Floyd asked me to post the following question as he wasn't sure which section it should be raised in.

Floyd's question


In answer to this question, I think it depends a lot on the dead person's race, culture and circumstance. There are several examples given in both LotR and the Silmarillion which tell us more about this subject.

The Numenorian's for instance reveared their dead, placing the bodies in elaborate stone tombs. This tradition is seen on Numenor, and later at the Barrow Downs where Dunedain kings and Lords were entombed prior to their bodies later being corrupted by evil spirits from Angmar. The tradition appears to have continued in Gondor, too, where the kings, stewards and other lords are entombed in the Hallows.

Dwarves also entomb their dead in stone, believing they were made from stone by Aule and so should return to stone on death. After the battle of Azanulbizar, however, the dwarven losses were too great for them all to be lain in stone. The dead from this battle were cremated on a huge pyre, therefore, to prevent them being eaten by animals.

After Prince Eomund is killed we learn from Theoden that his fore-fathers were all buried in burial mounds, upon which white flowers grow. I'm unsure whether this tradition stetches to the commoners but I have no reason to believe otherwise. Often, however, during times of war or pestilence, when there are too many bodies to bury or entomb, it is often the practice to burn the bodies.

Burning the bodies of fallen enemy members seems to be common practice too. Eomer burned the Uruk hai his band defeated near Fangorn. The dead from the Battle of the Last Allience seem to have been buried, however, for it is those graves which were later flooded and became haunted in the Dead Marshes. As Frodo appeared to see ghostly forms of both Men and Elves, I assume both races were buried there.

Until I look further, I'm unsure about Elven customs. Feanor famously burned away on death, his spirit too strong for his body to contain. This, however, is likely to be an exception to the rule. After dying having given birth to Feanor, Miriel was lain in the gardens of Lorien. There she remained showing no signs of decomposition. Again, that seems to be an exception, and was most likely due to having died in the Undying Lands.

Denethor says in chapter "The siege of Gondor" (ROTK) :


So it seems that only 'heathen' Men (Men of Darkness = Dunlendings, Easterlings, etc) cremated their dead.

The descendants of the Houses of Beor, Haleth and Hador apparently all buried their dead, as Valedhelgwath has proven with various quotes from the Silmarillion.

As for Orcs, well i believe they didn't give their dead much respect. In such a violently aggressive society, no Orc would ever grow to a high age and die peacefully in bed, so I believe it could well be that they ate their dead, perhaps because they believed they could get hold of their dead's knowledge and power this way.