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134 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 99
known. The moment the moribund dies some one of the relatives
or friends present says: a^'skwuDfoa' (i. e., "he has ended").
In referring to the event a couple of hours after, the expression
Goli' ayo^*u*i' ("he was lost just now ") is used; whereas the next day
one says i;yo'*i;so°' ("he has been lost").
Between Death and Burial
As soon as the moribund breathes his last a relative—usually a male
member of the family, as the father, the husband, or a brother-
forces the legs of the corpse down to a straight position and lays the
arms in such a position that the upper arms lie along the body, the
forearms over the stomach, one hand lying over the other on the
abdomen; it is immaterial which hand lies on top.
It is usually a female relative— a wife, a mother, or a sister—who
closes the eyes and ties a (usually white) kerchief round the face and
under the chin to prevent the jaw from dropping.
Then the body is washed. This is done by members of the same
sex as the deceased, but never by relatives. Relatives do not take
any part whatever in preparing the body for burial, or in disposing
of the corpse, apart from closing the eyes, straightening the limbs,
and tying the kerchief round the face.
The corpse is dressed in the best clothes that are available, and that
must not necessarily have belonged to the succumbed person; a
brother, a sister, a friend may bring as a present a particularly fine
neckerchief, or even a valued coat or skirt, according to the sex of the
deceased, to dress the corpse in.
A new hat, a new pair of shoes, a silver or gold trinket, are objects
which people are especially fond of dressing the corpse with. A deceased
woman is often given her favorite cup or saucer along with
her. These are never "killed."
No food is put into the coffin with adults, but into that of babies
a bottle of milk is placed.
If a woman dies immediately after parturition, and her baby dies
with her, the baby is placed in the right arm of the mother in the
coffin.
On the breast of the corpse of an adult of either sex a little vessel
(a cup or a glass) of salt is placed. (PI, 9, b.) Of this custom not one
Cherokee can explain the reason; some vaguely hint that the salt
serves the purpose of preventing the flesh from decaying. This ex-
planation, however, as well as the custom itself, seems to me so foreign
to the Cherokee mind that I am inclined to see in this a borrowing
from the whites, either directly from traders, settlers, or mountaineers,
or through the mediacy of negro slaves. (Cf. Bucket, pp. 83, 87.)
There are indications that in former times it was customary to
bury with the deceased some of the property belonging to him. A