Melrath: Traditions and Holidays

Burial

Melrathi primarily practice cremation when disposing of their dead. This is considered the only way in which to properly “free” the soul from the body so that the departed can travel to the world of spirits.

The poor, middle class, and wealthy of the nation all practice this tradition slightly differently. If money is short most will simply burn the dead in a shallow open grave where it is easy to pile wood and straw around the corpse in order to burn it. Typically the grave is filled in to cover the ashes once the cremation is complete.

In the middle class many will either burn their loved one’s remains on a pyre that has been constructed by the family members or on a boat that is put out to sea. These pyers are typically at least as tall as a small person and can be decorated with trinkets and banners to celebrate the life of the deceased.

The wealthy of Melrath are unique in that they practice what they call “sky burials”. As one would guess these funerals take place high in the air, either on specially built towers in Raelia or in the Melrathi Mountains. Admittance to the funerary towers can be costly and only the aristocracy can afford the luxury. Those with exceedingly excessive wealth will pay to have their loved one’s remains transported to the peak of a mountain where they will be burned on an opulently decorated pyre. This tradition is based on an ancient practice of burning bodies in as an high an elevation as is possible because of an old belief that this will place the souls of the dead closer to the spirit realm.

Unique Burials:

Verimeer: The Dwynmer of Verimeer are not as sentimental as other races but they do have a simple ritual for their dead. The family of the deceased Mer will colorfully paint the body of the dead before delivering it to the deepest depths of the Dwynmer Lochs. There the body is left, given as a tribute for the Induk that resides in those cold waters.

Vorkund: The people of Vorkund are a hardy and sensible group. As this is the case they believe that nothing should be wasted, not even the bodies of their dead. Funerals are known as “Returning to the Mountain” where the dead are taken far onto the glacier beneath the shadow of Mount Ymir’s peak and wrapped loveling in a woven funerary shroud. During the funeral the family and friends will say their goodbyes and afterwards will leave the body simply to be fed upon by animals and other scavengers. This is their way of “returning” the body to the mountain itself. Typically during the night the body vanishes, presumably carried off by wolves,coyotes or other such creatures.