Mourning

The traditions of mourning vary around the islands.

Tseela:

The mourning rituals for Tseela are relatively simple. The deceased person is prepared for burial using various herbs and oils, dressed in their best clothing, and put on display for a night. During that night, the Tribe mourns together. The deceased is placed in kayak, towed to currents that will take the vessel towards the horizon, and in that fashion given back to the ocean.

Typically, those closest to the deceased will paint a white mask across their eyes - white representing the color most closely associated with grief on the island. This face paint represents the sense of loss felt, and can be worn for as long as the mourner decides. It is not infrequent for the paint to be adopted for the rest of that person's life.

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