Rovian Funeral
A life on the sea, an afterlife in the sea
Introduction
"In the end, we're all going back to the sea. It's what you do before that that matters."
Due to the long decades of nomadizing through coasts and seas, the Rovers have acquired quite a few unique customs. Among these is their funeral rite, in which the deceased is cast into the sea to become one with its waters.
History
In the early times of the Rovian people, when they still had no fixed settlement, deaths at sea were a common event, be it for sickness, battles, or old age. As they were away from the land often for weeks or even months, a burying funeral was not an option, forcing them to dump the bodies into the sea.
As the Rovian culture evolved and began to take shape, the water and the sea began to have a very important role, almost as a deity of some kind. Dumping bodies into the sea shifted from a necessity to a desire, an honor, a funerary ritual. This eventually became the standard Rovian funeral, of which even those who have settled on land want for themselves when their time comes.
As the Rovian culture evolved and began to take shape, the water and the sea began to have a very important role, almost as a deity of some kind. Dumping bodies into the sea shifted from a necessity to a desire, an honor, a funerary ritual. This eventually became the standard Rovian funeral, of which even those who have settled on land want for themselves when their time comes.
Execution
After a rover passes away, their body is taken by the family, be it one of blood or bond, to be prepared. They are dressed in their best garments - often their traveling clothes - and then the funeral lasts for up to 24 hours, in which family and friends may give their final words. Then, the body is wrapped in sheets, taken to the ship belonging to the deceased or to someone closest to them, from which it is dropped into the sea after a (roughly) 30 minutes trip.
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Related Ethnicities
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