GONDORIAN FUNERAL CUSTOMS

Deena McKinney: 103 Deer Creek Drive, Athens GA 30607, USA ([email protected])

©1997 Deena McKinney; first published in Other Hands 19.

Most every culture has a way to deal with death. For some people, the flesh has no meaning once the spirit has fled. For others, the body that remains after death requires special care to ensure the persistence of memory. This is an overview of funeral customs in Gondor; a brief story begins each step in the process, giving an illustration of culture and belief in action.

Guarding the Body

Elbrith watched with heavy eyes and dead heart as a silken sheet settled across the body of her friend. Guarding the sodden mass that was once Melian Celebduriel, Elbrith leaned on a staff, motionless, waiting for the arrival of those who would care for her friend's body. And watching the blood seeping slowly through the cloth, the snow white silk brightening with color, Elbrith recalled with a flutter in her breast that the crimson stains matched those of the exquisite gown Melian wore the night they first met, at the Queen's Ball.

Whenever a person dies among the Dúnedain, a guardian must keep the corpse safe from any looters and defilers. The guard stands a post of honor at the body, wherever it may lie, until the embalmers claim it. In times of war, a commanding officer or any available family member will undertake the duty if at all possible. In times of peace, a close friend, brother or sister usually serves as guardian.

The Cleaning and Embalming of the Body

Elbrith nodded silently to the two men in somber robes carrying away the body of her friend. They had traveled all the way from Minas Tirith to take Melian into their care, for she was to rest in the cold tombs of her family just north of the city. Slowly and deliberately, Elbrith knelt and wiped away as much of the bloodstains on the stone floor as she could. "The first time," she thought. "The first time in the cold north where we battled many foes, I saw my friend's blood spilled, and I felt sure it would be the last..."

The art of embalming is a respected profession in Gondor. The people of this land take the notion of enduring most seriously—if Death is Eru's gift to the mortal spirit, then so to shall mortal flesh endure it. The Embalmers Guild of Minas Tirith has representatives all over the kingdom. In case of more primitive circumstances or instances where an embalmer is not available, most Gondorians choose to cremate their dead to prevent any desecration to the body.

The Lying In State

The mourners passed by like a silent host, looking in wonder at the still corpse of Melian, beautiful in death as in life. Elbrith sat on a bench nearby, nodding respectfully as they swept past. Most of the people had familiar faces; some were from recent memory at Faelind's estate. Others looked different without their gleaming armor. Elbrith suppressed a giggle laced with need for wild release of emotion as she realized that more than one of these fine captains had a scar on his body from her now broken sword. Still others she saw reminded her of dark days in the city of Shrel Kain, where she had unwillingly served in the Gondorian army with Melian...

Gondorians consider it absolutely necessary for the living to have a chance to say farewell to their friends. Likewise, paying tribute to the deceased and his or her family is a mark of respect. Lying in state may often take several weeks to allow the friends and relatives to receive word and travel to the location of the funeral. Thus again the important role of the embalmer comes into play. Such times also allow, as shallow as it may seem, old acquaintances to be renewed and new bargains and deals and rumors to be struck and exchanged, particularly among the most powerful Gondorian families.

The Ceremony of Departure

Faelind's face was as cold and grey as the stones in the walls as the crowd assembled in the main hall of his elegant home. Elbrith found it hard to look at him overlong, lest her own pain cease to be quelled in her breast. She clung tightly to Torfir's hand, more grateful than she could express that her favorite captain and longtime bodyguard had managed to find his way up the Anduin into the city. Then, Faelind's voice rang out clearly through the hall.

"I come today to mark the departure of Melian, daughter of Lord Celebdur of Gondor, a mistress of horses and flowers, who leaves us behind to partake of Eru's gift that only mortal men may know."

And Elbrith saw the pain of Faelind's heart suppressed only lightly under the veneer of his silver surcoat. She silently cursed herself that so many years had been wasted for him and Melian while they performed their duties for the great stone city.

Once the mourners have assembled and paid their respects, a family member leads a simple ceremony marking the departure of the deceased to partake of Eru's gift. Usually, this is the closest male relative—a husband, father, elder brother or perhaps a commanding officer—who begins by recounting the life and death of the deceased. Others who wish to speak briefly on the life of the departed are also welcome to make presentation. It is at this time that noteworthy deeds are mentioned, and though no one is discouraged from displaying their feelings, this is more a time for tales of honor and glory than wailing and misery. Many Gondorians write poetry for such occasions to express their love and respect for the deceased.

Inscribing the "Stone of Life"

Elbrith sat alone in the great library of Celebdur's house in Minas Tirith, surrounded by books and tapestries and carpets. Yet even in this well-insulated room, she could still hear the faint ringing of a hammer as the stonemason tapped out Melian's life onto granite in the workroom, spilling memories of her childhood, her travels, her children and her love with his chisel. The stone of life was to detail all the remarkable events of one's days, yet Elbrith knew that the greatest deeds of Melian would be omitted forever...for what good daughter of the Minas Tirith would admit to saving lives of her enemies and seeking peace in war?

The carving of the stone of life is perhaps the most symbolic part of the Gondorian funeral ritual. For this, the family chooses a master stonemason; his or her task is to inscribe on a large stone (usually granite) the life and times of the departed. The finest carvings include pictures, poetry and even dialogue from the life of the deceased. The stone records all the most important moments the Gondorian experienced. Work on the stone usually begins immediately after death and is completed just before the ceremony of departure. No expense or effort is too great in the making of this stone, and even the poorest Gondorian makes sure funds set are aside for the carving of his or her stone. The symbolism is clear; Gondor is the epitome of an enduring realm, one that stands fast against all hardships. So shall the stone stand fast and ensure that the life of the departed is not forgotten.

The Interment

A cold wind blew over the hill outside the walls of Minas Tirith. The cloaks of mourners flapped in the wind like frantic gulls as the warder motioned the men carrying Lady Melian's body to lay it to rest in a small tunnel of rock, carved into the very side of the cliff. Elbrith did not shudder in the cold as so many of the others did, but instead stood stock still, her short black hair tangling in the breeze. She remembered another cold night when Melian wore her best gown, but it was an occasion for joy, not sorrow, where she at last clasped the hand of Sir Faelind Edhelion in her own for the plighting of troth.

When all mourners have gathered and the Stone of Life is ready, the embalmers place the dead person in a rock tomb to rest for one night in the open air before the Setting and Reading of the Stone. Poorer families settle for interring their dead in the earth, but if at all possible, burial on a rocky hillside is preferred. The internment involves relatively little ceremony and is a minor event compared to the Ceremony of Departure and the Setting and Reading of the Stone.

The Night Vigil

The mourners had departed, save for a lord and lady of the Dúnedain. Faelind gently touched Elbrith's arm. "Are you all right?" She nodded quickly, pulling a hood over her head to obscure her pale face.

"Just thinking of the night ahead, my friend." She pulled the broken hilt of Erelen from a sheath at her side. "I have nothing to guard her with. My sword is broken, and my honor departed. Perhaps I have no place here."

Faelind shook his head. "As long as you live, you will have honor. And this night, you shall wield her sword." He laid the gleaming blade of Norvegil across Elbrith's knees. "Do not leave my lady alone this dark night, Elbrith. Please." His voice was hoarse. And pulling his brow to her own, Elbrith nodded silently.

Unthinkable though it may be, wild animals and marauding thieves occasionally disturb the bodies of the dead during the night before the Setting and Reading of the Stone. It is customary for a dear friend of the departed or a soldier in service to the family to stand vigil over the body for this night. The family proper never participates in the night vigil, instead taking this evening to rest and prepare for the solemn ceremony of the next day, the Setting and Reading of the Stone. Legends speak of guardians who have sacrificed their own lives to ensure that the body of the deceased is protected at all costs as it rests in its tomb for the first time.

The Setting and Reading of the Stone

Elbrith had never been wearier in her entire life, but she listened with hope to the singsong voice reading in the dawn light. The stonemason spoke lovingly of a lady he only knew from words carved into dark granite. He spoke of life, not death, of joy rather than sorrow. His voice chanted the litany of a woman who wore many mantles, of lover, mother, warrior and friend. And as he finished, sealing the beautifully engraved stone over the opening to Melian's tomb with molten metals kept warm by his apprentice, Elbrith felt long pent-up tears splash hot on her cheeks, and at last said farewell to the truest friend of her heart.

The Setting and Reading of the Stone completes the Gondorian funeral ritual. This is a time for sorrow to cease and joy to begin, for the events of an individual's lifetime are celebrated forever with this part of the ceremony. The master mason sets the stone into the tomb with some precious metal and reads aloud the words he has carved. Mourners take heart from the accomplishments they hear and know that like Gondor, these memories will last forever in the carved stone.

Epilogue

Elbrith sat for a long time on the sea shore, hearing the cries of sailors and gulls mingling a ways down the coast at the edge of Pelargir. If only I could not have failed you, Melian! If only you had not been alone when our enemies struck! If only there was something to have been done! If only....

The seagulls' calls echoed her self-mockery. "If only..." they seemed to say. If only....what? "There was naught that could have saved her, and you did everything and more a friend could ask of a friend. Faelind lives. Their children live. If you wish to serve her still, you may do so through service to them. Get up! You have lost your home, your beloved lord and now your best friend. Yet Faelind and his children have lost even more, for while you are a mere exile, their lady is dead forever. To them, lady of the north! Recall the promise you shared with Melian in the hills of Arthedain when your eldest was less than a day old, more than seventeen summers ago! Remember and fulfill it!"

Elbrith stood then, brushing the sand from her gown. She walked with a quicker pace towards a ship in the harbor that waited to sail to the lands of the north. And a faint smile touched her lips as she picked up two perfectly matched shells for Faelind's twins and a silvery starfish for their noble father, a gift from the sea and beyond.