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178 BUEEAU OF AMERICAN" ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 103
illi (dead) cholipa (meat). That is, meat for the dead man; or, more properly,
meat for the obsequies of the dead man.
To this celebration, or last commemoration [of] the dead, when all had
assembled, the Fabussa halulli, (the same Fabussa Sholih who had set up
the poles) under the command of the Hattak iti i miko (the same who bore
and set up the long pole upon which was attached the hoops and flag) slowly
and silently marched in solemn procession to the grave and pulled up the poles,
and carried them off together with the hoops and concealed them in a secret
place in the forest where they were left to return to dust forever undisturbed.
As soon as the Fabussa Hallulli had disposed of the poles and hoops, preparations
were begun for the finale—a feast and the grand Aboha hihlah, home
dancing; or dancing home of the deceased good man to the land of plenty
and happiness, and the bad man to the land of scarcity and suffering.
The festivities continued during the day and the night following the polepulling.
On the next morning all returned to their respective homes ; and
from that day he or she of the grave became a thing of the past, whose
names were to be mentioned no more. And they were not.'*
II
The mode of burial practiced by the Choctaws consisted in placing the corpse
five or six feet from the gTound upon a platform of rough timber made for
that purpose, covered with a rough kind of cloth of their own making, or skins
of wild animals and bark of trees. After remaining in that condition until
the flesh had very nearly or altogether decayed, the bones were then taken
down by the bone-pickers (persons appointed for that duty) ^ and carefully
put in wooden boxes made for that purpose, which were placed in a house
built and set apart for them. These were called bone-houses; whenever they
became full, the bones were all taken out and carefully arranged to a consider-
able height somewhat in the form of a pyramid or cone, and a layer of earth
put over them. This custom, which prevailed among many different tribes, is,
no doubt, the origin of the Indian mounds, as they are generally called, which
are found in various parts of the country, particularly in the states of Mississippi
and Alabama, formerly the home of the Choctaws. When the custom
of placing the dead upon platforms was abandoned, which met with strong
opposition, tliey buried their dead in a sitting posture in the grave ; around
the grave they set half a dozen red poles about eight feet high, and one about
fifteen feet high, at the top of which a white flag was fastened. The occupation
of the bone-pickers having been abolished, it then became their business to
make and set up red poles around the graves, and afterwards to remove them
at the expiration of the time of mourning, and hence they were called polepullers.
Tliey were respected by the people, and for less labor being imposed
upon them, they were pleased with the change in the burial of the dead. At
the pole-pulling, which as stated, was at the expiration of the time of mourning,
a vast collection of people would assemble to join in a general mourning. After
much food had been consumed they would disperse to their respective homes,
and the mourning relations would oil their hair and dress up as usual.'"
=»Cushiran, Hist. Inds., pp. 225-228; cf. Claiborne, Miss., i, pp. 488-489.
*" " One Iksa [moiety] piled the bones and buried the dead of another. No Iksa performed
these last offices to any of its own Iksa. Each had their bone-pickers— old men
being usually chosen for that purpose and were held in high esteem on account of their
age and office."—Israel Folsom in Cushman, p. 367.
*i Cushman, Hist. Inds., pp. 364-365.