Symphonious with the melody, those in the room lifted their voices in chant.

The words of this hymn were simple.

They expressed no regret, no farewell, but rather a greeting to the new world whither the deceased had preceded the living.

Indeed, in their language, the funeral hymn is called the 'Birth Song.' Then the corpse, covered by a long cerement, was tenderly lifted up by six of the nearest kinfolk and borne towards the dark thing I have described.

I pressed forward to see what happened.