Funerals and Burials

Elvish burial rites
Although elves did not usually die from natural causes like sickness or age, they knew death and had their own burial rites.

The early elves before or during the great journey seem to have buried those who were killed, by enemy, accident or wild beasts, in deep graves or pits they called Sapsai or dagdai and the Avari or wild elves probably continued that tradition.A tradition that may have arisen during the great journey was that of erecting large piles of stones or "cairns", possibly at first to shelter their graves from scavenging beasts.

The High-elves however eventually began to rise first heaps (Q."cumbë"), then artificial hills or burial mounds for their death although at least some tribes seem to have continued to bury their death in flat graves (Q."launer" or "lárar").Among the Noldor however the mounds or heaps grew larger and started to contain real rooms or tombs (Q."Noirër"), also their cairns became more elaborate and could even become small monuments like pillars or pyramids upon their mounds.

The Grey Elves in some places continued the tradition of flat graves (S."Sairch"), with stone-cairns (S."sarnas") built atop but at least in Doriath also began to erect greater mounds (S."tyrn") which also could contain tombs, although this may have been a late influence or imitationof the Noldor.

All elvish cultures also knew the tradition of mourning (S."Nienor"), lament (Q."Naire" or "Nainië"), Memorial feast and song.They all shunned cremation whenever possible preferred body-burials.