Izij Burial

Unlike here in the Empire, my friend, at home death is a loud affair. For the dead, that is. We are silent for their sake; they tell their story so our Gods can cast their lot.

— Lamej Hodenai

The veneration of death within Izij culture is not a new idea in the last age. In fact, our earliest evidence for Izij habirtation of the Tikan region comes from buried remains of harps and tomb sites.

Historical Burial

Poor

[SECTION TBA UNTIL AFTER WE]

Wealthy

The wealthy burried their dead in elaborate tombs, close to the hills of the region, thankfully many, after their funeral procession. In order to avoid the smells of the rotting corpse, perfumes were made but only the rich could afford them.

A Specific Example: Filunas burials

Outside of the hilly village of Filunas in the Jigukin Valley, some of the best examples of historical tombs remain. Sadly, they do not illustrate a good picture of a poor man's burial. A rock formation nearby resembling an ibex marks the tombs as well as a small shrine. The entrance is made to look like a doo and the tomb is designed to look like the houses they lived in. One of the walls is decorated with a fresco prominently featuring goats and the Izij abjad.
As this a burial of a wealthy family, there are many grave items most of which remain due to the reverence the Izij have for the dead. A rooster-engraved rattle and an empty clay bowl - perhaps filled with goat's milk on the deaths - are the first items near the door. Recently, there has been visiters; the burial chamber has been sprinkled with Chia and cinnibar alongside an offering of a goat's hide. Whether this is due to reverence or familial ties, I cannot tell you as I haven't yet had my feet down in Tikan.
As per tradition, the whole family was burried together as one. 10 bodies remain in the tomb but body snatching has been an issue since the current Tikan crisies.
The Corpses

The first, and exalted, corpse lies furthest from the entrance. From the ornementation of the corpse and the grave gifts around him (emerald-bejewelled arm bracelets and a drinking horn made from a slain goat), it is easy to assume he was the Tukuzanzutap, or head of household. The bones are strong yet there is obvious damage to the clavicle. The body is wearing bracelets decorated with copper. Due to the age of the tomb, there is some decay to the arms.
Besides him, is the skeleton of a woman. There is no obvious sign of death on her body, but thanks to the pottery in the tomb, it is safe to say she died in childbirth. The body is next to a necklace with an emerald pendant, perhaps one of her bridal trosseau. By proximity to the Tukuzanzutap, I assume that she was his wife.
Next to the Tukuzanzutap and his probably bride, on each side of them are a body lying on its side. Both of them are children, boys with only a couple of years apart in age, who consumed apple seeds shortly before death. Each child has a violet-glazed bowl besides them which has recently been filled with milk. The child next to the wife is wearing a ceremonial tiger tusk-neckale and the other child has blunt force to the collar bone.
Slightly further away than the four afformentioned corspses is the body of the elderly woman. Due to cultural beliefs about the best way to sleep, she was placed on her side post mortem. The spine is incredibly damaged and the teeth are decaying. The remains of dark (though now nearly grey) green fabric are beneath the body. The pottery besides her reads 'a jar for the heart of my ajira' which suggests her husband is burried elsewhere.
An adult male (albiet by the bones we can assume he was older than the Tukuzanzutap) is buried here. The jaw bone is slightly stained green. Duck feathers, because of his profession, have been placed besides the corpse perhaps at the same time as the sacrifice. There is obvious blunt force trauma to the spine. He is wearing many iron rings on his fingers which has kept in place despite the wear to the hands. Marriage dolls are placed between him and a female skeleteon
The female skeleton shows signs of beloning to an older woman. Her bones are disarticulated. There is an arrowhead embedded in the arm and a minature clay statue next to her in a more realitic style than tradition Izij pottery.
A young male is buried next to the second set of adult skeletons. This body is facing the entrance. It is unknown as to what his course of death was. His body is wrapped in a shroud of ripped and fading patterned cotton which is uncommon for most burrials, although it could have easily been his wish upon death. However, the left shoulder shows more wear than the right.
Another body is laid facing the entrance, another young male. On this body, there is obvious trauma to the back of the skull possibly caused by a spear. However, he could have been trampled by livestock.

Modern Burial

Houses of Silence

Somewhat similar to some poor historical Izij gravesites, many choose to be burried in communal graves after their funeral procession. These are overseen by Tabaiwis, who while often live solitary lives are treated with great reverence by the Izij peoples.

Water burial

Objections to Cremeation

With the Uganë Empire, burying a corpse is seen as sacreligious but also to take up too much space. Since on default, the law assumes every subject of the Empire is of the Mipanu Faith as was historically, the burial of bodies is banned unless in certain areas and under certain circumstances. But due to Tikan flight, immigration has created religious and cultural diversity, most of whom live in cities (or not those areas), and of them some of who believe the converse and are willing to break the law. Hence men like Euhmed Jaskja get hung.
However, this is changing. Vikt Hodenay - with his Izij mother - have began their campaign to allow the Izij and other cultures to bury their dead in space-effective facillities. The details have not yet been thought through exactly and it may take a lot of budging but it could happen.