Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-09-27
Precaations to Prevent The Spirit Of
the Departed From Returnins--Fu-
neral Procession Of the shans-Queer
Belief Of the GiIiaks. h .=&. .5s


expedition. 1t is then cere-
moniously borne upon barge and
placed on a platform under dais.
The barge, followed by many little
boats, floats to the temple, where the
cremation is to take place.
At rich mans funeral tents are
erected within the precincts sof the
temple for the Indulgence sof games
and gambling, while wonderful the
atrical performances introducing mon
sters and other thrills entertain the
funeral guests, 5.G$ 4
Among the Shans the eldest son of
the deceased leads the funeral process
sion, a drawn sword in hand to ward
off evil spirits, while the other rela-
tives dance as they 60. Handkerchiefs,
umbrellas and yellow robes, presents
to the priest, give gala air to the
whole. Arrived at the grave, before
the coffin IS inferred, the sdeceased's
wife and children and his brothers
wives march impressively around the
bier with lighted candles. ''zSsa y
Unexpectedly we find one Of the ma
tive tribes of Australia bearing very
poetic conception Of spirit world
after death. Souls, they believe, as
cend to5a future place among the stars
by means of a rope. A meteorite is q
falling rope cast aside by a successful
climber, but should 1t burst with noise
the rope has broken. ist
A tribe In New South Wales has
legends prettily akin The Pleiades,
they explain, were young women Of
unusual beauty who, pursued by low
ers, climbed up into the sky by means
of the treetops, while the leader Of
the pursuers has become Orion.
The Burmese also show poetry Of
thought in their belief that the spirit
of man takes the form Of a butterfly
which wings its fight-whenever he is
asleep. declining to awaken him sud
denly s1for fear that his butterfly may
not return In time.'' L, 's
When Chin fOf Burma dies his
body, dressed. fully armed and boil
stored up in sitting posture, presides
over the entertainment given in his
honor, relatives and friends drinking,
dancing and singing songs in praise of
the number of heads he has taken,
the number Of slaves he has captured
and firing of their guns as they circle
round the poor deaf. dumb, dead crea-
ture Of their tribute. Tx. .s
The Karens Of Burma celebrate mar.
5riages and funerals together. E.&.}
I The body of the deceased is placed
on a bamboo platform in front of his
recent dwelling. Young men and maid.
ems form separate choruses on either
side of the remains One by one the
youths sing ardent love to the maiden
Of his fancy, who coquettishly sings
back discourag cement until finally won
When the general counting Is accom-
plished the young people withdraw
and the funeral rites proceed.
According to the belief Of the Giliaks
of Siberia, the soul passes from the
body of the dead master into that OF
his dog, who is surprised by all sorts
of dainty food until the guest within
is prayed out, when the poor animal
equally mystifed, is put to death on
his masters grave.
But in the glad, free days of print
tive savagery many tribes were moi
satisfied with so petty an offering as q
dog. They demanded human sacri
flee to grace their graves. B
Such were the Sakalaya of Madagas
car, and later when forced to modify
their views the poles erected around
their tombs were garishly decorated
with skulls and horns of cattle killed
at their funeral feasts.
The sign and symbol of the Malay
Sakai's belief In a life after death Is
crudeIy expressed in the custom OF
bnrying a tobacco box with the body
OF a man, a necklace with that Of 8
woman. But the ignorant fear Of the
body's pollution seems highly devel
oped, and the house of death is burned
down aud the site abandoned, even il
It means lost crop of sugar cane OF
tapioca.
Lying between the Malay peninsula
and Wales is q long sweep of map and
fertilization, but so remarkable a Gus
tom was followed in the latter country
within the memory Of men living to
day that we cannot pass IT BY un
chronicled.
This was the presence OF the sir
eater Mt funerals. Bread, beer and
cheese placed upon the corpse were
consumed by the sin eater, who thus
/ appropriated to himself the dalin
auencies symbolized by the yiands
and prevented them from destroying
the rest of the dead - Los Angeles
Times
Highest Elevator Service.
The highest elevator service in Thu