The Ceremony of Tears is a symbolic reenactment of the War of Caverns and a time of mourning and remembrance. It is held on Windrise 9 and lasts only a single day.
It is tradition that no work is done on this day, a very undwarven way of spending the day, but a tradition that all dwarves take seriously. All work is set aside on this day. The forges shut down, the craftsmen lay aside their tools and meals prepared the day before are simply reheated over cooking fires.
This is a day of quiet contemplation. A day of remembrance. It is a time when dwarves give thanks for the generations that have come before them and all that they have now.
The focus of this celebration is the actual Ceremony of Tears. This is a rather lengthy drama which is played out in playhouses and theatres throughout Urmordia. Because of Urmordia's great size, it is simply impossible for all dwarves to attend a single show. Therefore, there are typically between 200 and 250 separate showings, all held simultaneously. The average show plays out to some 5,000 although this can vary considerably. There are some showings that play to close to 100,000 dwarves at a time. This immense shows are held in the largest life halls - great natural caverns that stretch for kilometers. Other shows are small and intimate with an audience of only a hundred and a half dozen players.
The Ceremony of Tears portrays the struggle of the early years of Urmordia, the coming of the Sarthak, the Great War of Caverns, the slaughtering of the dwarves by the Sarthak and their minion hordes and the flight of the dwarves as they fled to the west and founded Uthran.
Not all dwarves attend these plays. About 60% of the population attends.
Generally speaking, dwarves take this celebration very seriously. Outsiders who expect colorful parades and drinking and celebration will be disappointed. Most outsiders find this celebration sombre and moody. Those who show the slightest disrespect for this cultural day of remembrance will arouse the ire of their hosts.
This website was last updated February 29, 2024. Copyright 1990-2024 David M. Roomes.