Gailig Views on Death

The Gnomes (Gaeilge) and the Halflings (Ghàidhlig) are together known as the Gailig peoples. Their cultures are very similar in many aspects. Even their languages are basically mutually intelligible.
**Burial customs:** Gailig burial customs are mostly identical. One of the only key differences is that, while the less lumber-rich Halflings favour inhumation, the Gnomes who live in or near forested areas favour cremation. When a person dies, whether Gnome or Halfling, the first thing that must happen is a druid (Gnomish: draoi; Halfling: draoidh) should be informed of the death and called to treat the dead. Druids are priests, generally, but the word can also refer to any mage, philosopher, or diviner.
The druid will first wash the body, then measure it with a special ceremonial rod called a fé. Fé are precisely 3m long, traditionally made of alder wood, and inscribed with ogham letters (the writing system used for the Gailig languages).
The fé is regarded with the utmost horror, for it is said that—for anyone but a druid—taking one in your hand, touching it, or even looking at it means your unavoidable death since it would instantly measure you. For this reason, it is usually kept by the druid in a long narrow sleeve to protect the people around them (though even then most people will still be hesitant to touch or look at it).
Once the deceased has been washed and measured, the druid will set it out in the home surrounded by rushes or branches and candles (the number of candles usually varying depending on the wealth and status of the family; 3, 5, 9, 13, or 17 for chiefs).
It is the sacred duty of the family to maintain these candles, which must not at any point be allowed to go out. When a candle is about to go out, a pre-lit candle is brought in to swiftly replace it), and it must constantly be watched by a member of the family. However, the body itself must not be touched by anyone but the druid until it is time for the funeral.
Finally, the druid will place a small bowl (provided by the family) on the chest of the deceased. The body will then lie in state for 7 days, or 12 for a chief. During this time, the family and friends of the deceased will visit and pay their respects and wail loudly—a type of cry called a caoineadh (pl. caointe), or a keen.
It is customary for visitors to place a coin in the bowl for the deceased to use in the next life. The coins in the bowl are meant to symbolize and bring fortune that will come to the deceased in their next life, and will also be used by the family to help pay for the funeral.
On the third day, the family will host a small feast or gathering in honour of the deceased. For wealthier or more prominent members of society, such as a chief, this typically involves public festivities and athletic competitions.
Funeral customs: On the day of the funeral, the body will be wrapped by the druid in a black shroud called an éagléine/euglèine (“death-shirt”). This ritual barrier allows other people to touch the deceased. The deceased will be carried on a fuat, a bier painted black and inscribed with prayers to Dhuosnos (the Gailig patron of travellers and merchants, and the psychopomp), to the place of cremation or burial.
Upon the fuat, the deceased is brought to the pyre or place of burial by a team of people called a foireann. The foireann is hand-selected by the deceased before they die. In the event they were unable to do so, such as in a sudden and violent death, the foireann will be selected by the eldest relative (male for gnomes, and female for halflings) of the deceased.
For most people, the foireann will simply be the closest relatives of the deceased. In the case of more prominent people like chiefs, however, it tends to be the greatest warriors in the clan. Being chosen to be in a person’s foireann is considered a great honour, for it is a sign that they have trusted you to ferry their remains to the next life.
It is led by the ceann foireann (also selected by the deceased before death, or their eldest relative if they were unable to do so), who will have certain responsibilities and duties during the funeral.
In either a cremation or an inhumation funeral, the foireann is accompanied by a party of mourners, who will caoin for the length of a procession. Their caointe will be filled with both lamentations and praise of the dead, usually in verse, and is traditionally extempore (that is, not prepared beforehand, as this is believed to be more honest).
Caointe are somewhat halfway between wailing and singing, and the overall sound ends up being quite chaotic as each person ends up singing different lyrics and different melodies at different times. Gailig funerals are noisy affairs as the chaotic caointe of the mourners fills the air, though there are no instruments.
In the case of a cremation (i.e., for Gnomes), the pyre is rarely very far from the home of the deceased. As the body burns, the family will sacrifice an animal in their honour. This animal will be dressed, cooked, and eaten later in a feast after the funeral has concluded. Once the body has been burned, the ashes and bones will be collected in a type of lidless cinerary urn called a luaithriúil. These luaithriúla are typically highly decorated with simple lines and geometric patterns and have very wide mouths.
The luaithriúil will then be transported to the reiligí (the Gnomish word for a cemetery, derived from the Vicini word reliquarium). The ceann foireann is the one tasked with carrying the luaithriúil in a cremation funeral. They will be surrounded by the rest of the foireann, who will be carrying shields and readied weapons.
When they reach the reilig, the ceann foireann will recite a prepared elegy for the deceased as the luaithriúil is lowered slowly into the grave and covered over with earth.
The party will then pay their final respects to the deceased, with the foireann going first. This ends the funeral, and the party will return to the family home for a feast.
In the case of a burial (i.e., a halfling funeral), the body will be wrapped in branches or rushes then placed on the fuat, which will be transported directly from the home of the deceased to the reilig/cladh (cladh being the Halfling word for a cemetery). Since the distance from the home to a place of burial is typically much further from one’s home than a pyre, the fuat will be carried feet-first by the foireann.
Traditionally, the ceann foireann will be placed on the right side in the front row. Since their arms are occupied and they cannot carry weapons, the foireann in a burial funeral will wear a spiked shield called a targaid (targe) on their outward-facing arm and carry a type of dagger called a sgian-dubh in that hand so that it extends below the targaid.
If the fuat is loaded onto a drawn cart, such as in the case of a prominent individual or if the cladh (a Halfling cemetery) is very far away, then the foireann will take the same positions around the vehicle as though they had been carrying it. The only difference will be that the sgian-dubh and targaid will be carried in their non-dominant hand, with a spear in their dominant hand.
Regardless of whether the fuat is carried by hand or by cart, the ceann foireann will wear either a sgian dubh or a sword which should be drawn at all times while the fuat is in transit. This weapon, referred to as an urram-lann ("honour-blade") is traditionally provided by the family and in some cases they can be one of the largest expenses of the funeral, as they are expected to be elaborate and of high quality. For most people, the family may provide a sgian-dubh instead since these are far cheaper.
It is not unheard of for the ceann foireann to provide the urram-lann themselves if it is within their means, and this could be considered extremely generous, but it is not common. In fact, for some people, the family may even consider it an insult for the ceann foireann to provide the urram-lann themselves.
Once at the cladh, the ceann foireann will use the urram-lann to sacrifice an animal in honour of the deceased as they are lowered into the earth. The animal will be taken away by a designated team and butchered on-site in a designated area just outside the cladh, set up with tables and cooking stations.
The ceann foireann will then deliver an elegy in honour of the deceased, and the bloody urram-lann will be placed on top of the body as a final gift before it is covered over.
Gnomish reiligí typically take the form of huge communal cairns, or burial mounds, in which everyone is buried regardless of status. The only exception being the chief, who will be buried in a private reilig where only chiefs are buried. Luaithriúla are buried at a depth of 1 deiscéim (3m, ½ fertach), as measured by a druid with a fé rod.
The grave is marked with a lia, a wide flat stone that will be inscribed with the name of the deceased, and the name of the person who paid for the lia to be inscribed and erected. For a chief, the lia will also feature a stylized depiction of the chief standing up with his weapons ready.
Halfling cladhan, rather than being under an artificial hill, will be placed at the top of a nearby hill. The area of the cladhan is marked off by being surrounded with liaga (Halfling liaga have a different form, taking the shape of tall, narrow, square, pillar-stones). Bodies are all buried inside this marked off area, with their feet facing east.
As with the Gnomes, Halfling chiefs have their own private cladhan. However, rather than simply being depicted as such, Halfling chiefs are literally buried upright and facing west with weapons just above their head. Bodies are buried at a depth of 1 deiscéim (in the case of chiefs, who are buried upright, this is measured from their feet).
Post-funeral traditions: There are two major Gaeilig post-funeral traditions. The first is the post-funeral feast, and the second is the festival of Samhain.
Immediately after the funeral, there will always be a feast hosted by the family for the guests. For Gnomes, this will be held at the home of the family deceased. For Halflings, it is held at a designated site just outside the cladh. Among the Gnomes, it is tradition for the foireann to supply the alcohol for the feast.
The feast starts with the guests of honour being served the animal that was sacrificed earlier (as much as they can, depending on the size of the animal; a chicken will naturally serve fewer people than a cow). The foireann is traditionally at the top of that list, starting with the ceann foireann (who receives the choicest cuts of meat, if there’s enough meat for more than one person).
In Halfling post-funeral feasts, it is traditional for the foireann to perform a sword dance to the tune of bagpipes for the guests once they have finished eating. For both Gnomes and Halflings, one can expect a considerable amount of drinking and the general merriment typical of a Gailig feast. They are always raucous and lively events, with plenty of music and dancing.
The only strict cultural faux pas during a Gailig post-funeral feast is any sexual or romantic activity. This would be considered highly inappropriate and disrespectful to the deceased and their family. For wealthier or more prominent individuals, there will typically be some form of athletic competitions held.
Samhain is a festival that marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Traditionally, it occurs on the full moon nearest the astronomical midpoint between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. The entrances to Gnomish reiligí are aligned with sunrise at the time of Samhain.
The festival is marked by great gatherings, the slaughtering of livestock, feasts, and bonfires, and Gnomish reiligí (normally sealed with a large stone) will be opened. During this time, it is traditional for Gnomes and Halflings to visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects (unlike some other cultures, Samhain is the *only* time of the year that Gnomes or Halflings will visit).
Many of the practices during Samhain are related to the belief that, during Samhain, the veil between the mortal world and the world of the aes sídhe/sìth (these are the fey, but also the spirits of the deceased; the former being the Gnomish word, and the latter being the Halfling word, pronounced the same) is thinnest. Among the Gnomes, the entrances of reiligí are seen as portals to the world of the aes sídhe/sìth at this time.
The bonfires which are lit are believed to have protective and cleansing properties that will ward off the aes sídhe/sìth. Thus, most feasts traditionally occur around one such bonfire, and the gathered dance around it. The aes sídhe/sìth can be appeased with offerings of food and drink, to ensure the people and their livestock survive the winter. The souls of dead kin are also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality, and a place is set at the table for them.
Among the Halflings it is a traditional activity for groups of people to go door-to-door in costume reciting poetry and/or playing music in exchange for food. This food is typically fruit, especially apples, and nuts. Apples and nuts—particularly hazelnuts—are heavily associated with Samhain, and feature in a lot of traditional foods and sweets eaten around Samhain season. This is because, in Gailig culture, apples are associated with immortality, while hazelnuts are associated with (particularly divine) wisdom.
The costumes are usually animal costumes or masks but may also even be made to imitate the aes sídhe/sìth and are meant to imitate and disguise oneself from the aes sídhe/sìth.
Divination is also a popular part of Samhain, particularly involving nuts and apples, where the people try to divine the future or glean other information by communicating with the aes sídhe/sìth.
A popular divination-related game involves apples being placed in a large bucket of water. Contestants are blindfolded and must attempt to retrieve as many apples as possible using only their mouths. For the person who retrieves the most, this is said to be a sign of fortune in the coming year.
Beliefs of the afterlife: The Gailig believe in both an afterlife and in reincarnation. When a person dies, their soul is escorted to Tír na nÓg, the Land of Eternal Youth by Dhuosnos, the patron of travellers and merchants (and, as the one who escorts the souls of the dead to Tír na nÓg, he is the psychopomp). Specifically, Dhuosnos is said to collect the soul for this trip at the end of the funeral, and before the post-funeral feast begins.
Tír na nÓg was created by the Tuatha Dé Sinnsear, the Gailig gods. It is a paradisaical land of immortality beneath the earth where the Tuatha Dé Sinnsear dwell alongside their mortal descendants (the Gailig believe they are the literal descendants of the Tuatha Dé Sinnsear, with Gnomes being descended from Tuatha Dé Sinnsear men and mortal women, and Halflings being descended from Tuatha Dé Sinnsear women and mortal men).
There the dead exist in peace and happiness, wearing gowns of silver and gold, gold bands around their waists and necks, and jeweled circlets upon their brows. It is a land of abundance; with all the food and drink one could ever want. There they dance and sing and make merry, right alongside the Tuatha Dé Sinnsear, and the aes sídhe/sìth who also dwell in Tír na nÓg.
But the dead do not stay in Tír na nÓg for eternity. Unlike with many other cultures, the prevalent belief among the Gailig is that a land of eternal and perfect bliss, immortal and unchanging, will inevitably grow boring. And there is nothing worse in Gailig culture than boredom.
Just as the Tuatha Dé Sinnsear themselves descended to earth after growing bored of the perfect heavens, so do the souls of mortals eventually choose to become reincarnated once they have grown bored of Tír na nÓg.
For pleasure is greatest when contrasted with sorrow, like the sun as it rises after a long and dark night. Without the trials and tribulations of life, even the peace and prosperity of Tír na nÓg itself would seem meaningless to a mortal soul.
Thus, while it is technically true that, while unlike in other reincarnation cultures, the Gailig believe they can choose when to reincarnate, it is also generally accepted as true that reincarnation is ultimately inevitable as the deceased will eventually long for life once more.
However, while a person may choose when to reincarnate, they do not choose who or what they are reincarnated as. Mostly, it is believed that a person will be reincarnated as another person. However, at the will of the Tuatha Dé Sinnsear, they may instead be reincarnated as an animal or even a plant.
The conditions of a person’s next life, including whether they are a person, a plant, or an animal, are said to be determined in part based on their behaviour in their previous life, as well as the offerings left to them after death (e.g., the coins left in the previously mentioned bowl is thought to affect their fortune). For most people though, they can at the very least expect reincarnation as a person.
But entry to Tír na nÓg (and therefore also access to reincarnation, as this can only be accomplished through the power of the Tuatha Dé Sinnsear who rule and dwell there) is not a given. Dhuosnos does not just escort the dead to Tír na nÓg, he also judges them. If he judges them unworthy of entrance to the Land of Eternal Youth, the kingdom of the gods, then he will abandon them on earth.
These abandoned souls will be trapped in the world for eternity. They will never know the bliss of Tír na nÓg, and they can never attain reincarnation. Locked out of Tír na nÓg with no hope of redemption, these abandoned souls may become malevolent, bringing misfortune to the living. Some may even become aes sídhe/sìth.
An example of such an aes sídhe/sìth are the cat sídhe/sìthe (sìthe being the feminine form of sìth). It believed that the cat sídhe/sìthe, jealous of the deceased, will try to steal a person’s soul before Dhuosnos can visit, judge, and escort them to Tír na nÓg (assuming that is to be their fate).
Keeping watch for cat sídhe/sìthe, which will appear as black cats the size of a dog with a white spot on their chest, is why the body of the deceased is watched at all times while it lies in state, and part of why candles are lit (as fire has a purifying nature that repels all aes sídhe/sìth).
It is also part of the reason for the feasting and festivities on the 3rd day after the person is laid in state, and for the immediate post-funeral feasting and celebrations. It is believed that cat sídhe/sìthe are distracted by things like dancing, athletic contests, poetry, riddles, and music.
However, like most aes sídhe/sìth, even those born from abandoned souls are not explicitly malevolent. For example, it is believed that any family that leaves out a saucer of milk on Samhain will be blessed by the cat sídhe/sìthe (though, conversely, families that don’t will have their cows cursed).