Burial Customs of the 10 Races, Part 1

The races of Tamriel vary greatly, and as such, have different burial customs to fit their differing cultures. This essay deals with the particularities of these customs, and is split into two parts for the sake of convenience. This first half will deal with the Altmer, Argonians, Bosmer, Bretons and finally Dunmer.

Altmer

The Altmer have a great deal of respect for their ancestors, and treat their remains with great care. Altmer are traditionally interred at the top of the towers that dot the land of Alinor, with the taller towers being reserved for more important people1 According to The Pocket Guide, 3^rd Edition, Crystal-Like-Law was a resting place for many:

When the Aldmer came together as a people to create the Crystal Tower, it was not a monument to any king or god, but rather to the spirit of the elven people, living and dead. Within the glittering walls of the Tower are housed the graves of the early Aldmeri settlers2

When Crystal-Like-Law collapsed, the remains of many eminent figures were lost.

The Altmer have gained a notoriety for taking and slaying some babies, with the goal of retaining racial purity3. One can only hope that this is false, but whether it is true or not, it is unlikely these infants would be given the honor of being laid to rest in the towers.

Argonians

Little is known about how the Argonians deal with their dead. The moist climate of Black Marsh means that bodies rot very quickly; often, there is no need to bury the deceased4.

The Argonians who live by the coast are inclined towards sea burials5, but the actions of Sload necromancers has made this practice less desirable4. In general, it seems the Argonians do not care much about what happens to their bodies6, though like all races, they would rather have their remains returned to their homeland7.

Bosmer

Some Bosmer adopt Imperial customs by burying their dead, but this is mostly seen outside of Valenwood.4 A particularity of the Bosmer of Valenwood is that they must not harm any plant life from within the province, in accordance with the Green Pact made with Y’ffre. As such, they are strictly carnivorous, and will even resort to cannibalism. In fact, the Meat Mandate, a section of the Green Pact, says that the Bosmer must eat any enemy that they slay.3 This reduces the number of bodies to bury, to an extent.

Another thing that is unique to the Bosmer is that they have the power to call upon a primal ability called the “Wild Hunt”. In times of need, the Bosmer can take on bestial forms, and mow down their opponents3. The transformation is permanent, and those who survive tend to turn on each other8. While there have been very few Wild Hunts in history, there is often a shortage of corpses soon after one has taken place.

Bretons

The Bretons, despite having come from the Altmer and Nedic people, have developed customs that are very distinct from those of their ancestors. They are nearly exclusively cremated in the northern parts of High Rock. This tradition has survived centuries, but the fact that people in the south now tend toward Imperial burials in graveyards shows the influence that Cyrodiil has had on the Bretons4.

Dunmer

Of all the races, we know perhaps the most about Dunmer burials. The Dark Elves of Morrowind feel that it is their duty to treat their ancestors’ remains with the utmost respect: the ancestors of the Dunmer can be called upon to serve them even after death.

Due to the billowing of Red Mountain, the land of Vvardenfell, and parts of mainland Morrowind have been showered with ash. The Dunmer feel that it is only appropriate that they return to ash after death, and so they are almost exclusively cremated. It would be unthinkable to leave them to rot, or to bury them in the Imperial manner.

In the past, most would inter the remains of their ancestors in a City of the Dead, with Necrom being the most famous. Necrom has traditionally been reserved for model citizens and warriors, so most Dunmer are put to rest in family ancestral tombs. Ashpits house the remains themselves, and offerings are made periodically, to please the dead.

Previously, these tombs, and other lands belonging to the clan, were protected by a ghost fence. The deceased would provide a bone which would then be enchanted, and used to create a beacon, of sorts. Due to the spread of the Corprus disease in the Third Era, the clan ghost fences were left untended in favor of the Great Ghost Fence surrounding Red Mountain. A statement was released by the Temple, asking people to contribute to the Great Ghost Fence, and so it became convention to do so. Entire skeletons would be offered up, and so the Dunmer would “venerate a small portion of their ancestor’s remains kept at a local temple9.”

In the Fourth Era, the Dunmer were hit by a catastrophe. The eruption of Red Mountain demolished most cities on Vvardenfell, and had terrible effects as far south as Tear10. Most of Morrowind was ravaged, and many ancestral tombs were completely destroyed. Following this, the Argonian invasion forced many to flee the land11.

The Dunmer have gradually been forced to forgo their culture, but with the advent of the New Temple, one can only hope that their previous burial customs will begin to return.