Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Someone posted the link below on the Misty Mountain Rangers Facebook page a couple days back, and I in turn posted it to the Middle Earth Rangers page, but I figured I would put it up here because I think it's really cool (if perhaps a bit macabre), and I think it might make for an interesting discussion. Personally, I would love to see some of us try this sometime - doing a photoshoot depicting the burial rites of various Middle Earth cultures. Which brings up the question - what would a Dunedain burial look like? Or what about other cultures? Dwarves? Elves? Hobbits? Etc. Does Tolkien specify anything on the matter, other than the mounds and cairns of long-dead civilizations?

Anyway, here's a link to the original post:

https://imgur.com/a/c7WdE

Can't see the link at work (will check it out tonight), but Good question. Awhile back I asked Michael Martinez a similar question with regards to hobbits specifically--based solely on Sam's reference to 'grave-yard' in his troll song. His reply wasn't terribly helpful, but it did explore the idea a bit.

We know the Numenoreans had an 'egyptian' interest in preservation after death. Yet Elendil had a black stone tomb on Amon Anwar (UT 3:II), which Cirion later removed to the Hallows of Minas Tirith. It is then described as a "casket", which I suppose would be like, 8 feet long?

In LR BkV:Ch4, Denethor refers to "heathen kings before ever a ship sailed hither from the West" (i.e. the Pre-Numenorean indigenous) being cremated. He also orders his men to "send not for the embalmers", which suggests that embalming was still practiced in late 3A Gondor?

The Barrow-downs are a bit fiddly, since they date back to the First Age, but the barrow the hobbits are captured in was (apparently) the resting place of the Prince of Cardolan (early 1400s 3A). Was he laid to rest in an old barrow because it was already 'hallowed', or did they raise it specially for him? No clue.

We know the Rohirrim raise turf-covered mounds over their kings (at least).

We know the hobbits commemorate the fallen of Bywater by (in what I believe is 'Mannish' tradition) raising a large stone, and (in what I believe is a uniquely hobbitish observance) growing a garden around it.

(As memory serves) Dwarves don't bury their dead but as a rule build stone tombs instead. The aftermath of Azanulbizar being the striking exception, when due to time constraints they opted to build pyres for the fallen instead.

I picture the Orc ceremony as being a clan surrounding the dead orc and in single file from most important to least walking past the body and pissing on it. At least that's what we do in my tribe.





Couldn't resist. The original topic is interesting and I look forward to reading the comments.

Couldn't resist....

Peter Remling wrote:I picture the Orc ceremony as being a clan surrounding the dead orc and in single file from most important to least walking past the body and pissing on it. At least that's what we do in my tribe.





Couldn't resist. The original topic is interesting and I look forward to reading the comments.

I would assume that they eat their dead. And sometimes, their not-quite-dead-yet.....

Straelbora wrote:

Peter Remling wrote:I picture the Orc ceremony as being a clan surrounding the dead orc and in single file from most important to least walking past the body and pissing on it. At least that's what we do in my tribe.





Couldn't resist. The original topic is interesting and I look forward to reading the comments.

I would assume that they eat their dead. And sometimes, their not-quite-dead-yet.....

Surely the closest thing to orc ceremony would be fighting over the stuff that belonged to there dead

Udwin wrote:We know the Rohirrim raise turf-covered mounds over their kings (at least).

Perhaps intending to echo the burial mounds of the horse-bound Scythians and Tumulus/Kurgan cultures...

Kortoso wrote:

Udwin wrote:We know the Rohirrim raise turf-covered mounds over their kings (at least).

Perhaps intending to echo the burial mounds of the horse-bound Scythians and Tumulus/Kurgan cultures...

In rocky environments it's easier to build up than dig down. Covering the stone encasement with turf would mimic burying as soil would be covering the body.

I honestly forgot about this topic, but yeah, good thoughts! And the commentary on orc death rites is hilariously on-point, I think.