April 8th Writing Prompt: Death
Death is not the end. A particular tribe celebrates death in an unusual way, for they think that something else happens when a person’s body becomes to weak too use. Tell a story about their beliefs.
Ideas and questions:
Perhaps members of the tribe believe the body itself changes into something else, such as merging with nature, turning to stone, or becoming a sacred artifact?
It could be that the tribe sends the deceased on a literal journey. They might place them on a boat, or guide them to a specific sacred site on a funeral litter to ensure their safe passage to the next stage.
Instead of mourning, does the tribe hold celebrations because they can still communicate with the dead in some way? For instance, can they talk with the dead through dreams, visions, or rituals?
Does the tribe believe that the soul immediately transfers to a newborn, an animal, or even an object? How do they determine where the soul has gone? Do they have any control over where it goes? Is it predetermined what happens, or can they do things throughout their life to change their fate?
Is there a belief that only certain individuals experience this transition, while the souls of others simply vanish? What determines who moves on and who doesn’t?
Challenge:
While the tribe understands death to be celebrated in their way, strangers might not. Write from the perspective of an outsider who witnesses this death ritual for the first time. Do they find it horrifying, awe-inspiring, or do they come to embrace it? How does their perspective shift throughout the story?