Anvil's Wake

Betasha 19

Observed by: Mainly among dwarves, as the first day of their Days of the Anvil celebration at the close of their year

Anvil's Wake marks the beginning of the Days of the Anvil, where the dwarves cool their forges, set aside their tools and take time to reflect on the past year and mourn their fallen kin. It begins with the Tolling of the Deep Bells, where massive bells are rung in each city and settlement, once for each dwarven life lost in the previous year and six more times for the ancestors that have gone before. This is followed by the Kindling of the Memory Flames: dwarves light small, blue-burning oil lamps (usually grain alcohol distilled specifically for these lamps) for each departed loved on, placing them on an anvil, mantle or in the family tomb. The Memory Flames burn throughout the day, symbolizing that while steel may cool, its strength remains within the metal - just as the wisdom and strength of the ancestors remains in their kin. At both daily Fjöru, the elders of the Clan or settlement gather everyone for the Recitation of Deeds, where they tell stories of those who have passed, ensuring their memory is carried forward. The day ends with the Final Hammerstroke, where each forge delivers a single hammer blow to the anvil, symbolizing the last mark left by those who came before. It is said that as the sound fades, one can hear the echoes of past hammers in the stone.