Jedi funeral Pyre

Not sure if this has been talked about, but how did Luke know of the ritual of burning a Jedi's body in what seems to be a complex ceremony?

I know in the novelization of Return of the Jedi, it dewscribes him building his green lightsaber in Obi-Wan's old hovel on Tattoine.

I'm personally going on the thought that Obi-Wan left some form of documentation that Luke found via the Force.

Curious on what others think.

 

Yoda might have mentioned some of the Jedi traditions to him while he was getting trained on Dagobah. I think Obi Wan left a book in his home on Tatooine that would unlock for Luke and would self-destruct if anyone else tried to open it. It was in one of the novels, but I don't remember which one.

 

It looked to me like he just set the body on fire?

 

Yeah, didn't look like there was much ritual to it. He probably knew Vader's mechanical parts would require a very hot flame to burn, and the massive trees of Endor made that possible, explaining the extravagent structure on which Vader is lying. And I think his solemnity is out of respect for his father, not any specific ritual. Come on, if it was your father, would you leave his body to be consumed by an exploding Death Star, or give it a somewhat proper burial (using the term loosely of course)

 

The Vikings lived many, many hundred years ago and most people
off the street can tell you that the Vikings sent their dead
off on burning ships.

I would imagine the same sort of mythos had developed about the
Jedi and not been forgotten in only a span of 20-some years.

 

Actually, I'm pretty sure Lucas took his idea for the funeral pyre from the Hindus, who always cremate their dead. The first time I saw an Indian film, I couldn't help but compare the hero's funeral to Vader on the pyre. The setup is almost the same.

 

But it was a ritual because they did the same thing to Qui-Gon in TPM...

My guess is that either Yoda mentioned it or he found something in Obi-Wan's hut

 

thats true.

i suppose given Lucas draws from all parts, the whole funeral pyre is a symbolic way of showing a Jedi becoming one with the Force.

 

and most people off the street can tell you that the Vikings sent their dead
off on burning ships.

You're giving people off the street WAY too much credit, amigo!
So, how did the Viings deal with their dead?
"What's a Viking?"
"They buried them?"
"I don't know!"
"Why? Who died!? It wasn't the quaterback was it!!??"

But it was a ritual because they did the same thing to Qui-Gon in TPM...

Obi-Wan mass-Pyred the Jawas afterall. Cremation would be fairly common I'd think. It is here. He had logs, he had fire. For film reasons as well as person reasons for Luke it was symbolic. I mean, if he buried him would it be said he was following Tatooine culture? There's only so many ways to get rid of a body afterall and fewer still that could be done with just one person.

WOOHOO! Three edits! The village idiot (ie, me) is on a role!

 

Qui-Gon being burned and Vader (or his armor) being burned does not a ritual make. In all likelihood, Luke just felt it was the right thing to do, not because of any Jedi tradition or anything.

However, according to EU, he does find some information at Obi-Wan's home on Tatooine, including the instructions for a lightsaber.

"Why? Who died!? It wasn't the quaterback was it!!??"



Yeah, thats what they'd say, all right.

 

There was a jedi...ages ago apparently. On some mission something when wrong and she caught fire and burned to death. I think thats why the jedi burn the dead.

Plus...What would you have done with the body of a sith who just happens to be your father?...i just wonder if Luke kept some ashes...

I think it was the right thing to do still.

Anakin burned in ROTS.

Vader (or the suit) burned in ROTJ.

Cheers_Cazza

 

Well to me it was just the done thing in the SW universe. It did seem like a ritual and either way I have never considered it to be anything other than a natural act when they die.

 

What is this about Luke finding some sort of book lying around? If he burned the body out of tradition it is simply because Obi Wan and Yoda told him to do it.

 

...?

BEN: You must face Darth Vader again. Oh! And if you find any dead people, burn 'em. 'K?

Why would they care what he did with a dead Jedi seeing as he was the last one anyway?

 

On the ship ride from the second Death Star Obi Wan appears to Luke:

Obi Wan:"Vadar's dead?"
Luke: "yes, he returned from the dark side"
OW: "really, (mutters) now I can finally burn him like he should have in the lava, how the hell didnt he burn the first time at last vengence will be...."
LS: "what"
OW: "uh nothing....look there is this complex ceremoney that involves burning the dead body of a jedi"
LS: "that would be perfect for dad"
OW: "I know"

and that's how it happened folks

 

What I have always wondered is why didn't he invite Leia to the funeral? She was her daughter as much as he was his son, she was there in the same moon and maybe it would have brought closure to her as well in many levels...

 

I never even thought that Luke knew about some sort of tradition. For one, we only see one Jedi being burned, and that is Qui-Gon. It could have been a Jedi tradition, but it also could have been something he requested, or a tradition on his home planet, or any number of things. Luke needed to get rid of the armor (remember, the body wasn't in there) and since he wasn't in the most technilogically advanced area, burning it must have seemed like a good and symbolic choice at the time.

Plus, it's a great scene.

 

What I have always wondered is why didn't he invite Leia to the funeral?

Leia probably would have refused, or be there to gloat over his death, which wouldn't be appropriate for the scene. Remember, Leia has a lot more hatred built up against Vader than Luke does.

 

Exactly. He stood there holding her back as he destroyed her home planet and way of life. That would be tough to forgive that quickly.

 

Umm... whoever said it was a Jedi ritual? Yeah, Qui-Gon was cremated.

I never saw this scene as any sort of 'ritual', just Luke letting his father rest in the most appropriate and fast way possible... sticking a 7'foot tall suit into the ground isn't the easiest think to do.

 

Yeah, and a burning seemed a bit more symbolic and respectful in that case.

 

Yeah, given the mood of that scene, its much better than just burying the suit.

*thinks about mood of scene and has vision of Luke dancing around a grave... shudders*

 

Maybe he was just a pyro.

 

It never seemed to me like he was just following tradition, he just wanted to destroy the remnants of his father's old life as Vader. It's very symbolic, suited Vader was "born" in flames, and his suit "dies" in flames.