But Still More Mourning Than The Blue Or Green - Tumblr Posts

Sketching out some Dunmer funerary outfits, with bonus headcanons about funerary traditions below the cut. and personal insight with these characters' outfits and their interpretations of traditions.

ID in ALT, RB to Support an Artist :)

So lots of these initial headcanons are drawn from others on tesblr, I'll have links to the source if I can find the post. My own additions to the HCs are italicized until we get to funerary bits which are of my own thoughts from my special interest in after death care practices :)

(I can't remember who posted this HC but I love it extensively) The mourning colors for dunmer are white and grey, for Ash. Usage of black in mourning was introduced primarily to house dunmer by human culture influences. Red is a common secondary color, but especially for Ashlanders to represent blood and fire, as they have been met with much bloodshed and pushed to almost inhospitable volcanic regions of Morrowind that has caused a lot of death among them.

There is This hc collection by @jiubilant that features hair cutting as a show of immense grief and mourning. It began in chimer/early dunmer culture. It has persisted with the velothi, while with house dunmer it has evolved simply to cutting off a single lock, or an inch or two in general. In both cultures, the hair is burned with the body.

And @kagrenacs has a lovely HC about veils made of spider silk being very common during mourning, to give the idea that their mind is with the deceased who had passed beyond the veil. I've combined that with my own headcanon that daedric spider silk is a beautiful, strong fabric with an almost organza like weight and sheerness, but does not take to dyes very much, so it's commonly used in its plain white form. Perfect for mourning veils and other accessories.

I have my own headcanons for funerary differences between House Dunmer and Ashlanders as well. Across the board, it is often expected that the closer you are to the deceased, the more serious you must take your clothing and presentation for the funeral. There are exceptions, of course, but not frequent. For a society so entwined with death, Funerals are a very serious affair steeped in tradition.

For a House Dunmer that is not of the wealthy variety, it remains a formal event, but clothing is left more lax in how much white you wear. In wealthier families, it is much more rigid. If you don't own a mostly white ensemble you are expected to purchase or make one. The traditional funeral service is often a single day affair, but a long one. It is also typically not handled by next of kin, but guided through by the local Temple. Much of the service and memorial happens after the deceased has already been cremated. It is typically a day of fasting as well, thought a grand meal is presented at the end of service for mourners to have a small serving, the rest is burned for the deceased.

For Ashlanders, it is jointly much more steeped in tradition yet also much less formal than their House counterparts. It is a multi day affair, typically, led by the next of kin (NoK) with assistance from the Wise Woman. The deceased is often carefully washed by NoK, and either dressed in their best clothes or wrapped in fabric. Plain scathecraw fabric is a common choice, but others may opt for imported linen or cotton, or even a nice silk. A small Wake is held if the NoK wants. This is typically where people will present offerings or gifts to be burned with the deceased. Hair trimmings, food, foliage, and on occasion, hand written notes are tucked with the body. This is an informal event, where the wearing of white is not required, but can be worn if desired. Food for mourners, music, and stories of the deceased are told to honor the life they lived.

The next day the deceased is cremated in a ceremony in the community center. It is a day where mourning is expected at it's peak, as is formality and tradition. Under the guidance of the Wise Woman, the NoK light the pyre. The Wise Woman leads the ceremony, primarily, saying prayers to Azura, Mephala, and Boethiah to guide them. If they are intending to be preserved as an ancestor ghost to be called upon, that ritual happens now as well. It is a day of fasting.

The next day is when the cremains are interred into the chosen resting place and is a very small gathering. NoK, close friends, Wise Woman, and sometimes Khans. They are allowed to dress informally, but most typically do not. Wearing some form of white is expected for a few months, unless one cut their hair short. The community typically cooks a large meal to be eaten upon the mourners return.

For personal explanations of these characters' clothes. They are both Ashlanders, at the cremation of their mother, who had a very untimely death. The girl on the left (my oc Nileyransi) is wearing very traditional clothing. It was her mother's. The veil and belt are both of Daedric spider silk. She wears more red than usual out of vanity than anything else. She worries all white will wash her out, with her white hair. She has cut hair hair a few inches to shoulder length as a show of mourning. Despite being the younger of the two, she has been leading ceremonies.

The one on the left (Massara) is wearing an outfit so untraditional with black and red being it's primary colors it would almost be disrespectful, if not for that fact that their mother made it. The skirt on the belt is of spider silk, and the jacket is traditional. They have cut their hair very short as a sign of intense grieving. The jewelry is of their own choice, as there's not much regulation on that.