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36 Among the creeks, when one dies, the eyes are closed by the nearest relative, and then the corpse is washed all over with water or a purifying wash, made by boiling a certain root (enquire what root) willow root yu ur yoka. + On the death of a person the Cherokees mourned seven days. Every morning the whole company of mourners arose at day, & (after bathing) repaired to the grave, and there set up a most bitter mourning or wailing as already described--Neighbouring women often joined in this wailing, citation: Wm Chism. Women washed their hair, and let it hang loose as a token of mourning, sometimes two months or more, at least till others supposed they had mourned long enough, and then certain persons would go to them, comb & dress their hair, change their garments, etc. Now if it were a husband who had died, then friends of the widow would give strikeout: the widow her to his brother or nearest relative, unless very much opposed to him citation: G. Hicks, Grand mother. strike out: The Creeks also mourn seven days The great town priests always lived near the council house and were in it every night, or part of the night. Being purified by the priest soon after the burial, the mourners went into their house, put ashes on their hands, and wrapped themselves in an old cloth (literally a torn cloth or sackcloth) and sat down by the fire & thus mourned 7 days. citation: Deer in the Water.