Funerals

Funerals are one of the most common and most attended ceremonies in Microshan culture. Most locals will attend more funerals in their lifetimes than weddings, and thus funerals are the single most important life event to attend. Microshans are often shamed if they do not attend a funeral service, especially for those they knew well. Grief is something to be shared and is considered the responsibility of the community, not just the individual. Crying or screaming at funerals is not considered shameful or rude, neither is staying silent or getting drunk. All forms of grief are welcome and accepted at Microshan funerals so long as the funeral is allowed to proceed.
Microshan funerals typically happen within three days of a death, though in smaller communities it may be as little as six hours and in larger communities, it may be up to a week. While embalming is available for those who can afford it, it is considered unnatural and generally harmful to both the earth and to the body. Most Microshans choose the traditional method of cremation, though natural burial can also be chosen (particularly in areas where there is little burnable fuel or that is suffering from scarcity).
In areas where there are a large number of Glyssians, funeral rites are changed to accommodate the deceased and their loved ones. These changes of rites are more likely to be seen in large cities (like Gwarthall and Citidel) rather than outlying areas (such as Medan and Kanol).

Execution

While each individual funeral is personalized to the deceased, generally Microshan funerals have several steps which are always observed:
1. The preparation of the body by the fuhal:

• The fuhal washes and dresses the body, taking care to remove metal and machinery from the body beforehand. The body is covered in a specialized powder that helps the body reach optimal temperatures for a long enough period of time to fully cremate.

The preparation of the pyre by the family and/or loved ones:

• The fuhal will typically have a stone slab table dedicated to funerals, usually located in their yard somewhere. The fuhal will place the body on the slab and help the family carry flammable materials (usually bundles of wood, sticks, and flowers) to arrange them under and around the body. This takes time, and while others can obverse this is usually a private time for the family.

The funeral service:

• The service is conducted within the fuhal's yard. Again, each individual funeral will vary, but typically a funeral with open with remarks; flow into remembrance of the deceased from the fuhal and/or family and loved ones; have several songs sung by the congregation; a short prayer and/or meditation; and finally closing remarks.

The lighting of the pyre by the family and/or loved ones:

• The fuhal hands torches or candles to the family who built the pyre and they light it together

"Final Goodbyes":

• This is a chaotic time of the ceremony, but it is the most important part of any funeral. As the pyre burns, the fuhal will walk into the congregation. The congregation will descend upon the fuhal, saying things that the deceased was unable to hear before they died. These words are often final farewells, or confessions, or apologies: anything that was left unsaid in order to unburden the living. The fuhal carries these words within them to pass on to the dead at a later time in private, usually during personal prayer. The fuhal will also receive kisses, hugs, and touches, again to pass on these forms of love to the dead.

A reception, usually held in the fuhal's home, that lasts until the pyre is embers:

• The reception is a time for stories, remembrance, eating and drinking, and communal grief and healing. While attendance is optional, it is highly encouraged. The fuhal will attend as well, leaving every once in a while to ensure that the pyre is still going. People will stay as long as they can. When the pyre is only embers and bones, guests are signaled to leave. Some guests will have further gatherings at other homes or restaurants to continue celebrating the life and memory of the deceased.

The retrieval of bones by the fuhal and family and/or loved ones:

• The family will stay behind with the fuhal in order to pick through the ashes and save the bones they deem worth keeping. Sometimes these bones are then buried, other times they are kept in urns, and sometimes (if the bones are big enough) they are turned into works of art or jewelry.

These seven steps are considered mandatory for a traditional funeral. However, some larger cities (such as Gwarthall and Citidel) may have extra steps or skip steps to include Glyssian traditions. In cases of burial (instead of cremation), often the "final goodbye" is skipped in favor of standing over the grave and speaking final words, and obviously there is no preparation of pyre or retrieval of bones.

Related Ethnicities

• Microshan