Parshmen

[Chaela]

Anyone have any thoughts on why both the Parshmen and the Parshendi are so protective of their dead? I'm especially interested in why the Parshmen lay the bodies of their people out on rocks. Perhaps to grown armor? To be picked up by Parshendi? To meet up with a spren?

[Andrew the Great he/him]

I doubt that it's any of the above, as a) they're dead, and therefore not likely to continue growing anything, aside from which, the Parshendi have armor while alive, and are confused by the Parshmen (why don't they sing?), which they probably wouldn't be if they had been through a phase earlier where they died and grew armor. See previous sentence, and also, the Parshendi just let their dead sit there as well. c) they're dead. They don't seem likely to meet up with any spren but Deathspren. And not even them, if they're already dead.

My thoughts: The Shin apparently believe that stone is sacred - why not the Parshendi too? Thus, leaving them on stone. However, I'm not sure why they leave them where they are and get upset if they're moved. They wouldn't be the first culture to have really specific rituals for their dead, though. What I want to know is, where do all the bodies go? They've been at war for six years - shouldn't the Parshendi (and Alethi, for that matter) bodies be piling up in the Chasms? My personal pet theory at the moment is that the chasmfiends eat them.

[Zayde he/him]

The chasmfiends probably do eat some of the corpses. But most of them are probably washed away into the chasms during highstorms and then washed out to wherever the chasms drain to. After all, the bridge crews had chasm duty, which involved searching the chasms for dead bodies.

[Andrew the Great he/him]

But not pulling them out. Just taking their equipment. Theoretically, there should be quite the stash of bodies built up in the bottom of the chasms after six years of nearly constant fighting. Hence the necessity for chasmfiends eating them. Which actually makes a lot of sense, as it gives chasmfiends a source of food. What I want to know, is what did chasmfiends eat before the war? There doesn't appear to be much food available down in the chasms...... although who can say what a chasmfiend requires to subsist? Maybe they eat rocks or something....

[Ryan he/him]

What Zayde said clicked something in my brain. The Parshmen probably leave their dead out to be taken by the storms. Highstorms appear to be associated with the divine, both in actuality and in many religions on Roshar. Leave the dead where they met their end, because...well, who knows. But leave them out to be taken by the Stormfather? Sure, I'd buy that.

We just need more data. As Voidbringers, the Parsh-races must be associated with Odium in some way. Maybe like how Ruin had power over the minds of the creations of Hemalurgy, Odium can exercise influence with the Pashmen when he so chooses. I would expect the Parshendi religion to revere Odium, but not knowing how his power affects Roshar, I couldn't say what form their rituals might take.

[Aramos Nightshackle]

Had an interesting though as I read these musings: What if the Parshendi leave the corpses of their brethren out as an offering to the chasmfiends?  After all, didn't Nohadon's writings mention that the Parshendi revered the chasmfiends as gods?  Or was this simply Nohadon's speculation...?  
I also agree with Ryan -- the Parsh-races must be associated with Odium in some way or another.  Nevertheless, how that correlation is manifested is beyond me.   

[Confused]

I believe disturbing the remains of dead listeners allows Odium to invade them and turn them into "mindless" Unmade. His investiture can resurrect dead greatshells into thunderclasts (see the Dalinar Purelake vision), and I think he does the same thing with dead listeners.

 

Why their remains have to be disturbed to permit his investment, I don't know. But that appears to be the case.

[Pathfinder]

I believe disturbing the remains of dead listeners allows Odium to invade them and turn them into "mindless" Unmade. His investiture can resurrect dead greatshells into thunderclasts (see the Dalinar Purelake vision), and I think he does the same thing with dead listeners.

 

Why their remains have to be disturbed to permit his investment, I don't know. But that appears to be the case.

is Odium's investiture resurrecting dead greatshells into thunderclasts confirmed/WoB? That idea sounds awesome, and I was curious the source. 

[DreamEternal]

is Odium's investiture resurrecting dead greatshells into thunderclasts confirmed/WoB? That idea sounds awesome, and I was curious the source.

I think it was refuted by WoB, if there was ever a WoB about it.

And some posts above: Nohadon never spoke directly of the Parshendi. I think you mean Gavilar's scholars.

Edited January 27, 2016 by DreamEternal

[natc]

Didn't the one thunderclast we've seen just rip itself out of random rock?

Do these things even need to be alive anyway? Midnight essence seems to just be loose skin filled with smoke.

[Pathfinder]

Didn't the one thunderclast we've seen just rip itself out of random rock?

Do these things even need to be alive anyway? Midnight essence seems to just be loose skin filled with smoke.

Yeah that was my thinking too. I feel like the thunderclast and midnight essence are odiums corrupted version of the essences. Thunderclast is talus and midnight essence is vapor. Which makes me very curious to see the other 8 manifestations.