Dwarven Views on Death

Pronunciation note: Ĝ/ĝ is pronounced “ng,” as in sing.
Burial customs: It is absolutely crucial for the Dwarves that they are given a proper burial and funeral in accordance with Dwarven customs. Whether the Dwarves practice cremation of inhumation depends primarily on one’s means. Inhumation is generally preferred across all social strata. However, cremation is typically favoured by the poor as it is the cheaper option.
This is because there is very limited burial land in their mountain homes. Ownership of balaĝ-gú (“Lyre District”) real estate is a major source of wealth for the elite, and a lot of poor families will have to lease out the land their family crypt is on instead of outright owning it. This is especially true in the more populous cities.
Because of this, those with fewer means will typically prefer cremation because it takes less space. You can fit dozens of cinerary urns in a tomb where you could only fit a few sarcophagi. Additionally, thanks to how hot firestone can burn, cremation is relatively inexpensive.
After death, the body is washed by a priest of Ereškigal/Irkalla (called Ereškigal in the east, and Irkalla in the west), the Dwarven goddess of the dead and queen of Kur (the Underworld). If none are available or their services cannot be afforded, the body will instead be washed by the eldest female relative of the deceased, who must not speak while doing so.
After being washed and wrapped in a shroud (white for men, black for women), the body is then placed in a type of coffin called an arānu. These have a unique lidless shape, rather like a slipper. Instead of a lid, an arānu is one solid piece with a large and wide opening at the top, through which the deceased will be slid.
This hole will later be covered with a large plaque called a mùš-il (“likeness-bearer”), traditionally depicting the face of the deceased and inscribed with their name and accomplishments. Arānut can be made of clay, metal, stone, or wood depending on the wealth of the individual.
Once placed in the arānu, the deceased will lie in state for 7 days. During this time, the family of the deceased should not leave the home, and is only allowed to interact with 2 types of people: Ereškigalītut (priests of Ereškigal), and slaves. Since this means they cannot acquire new food to cook, the Ereškigalītut to will bring them food regularly (typically twice per day).
Typically, the priest who washes the body will take count of the number of people in the household so they know how many need to be fed (if a priest did not wash the body, then the family must rely on a friend or a slave to go inform the temple instead).
It is customary for people to donate food—typically preserved food—to the local temple of Ereškigal for this specific purpose. It is considered an important form of charity, especially for those who cannot afford much in the way of monetary donations.
Funeral customs: Whether they are being cremated or inhumed, Ereškigalītut will visit the house of the deceased at the end of the 7th day to begin the funeral procession. Dwarven funeral processions are sombre and generally quiet affairs. There can be more Ereškigalītut for a larger funeral, such as for a lukal or other aristocrat, but the minimum is 4.
This is because you need 2 to help carry the arānu (they go at the front, with the two eldest male relatives of the deceased in the back), 1 to play the lyre as they walk (lyres are heavily associated with poetry, religious ceremony, and funerals in Dwarven culture—the Dwarven word for lyre, balaĝ, is literally the same as the word for a funeral dirge), and 1 to lead the party and sing hymns to Ereškigal. Typically, the most senior Ereškigalītu will lead the party and sing, and the second-most senior will play the lyre.
Together, the 2 who play the lyre and sing hymns to the goddess are called the balaĝ-il (“lyre/dirge carriers”), while the 4 carrying the arānu are called the arānu-il (“arānu carriers”). These 6 altogether within the funeral procession are referred to as the ug-il (“carriers of the dead”), and they are afforded special privileges after the funeral.
In the case of a cremation, the ug-il will go to the crematorium alone. Once the body has been removed and is burning, the mùš-il will be attached to a cinerary urn (called a burzigallu) with rope. If it doesn’t already have them, holes will be punched in the mùš-il for this purpose.
The ug-il will then return with the ashes of the deceased, and the entire party will walk to the family catacombs in the balaĝ-gú in a slow, sombre procession. Dwarven funeral processions are quiet and sombre affairs. The only sounds are the lyre and singing of the balaĝ-il, and the quiet mourning of the rest of the party. It is typically considered undignified for men to weep openly, while women—if they must weep—should do so in a quiet, reserved, and dignified manner.
In the case of an inhumation, the party will simply proceed directly from the house of the deceased to the family’s catacombs balaĝ-gú. During the funeral, it is traditional for the men to wear special ceremonial armour that has been painted or enamelled white and decorated with gold (if they can afford it; otherwise, white clothes and any gold-coloured metal, like polished bronze or brass, will do). Women and children wear black clothes and silver or polished iron jewellery.
Once the deceased has been placed inside the family’s catacombs, the balaĝ-il will sing a few hymns to Ereškigal. These hymns will beseech the goddess to be kind to the soul of the deceased, to welcome them into Kur.
Once this is done, two sacrifices must be made: the first to Ereškigal, the second to the favourite deity of the deceased. During the second sacrifice, a hymn will be sung to that deity as well, entreating them to speak well of the deceased to Ereškigal on their behalf. Once both sacrifices have been made, the funeral is over.
Post-funeral traditions: Ancestor veneration is a hugely important part of Dwarven culture regarding the dead, as one’s lot in Kur is dependent entirely upon how others (especially your descendants) treat you after your death. This usually takes the form of travelling on a semi-regular basis to their tomb to leave offerings and pay your respects.
How often one takes the time to travel out to their family tomb to pay their respects and leave offerings is up to them. Naturally, it is considered more virtuous to do it more often, but not everyone always has that kind of time.
In general, most people will probably try to visit at least once a month (or at least one person from their household), or on the holy days of Ereškigal and Nergal (Ereškigal's consort, and the god of fevers and plagues).
The only hard cultural rule is that you get out to your family’s tombs to leave offerings and pay your respects during the Ezem Adši. The Ezem Adši (lit. "Festival of Keening") is the Dwarven festival of the dead, a half-week-long (5 days) event leading up to and including the first holy day of Ereškigal (26th-30th of Araḫ Simanu, the 3rd month in the Dwarven calendar). The primary activity of the festival is visiting the tombs of one's ancestors. Aside from that, the special events are on the first and last days.
The special events on the first day involve fasting, and special prayers to Ereškigal. The Ēnu Ereškigala (high priest of Ereškigal) will sing public hymns praying for the safe passage of the souls of the dead into Kur, and the people will respond with prayers praising Ereškigal and her consort Nergal.
Another popular activity which accompanies fasting is cooking, then bringing the food you've made to the tomb of your ancestors. Over the course of the festival, that food is then collected and distributed to the poor.
The fifth and last day of the Ezem Adši is, by design, the first holy day of Ereškigal. As with any holy day, it is a mandated rest day. On such days, each of the three classes (not counting the king, high priest, or slaves) that make up Dwarven society are prohibited from certain activities.
The awilu (upper class, or nobility) are prohibited from conducting state affairs or engaging in warfare. The muskena (middle class, or merchants and artisans) are prohibited from selling any non-essential goods (e.g. water, food, etc). Finally, the wardu (lower class, or commoners) are prohibited from performing any strenuous labour.
Beliefs of the afterlife: The Dwarven beliefs of the afterlife might seem quite strange compared to others because they are completely and utterly unrelated to who or what that person was in life.
When a person dies, their soul is dragged by an unseen force like a great wind to the land of Kur. There is only one Kur, ruled by Ereškigal and her consort Nergal. How Kur appears to a person, and what their existence is like whilst there, is determined by how they are treated after their death—the veneration afforded to them, the honour, the offerings, and the treatment of their remains. What they achieved in life, how they died, their moral character and virtue, all of it is utterly irrelevant in the end.
To have a pleasant existence in Kur, one must firstly and most importantly receive the proper burial and funerary rites in accordance with Dwarven traditions (this means Dwarves who are branded Sarru and expelled from their homeland and live without the company of other Dwarves often face great issues and concerns when they find themselves near death).
Those who have nothing, no one to remember their name, to leave them offerings, to honour their memory, or if they were not given a proper burial, then their existence will be one of unimaginable misery.
Kur for them will be a land like a dark, damp, miserable cave. They will be naked and cold, eating dust and clay, sucking water from the ground, existing entirely in that darkness.
Conversely, those who receive many offerings and are greatly honoured, such as a Ba’ūlu Abu (“Great Ancestor,” the founder of a clan), are believed to exist a paradise in the palace of Ereškigal. They will have bountiful gardens full of fresh fruit and vegetables, animals that offer milk and meat infinitely, and an endless supply of honey and the finest alcohols.
They will wear garments of spider silk and bask in the light and warmth of endless day. There are several different beliefs on the origin of this light. Sometimes it is a special šamšatu placed in Kur by Šamaš himself, sometimes it is light without a source, sometimes it is from the shining ceiling of Kur, and sometimes it comes from the radiance of Ereškigal herself. The only real constant is that it is bright as day.
Since one’s lot in Kur is so dependant on being properly buried and venerated as an ancestor, it is subject to change if these conditions change. If their remains are desecrated, if their memory is lost, their name forgotten, and offerings cease to be left to them, their conditions in Kur will change accordingly.
Conversely, even the condition of those not initially afforded a proper burial, or whose remains were desecrated, whose memories and names have been lost, who receive no offerings can be improved. Though this may be more difficult than going the other way. It is easy for remains to be desecrated, or for memories and names to be forgotten.
However, remains that have been totally destroyed or lost cannot be restored and treated with the proper respect. Memories and names that have completely forgotten cannot be spontaneously remembered. Without either of these no proper offerings can be left (and for that matter, no one would even know to do so). The deceased can never receive proper veneration, and they shall remain trapped in misery eternal in the dark land of Kur.