have
undoubted evidence that it was also practiced, among the more eastern
ones. This rite may be considered as peculiarly interesting from its
great antiquity, for Tegg[47] informs us that it reached as far back as
the Theban war, in the account of which mention is made of the burning
of Menoeacus and Archemorus, who were contemporary with Jair, eighth
judge of Israel. It was common in the interior of Asia, and among the
ancient Greeks and Romans, and has also prevailed among the Hindoos up
to the present time. In fact, it is now rapidly becoming a custom among
civilized people.

While there is a certain degree of similarity between the performance of
this rite among the people spoken of and the Indians of North America,
yet, did space admit, a discussion might profitably be entered upon
regarding the details of it among the ancients and the origin of the
ceremony. As it is, simple narrations of cremation in the country, with
discursive notes and an account of its origin among the Nishinams of
California, by Stephen Powers,[48] seem to be all that is required at
this time:

The moon and the coyote wrought together in creating all things that
exist. The moon was good, but the coyote was bad. In making men and
women, the moon wished to so fashion their souls that when they died
they should return to the earth after two or three days as he
himself does when he dies. But the coyote was evil disposed and said
this should not be; but that when men died their friends should burn
their bodies and once a year make a great mourning for them and the
coyote prevailed. So, presently when deer died, they burned his
body, as the coyote had decreed and after a year they made a great
mourning for him. But the moon created the rattlesnake and caused it
to bite the coyote's son, so that he died. Now, though the coyote
had been willing to burn the deer's relations, he refused to burn
his own son. Then the moon said unto him, "This is your own rule.
You would have it so, and now your son shall be burned like the
others." So he was burned, and after a year the coyote mourned for
him. Thus the law was established over the coyote also, and, as he
had dominion over men, it prevailed over men likewise.

This story is utterly worthless for itself, but it has its value in
that it shows there was a time when the California Indians did not
practice cremation, which is also established by other traditions.