Burial Ceremonies

"In the older days or a few years ago the Melungeons used to build a floorless house over a grave and put most of the persons personal belongings inside the house. The ground were carefully kept. They mourned their dead for years, and they would follow the body to the grave, sometimes for miles a foot and in single file."

This note is unsigned note is attributed to the 19th century but its provenance is unclear to say the least. It is presented here strictly for what it is worth.

To see an image of the original note: Click Here.

Note: Although the claim is made by some authors, perhaps based on this note, the grave houses described above were definitely not peculiar to the Melungeons but are found throughout the South.

For an MHS Blog entry on grave houses: Click Here.