Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-12-16
How the Dead Are and Have Been Dis
posed or.

AMONG civilized Christian natons the
dead have always been consigned 10
Mother Earth In coffin or casket. In
fact we would never think, In our day,
that people would ever dream Of disposing
of the remains Of departed relations other
wise, were il not that we hear OF cremation
being advocated in certain quarters. Gre
nation. however, would not be new, ex-
cept among Christian nations.
Probably the first sepulcher, as the
earliest dwelling. place of man, was a cave.
Certainly the most ancient relics OF
humanity have been found In the cayerns
of the limestone formation And this
cave. burial, after coming 10 It's culminat
ing point in the ancient Egyptian polity--
whose pyramids and rock.tombs are but
AN artificial form of the cave--has survived
TO our own times, even among the most
civilized races. The vault and the caia.
comb are but varieties Of the cave, and,
supplemented M they are by various de-
vices for preserving the body from mai
dissolution, form an unbroken link
In human custom, connecting us alike
with the Empire Of the PhaTa0hs and
with the primitive caye-dwellers, The com
panions Of the bear, the rhinoceros, the
reindeer, and the hyena. IL IL evident,
however, that AS the human race spread
itself over other formations OF the earth's
surface these underground dwellings and
tombs which the waves had fashioned
countless ages before would not be avail
able. Other modes of disposing Of the
dead would suggest themselves; In the
first place simple sposurc--leaving the
body to be devoured by beasts and birds,
its elements "a be scattered 10 the four
winds. The Magiaps worshipers OF the
sun, one of the primitive human religions
adopted this method, which Is still fol
lowed by the disciples OF Zoroaster. But
they have refined upon the practice--con.
structing towers and platforms whereOn
the dead are exposed and their bleached
bones collected.
One of these Guebre cemeteries In the
neighborhood OF Teheran, made use Of by
the remnant of the old people and faith OF
Persia, Is thus described by Mr.. Mounsey
in his excellent book of Persian travel
"a low, round tower, perched up among
some dcsolate cTags--a circular building
about forty feet high and sixty feet in d.
ameter having neither doors nor win
dows Looking down from a neighboring
elevation we saw that on the top there
was platform of open iron grating,
wherein lay the body Of recently.de-
ceased disciple OF Zoroaster, and late
gardener TO the Persian mission" Sundry
tribes OF North American Indians follow
the same practice, exposing their dead
upon stages. And the custom may be
traced among certain primitive races OF
India. The Buddhist creed has originated
q similar usage. Some Of their priests
40.
bodies 10 be eaten by vultures after death
their bones 10 be reduced TO ashes and
used for manure for the gardens of the
poor--as typoof decentralization which
IL IL the aim OF the cultus OF Buddhism 10
secure for its disciples. The alter.
native, however, of burial, whether
by making AN excavation or a
grave, or by the more primitive
method OF heaping up stones and earth
over the body, laid upon the surface Of
the ground, has ever been the most uni
versally practiccd. Over the whole En-.
rupean continent the mounds and tumuli
OF earlier races rise In silent witness of
vanquished, forgotten people. But we
have not yet passed out OF the age Of the
tumulus builders. The nomad Tartars
still pile up cairns over their dead chief.
tains They also raise votive cairns which
they call "obons'- generally at the sum
NIT OF difficult passes; and similar Gus
tom Is ,raceable to this day among Semitic
races. Thus, DIR. Tristan tells US G" Land
Of Moab'D: Every traveller when he
first catches sight of the holy mountain
Mount HoD must according to custom
place there his stone OF witness. Even so
near home as Wales II IL the custom among
quarrymen, when comrade Is killed by
accident, 10 pile up small cairn on the
spot each passer.by contributing a stone.
The clods that are cast upon a coffin at a
funeral are no doubt a survival OF this an
cient practice. '--Englfsh Paper.