ing or replying to those who come to visit them. They do not warm themselves in winter or eat warm things; they do not go to the feasts or go out, save at night, for what they need; they cut a lock of their hair from the back of the head and declare that it is not without deep sorrow, especially when the husband performs this ceremony on the death of his wife or the wife on the death of her husband. Such is the great mourning.

The lesser mourning lasts all the year. When they wish to visit any one, they do not salute them, neither do they grease their hair. The women do this, however, when commanded to do so by their mothers, who have at their disposal their hair, and even their persons. It is also their privilege to send their daughters to the feasts, without which several will not go. What I think strange is that during the whole year neither the wife nor the husband marries again, else they would cause themselves to be talked about in the country.

The sepulchers are not perpetual, as their villages are only permanent for some years, as long as the wood lasts. The bodies remain in the cemeteries only until the feast of the dead, which usually takes place every twelve years. During this time they do not neglect to honor the dead often. From time to time kettles are boiled for their souls throughout the village, as on the day of the funeral, and their names are revived as often as possible. For this purpose presents are given to the chiefs to be given to him who will consent to take the name of the deceased. And if the latter was of consideration and had been esteemed in the country during his life, he who represents him, after giving a grand feast to all the people of the country, to introduce himself under this name, raises a body of free young men, and goes to war to accomplish some brave feat which will show to the nation that he has not only inherited the name but also the bravery and courage of the deceased.

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