Welcome back to our newest addition to the blog - Historical Tidbit Thursdays!
I'm really excited to be able to share my research, my favorite reference books, shows or movies I've seen that inspire, as well as my passion for history with you in a quicker and more regular way. My focus will be on my current WIP (Work in Progress) - a western romance fiction novel. So I hope you enjoy!!
This week I wanted to re-explore the Comanche's beliefs around death, burial and the afterlife. We delved into this topic back in January (https://wendyquest.blogspot.com/2018/01/historical-tidbit-thursdays-comanches_72.html) but this book has offered additional tidbits I'd love to share with you. Also, keep in mind, a lot of my research is heavily focused on the late 19th century so some of the beliefs might be different in this time period than in the early (Nermernuh) periods.
The death of a family's hunter greatly affected their food supply (meat) and therefore their own survival.
Corpses were ritually painted and dressed and buried with their possessions, which would be used by the dead in the afterlife.
Mourning practices included howling, shrieking, withdrawing, and long-drawn out grief. (If you've seen the "Dances with Wolves" movie, the female character, Stands with a Fist, has just gone through a long grieving period after losing her husband.)
Unnatural behavior was punishable by death (such as women engaging in incestual relationships).
The life of the nomads was a harsh one. Anyone considered weak (such as a deformed infant) was left to die. Many children died young. Elderly men or women who could no longer make the march would walk off to die in privacy. Likewise, suicide was common.
Source:
Comanches: The Destruction of a People by T.R.Fehrenbach; ISBN#0-306-80586-3
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