Death for the Wolgos
Many Wolgos customs and practices concerning death for the Wolgos derive from religious beliefs found in Dlroch'veldr
Soul
Like many other cultures, the Wolgos believe in the concept of a soul and are deeply connected with the story of creation, where Dlrocha's radiant seed bathed the world and caused the flouring of life. The Wolgos consider the soul to be a spark from the seed of Dlrocha that lingers on the mortal realm and which is bound by the fire imbued into creation; these sparks arise spontaneously from minuscule remnants of the pure seed of Dlrocha and take their place within the Wolgos or other sacred animals and entities. Every Wolgos is said to have a bright spark that resembles much of those of the many spirits of nature and those in the Haiter. The Wolgos humans and other animals are said to possess imperfect sparks that fail to achieve pure brilliance at best or sparks that are merely corrupted mockeries of Dlrocha's essence.
Seat of the soul, fire and the makers of the soul
The body is the vessel of the south and its means of expression, but to the Wolgos, the most essential parts of the body to venerate in death are the head, the heart and hands. The head is considered the seat of the soul, where the spark of life resides, and the senses create, where reason and wisdom arise. The hearth is the fire that binds the spark to the body and where passion comes forth. While the hands are considered the makes of the soul, the hands are the soul's tools which shape creation according to the will of the spark of life and, ultimately, Dlrocha's will.
In death, only the head, the heart and the hands are considered essential in preserving for funeral rites and veneration, which is why the Wolgos fighting on battlefields will without fail to decapitate, cut the hands and tear out the heart of their fallen comrades to take back and perform funerary rites. Nevertheless, it is not truly necessary to preserve any part of the body to perform an adequate funeral for a fallen Wolgos.
After Death
After death, the spark of life, the soul is said to ascend into the night sky under a full crimson bright moon and join its brethren amongst the stars. Some wolgos consider the stars to be souls, while others believe souls reside in the realm of the stars amongst Dlrocha. The Leykold itself, despite its large size, does not fully clarify the afterlife, and the concept of an afterlife is coloured deeply by folk traditions and philosophical musings of numerous Dlroch'veldr monks.
Most folk Wolgos traditions hold that within the realm of stars, the souls join a dream within Dlrocha's perfect consciousness; within the dream, the souls enjoy all that Dlrocha willed for them in eternal serenity and satiety of all Wolgos needs and hopes. However, some Wolgos hold that souls come back to Gotha as falling stars to inhabit new bodies anew and continue their existence in the mortal realm.
Funerary rites
The Wolgos have different rites for those who die unwillingly, for example, by accident, in war or suddenly and unexpectedly, and for those who reach an advanced age or in firmness and choose to die in accordance with tradition and their faith. Death for the wolgos is a natural process with no taboo, often portrayed in art and literature; as such, the wolgos take great care with their death rites and hold romantic views of their own death.
Rites for the dead
When the Wolgos die without planning their death, either due to inflicted violence, accident or sudden death the Wolgos, their bodies will be prepared for their final rites. Bodies will be stripped of all worldly trappings and covered with raw linen embroidered with sacred passages from the Reynold. When the body is prepared, significant others typically hold a brief funeral with commemorative hymns and chats accompanied by copious amounts of alcohol.
Those closest to the disease, such as the wife, husband or children, will normally sleep for the last night in the same chamber as the diseased. as an act of respect, longing and affection. This last night of the deceased is often a quiet affair; music may be played, and incense may be burned.
After the funeral rites, the body is taken to a Mr̥tōdǵhem Deywōwelnos, a death park. There, it is placed in an open glade or stone ledge close to a shrine and left with lit candles as a farewell. The body is left in the open to rot naturally or be consumed by the park's wildlife, allowing it to return to nature.
Rites for those wishing to die
The vast majority of Wolgos die when they choose, through a process of ritualistic suicide. Most wolgos of the advanced age, when they become infirm, weak or become aware of a terminal illness, will undergo their death pilgrimage. A pilgrimage to a death park where they will enter and seek their death.
Before they undertake the pilgrimage, a Wolgos will plan a farewell celebration with their loved ones and piers, often attended by a whole extended family. The party celebrates their life, and the one wishing to die gives the final gifts. The celebration concludes with the nude wolgos wishing to die, having their face, neck, hands and heart location painted in red with intricate holy decorations and texts by a skilled funerary artist.
The Wolgos will then be taken to a death park where a select few will say their farewell at the solemn reception of the park gates, and they will share a last goodbye and embrace before the wolgos wishing to die is lead into the park and its pilgrimage route by park keepers.
In the park, a wolgos will travel through the thousands of hectares of a death park, travelling from shrine to shrine to contemplate life and Dlrocha. While they are in the park awaiting death, Wolgos must only carry a thin and richly decorated linen shroud but must not endeavour to make a fire, hunt the wildlife or seek to prolong their survival. A wolgos must allow the elements and exhaustion to take their toll and surrender to the death they bring. They only seek a dignified place close to a shrine or path when they feel they are close to expiring, using their shroud to cover themselves and preserve their decorum.
| Wolgos Sub-species | |||||
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Physiology topics: Wolgos Psyche - Wolgos Development From Birth to Adulthood - Death for the Wolgos - Wolgos Sexuality - Wolgos Masculinity - Wolgos Womanhood | |||||
| Historic and current Nations of the Wolgos | |||||
| Dhonowlgos | The Bind | Hergom ep swekorwos | United New Kingdoms | ||
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| ~3000 CE - 7505 CE | 7508 CE - 7603 CE | 7608 CE - Present | |||
| History & Geography |
History of Dhonowlgos: History of Dhonowlgos - Stained Era - Era of Rising Lilies
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| Politics & Economy |
Dhonowlgos Politics: Politics - Foreign Relations
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| Society & Culture |
Dhonowlgos Society: Monuments - Society - Brochs of Dhonowlgos
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| History & Geography |
History of The Bind: History - Geography - Military - Science - Brochs of The Bind
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| Politics & Economy |
Politics of The Bind: Politics - Military - Administrative Divisions of the Bind
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| Society & Culture |
Society in The Bind: Brochs of The Bind - communication in The Bind - Demographics
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| History & Geography |
History of The United New Kingdoms: History
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| Politics & Economy |
Politics of The United New Kingdoms: Politics - Military
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| Society & Culture |
Society and Culture in The United New Kingdoms: Wolgos Culture in the UNK - Demographics - Humans of the UNK
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