The Burial of a British Chieftain (litho)

The Burial of a British Chieftain. Borne on a litter by his fellow chiefs, the body of a British chieftain is being carried to the scene of the last funeral rites. His tribesmen are thronged together on either side of the rough track, and Druid priests, in robes of white, lead the way. Arriving at the burial-place, a funeral pyre was lighted, and after cremation the ashes were placed in an urn, over which a barrow, or mound, was raised. The living symbolized their belief in a future existence by placing vessels containing food and drink, the necessaries of life, with the urn containing the ashes of the dead man. Illustration for Hutchinson's History of the Nations (Hutchinson, c.1920). Note: Image has been digitally enhanced to facilitate repro.