File:Ridpath's Universal history - an account of the origin, primitive condition and ethnic development of the great races of mankind, and of the principal events in the evolution and progress of the (14770033082).jpg

Identifier: ridpathsuniversa08ridp (find matches)
Title: Ridpath's Universal history : an account of the origin, primitive condition and ethnic development of the great races of mankind, and of the principal events in the evolution and progress of the civilized life among men and nations, from recent and authentic sources with a preliminary inquiry on the time, place and manner of the beginning
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Ridpath, John Clark, 1840-1900
Subjects: World history
Publisher: Cincinnati : Jones
Contributing Library: University of Pittsburgh Library System
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
and of small dimen-sions. The sky was a roof which might the unseen powers did not carry with ita belief in retribution beyond the presentlife. Our aborigines looked forward toa future life of happiness and peace. 494 GREAT RACES OF MANKIND. That life was conceived as the perfectmodel of present existence. Whateverwas good and beautiful of the presentlife was to be continued to the warriorafter death. The Indian heaven con-sisted of a vast and beautiful country ofstreams and lakes and summer suns,fruits and flowers, and a limitless supplyof o-ame. The notion of the hereafterwas mixed and mingled with gross tween mankind and the lower animals.Our Red men showed their respect forthe dead of the tribe by funerals and theestablishment of burial grounds. Thesites of the latter were chosen with care.Beauty of situation and the character ofthe soil were considered, and the Indianburial places are, almost without excep-tion, in the most pleasing landscapes ofAmerica. High ground was selected;
Text Appearing After Image:
INDIAN BURIAL GROUND (A FAVORITE SITUATION). materialism. This was seen in theceremonies of Indian burial, at whichpains were nearly always taken to supplythe physical wants of the dead on hisjourney to the land of spirits—theKingdom of Ponemah. Like all men with whom we are ac-quainted the Indians had special regardRegard for the for the bodies of their dead,dead; burial We need hardly remark grounds and su- J perstitions. that this trait is one of the strong signs of discrimination be- sometimes mounds were produced withspecial reference to the deposition of thedead. The burial place was sacred. Itdoes not appear that one tribe in warfarewith another ever violated or profanedthese graves. Some of the Indians ex-posed their dead on platforms, thoughthe body in such cases was generallyprotected from birds and beasts. Theusual method was burial in the earth,and, as we have said, this act was ac-I companied with the deposition of relics NOR THERN A BORIGINES. —RELIGION. 495 and such

Note About Images