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The days had come and gone, blurring together as the heavy veil had fallen upon the Pridelands and its inhabitants. Zazu had delivered the devastating news to every living creatures and soon everyone knew what had happened and the truth of the matter. And thus everyone came to deliver their respects and honor the king.

Per tradition, the body was to be covered with flowers and other pleasant foliage, usually done by the immediate family and pride, though donations by friends and attendees was heavily encouraged. A short ceremony was to be taken between the Pridelands inhabitants and the royal family, with close friends and fellow Pridelands leaders delivering eulogies and kind words towards the deceased. The deceased surviving family would also speak, offering their own eulogies and thoughts towards the deceased, while also presenting a strong, gracious front to all those who came.

Once the public ceremony was done, the scavengers would come, to take care of the corpse's usable parts, cleanse the area of any potential harm the corpse could do, and to fulfill the final steps of the Circle of Life. Once they were done, they would alert the local shaman to do a ritual to cleanse the remaining parts, removing any negative or harmful auras surrounding the remainders of the deceased, then overseeing that they properly ascend to the higher plane with little struggle. It was a spiritual ceremony done privately to ensure the smooth transition and honoring of the soul and spirit.

After that, the bones would be buried and the shaman would conscript the help of a larger creature, typically an elephant, given their closeness to the lions throughout history, and in this case Ma Tembo, to bring over a stone to be used as a marker for the deceased. The marker would be designed to reflect the deceased' appearance and to signify their completion of the Circle of Life, among the similarly decorated graves in the Field of Kings. After which those who still had respects to pay or those wanting to mourn could come and visit.

Per Simba's request, long before the king had died, he had decided on the type of stone and paints to be used for the design, confiding in Rafiki about the reason for them. Rafiki had been there when Simba had had his spiritual encounter, so he already was familiar with what Simba had in mind. With a heavy heart and mind, he had painted the boulder with the most vibrant and stunning colors he had in his collection. After drying, he had covered the painting with beeswax to provide some sort of varnish protection for the stone. Looking over at the other graves, he contemplated whether or not they would need further care to ensure they're markers didn't fade into obscurity. Finished with his work, he invited the queen and princess to come forward.

The grave was rather beautiful. The boulder was smooth and idea for a gravestone and showed off the painting beautifully. Rafiki had managed to capture Simba's colors well in the design. The swirling, colorful background reflected the passage of the king through life and his completion of his path in the greater picture. It was a very elaborate and eye-popping design, clearly made with a lot of effort and love towards the deceased.

The widowed queen and fatherless princess now sat in front of the grave at dawn. It had been raining the night prior and the grass was covered with a carpet of very thick morning dew. A heavy scent of petrichor lingered in air, blissfully filling the nostrils of the mourners in early morning light. This moment showed all the makings of being an enjoyable, blissful day.

Unfortunately for the bystanders, there was so no such thing to be had here. There senses and bodies were drained from mourning and the weather could've been grey, rainy, and miserable for all they cared, for it would surely be more fitting towards the cloud of grey exhaustion and sorrow they felt. Reddened eyes stared achingly towards the stone, mirroring the exhaustion and pain felt underneath.

Nala spared a moment to pry her eyes off of the grave and at her daughter, who had her head bowed and eyes averted. Even so, Nala could sense how hurt and devastated her daughter was. She never even got to talk with her father regarding their little spat several days ago. She never got to reconcile with him. And now she'd never have the chance to again.

Now as the singular primary ruler, Nala would be in charge of filling in Simba's duties for the time being. Kiara still had to be trained for her solo hunt as one of her last rite of passage to adulthood, then be finished up on her royal lessons before possibly taking over earlier then planned. Additionally there was the issue about the former Outsiders, now trying to make nearby territory their new home and the sorting of issues surrounding that..

Though most of all, she had the duty of Kiara's last living parent to comfort and support her daughter through this time of grief and to be able to be there for not only her, but everyone else.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard a gasp and barely had time to register it before Kiara lunged at her, paws throwing up and around her shoulders while her face buried into her chest. The shivering form of her daughter sent her back into reality and she held onto her tightly, never wanting to let her go. Tightly the two lionesses embraced each other, their quiet sobs and broken breaths reaching up into the quiet, early-morning air and disturbed the serenity the rising sun brought. Hot tears dropped to the ground, mixing with the cold dew on the blades of grass.

The gravestone stood unwaveringly and cold before them, standing present to the two weeping lionesses, though offering little comfort or relief.

I did some research about burial and graves in Africa. I found out that the oldest burial were found there, so there was some burying of the deceased way back when. Given the heavy spiritualism and emphasis on beliefs such as the Circle of Life, I tried to include both traditions focusing on both realism and the soul-aspects. The flowers and public burial are taken from the Lion Guard and how both Aminifu and Janna's funerals were held. The notion that elephants and lion leaders usually take part in each others' funeral was also taken from the show.

Scavengers coming in follows more towards the Circle of Life aspect. While the bodies may become the grass, the flesh could potentially develop diseases which could spread and bring even more death around, so scavengers come in, after everyone else had left, to take care of the issue. After this, to ensure that the body is safe for further steps and following more spiritual rituals, modeled off of Igbo Funeral Rites , the shaman buries the body at sunrise, dancing and singing and praying to honor the deceased and also to lift their spirit to join the ancestors. Before the grave is completely filled, he asks the deceased's chosen animal, in this case Ma Tembo, to help bring a gravestone to be used as a marker for the grave and add in it, before it is buried. The stone is then decorated with a design of the deceased and also a symbol representing the Circle of Life. Prior to death the person can request the colors used in the design.

The burial place occurs in the Field of Kings, a plot of land essentially working as a cemetery for the deceased rulers of the passed. The ruler picks the stone and paints prior to death and usually the plot too. When the deceased's mate dies, for example when Nala follows afterwards, she'll have similar ceremony and will be buried on the opposite side of the stone, with her own mural and design placed on it, following a similar Circle of Life motif with the placement of her remains and marker.

As for royal, but not ruler lions, such as the Lion Guard, they can choose to be buried close by to the Field of Kings in smaller, but still noticeable graves, usually forming a bit of a barrier around the rulers they protected. In case of Guards which served and then ruled, like Kiapo and Kion, they'll have a mark placed above their head like a crown to signify their rule, even if it was temporary or far away. Kion will prefer to be buried and marked at the Tree of Life, though a grave will still be erected in the Pridelands.

As for rulers which were evil or bad, such as Scar or King Mtukufu's traitorous queen Jaha, the funeral rites are different. For Jaha she wasn't added to Mtukufu's marker and her remains were buried in an unclosed location. For Scar, what remains which could be gotten from the hyenas/fire were given the cleansing ritual, to remove any diseases or negative auras, before removed and thrown far away from the Pridelands to remove any evil lingering spirit, in this case thrown into the Outlands volcano. A small 'funeral' was held, though more to serve as a reminder to not let history repeat and hopes that no spirits come back to haunt the living.

In Scar's case, Simba later found his skull in one of the few areas which didn't recover from Scar's rule and the fire, where several dead trees were and the green was having a harder time returning. Upon investigating the land, Simba found a lion skull and recognized it as his uncle's, though decided to leave it and the area, allowing the land to serve as a more blatant reminder of the past and also to allow him to do yearly respects to the lion he once knew and loved. Coincidentally, the area would also be connected to the land which would be burned in the Outsiders act of arson and the skull would be destroyed, and upon coming in Simba and Kovu would realize that the land would begin healing properly once more.

Anyways, aside from that long bit of lore, to confirm it, yes, Simba is in fact dead. Sorry to break your hearts guys but it's true.

Nala © The Lion King © Walt Disney Animation Studios
Kiara © The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride © Walt Disney Animation Studios
Story, Art © Vtoony

Description
Previous || Next

The days had come and gone, blurring together as the heavy veil had fallen upon the Pridelands and its inhabitants. Zazu had delivered the devastating news to every living creatures and soon everyone knew what had happened and the truth of the matter. And thus everyone came to deliver their respects and honor the king.

Per tradition, the body was to be covered with flowers and other pleasant foliage, usually done by the immediate family and pride, though donations by friends and attendees was heavily encouraged. A short ceremony was to be taken between the Pridelands inhabitants and the royal family, with close friends and fellow Pridelands leaders delivering eulogies and kind words towards the deceased. The deceased surviving family would also speak, offering their own eulogies and thoughts towards the deceased, while also presenting a strong, gracious front to all those who came.

Once the public ceremony was done, the scavengers would come, to take care of the corpse's usable parts, cleanse the area of any potential harm the corpse could do, and to fulfill the final steps of the Circle of Life. Once they were done, they would alert the local shaman to do a ritual to cleanse the remaining parts, removing any negative or harmful auras surrounding the remainders of the deceased, then overseeing that they properly ascend to the higher plane with little struggle. It was a spiritual ceremony done privately to ensure the smooth transition and honoring of the soul and spirit.

After that, the bones would be buried and the shaman would conscript the help of a larger creature, typically an elephant, given their closeness to the lions throughout history, and in this case Ma Tembo, to bring over a stone to be used as a marker for the deceased. The marker would be designed to reflect the deceased' appearance and to signify their completion of the Circle of Life, among the similarly decorated graves in the Field of Kings. After which those who still had respects to pay or those wanting to mourn could come and visit.

Per Simba's request, long before the king had died, he had decided on the type of stone and paints to be used for the design, confiding in Rafiki about the reason for them. Rafiki had been there when Simba had had his spiritual encounter, so he already was familiar with what Simba had in mind. With a heavy heart and mind, he had painted the boulder with the most vibrant and stunning colors he had in his collection. After drying, he had covered the painting with beeswax to provide some sort of varnish protection for the stone. Looking over at the other graves, he contemplated whether or not they would need further care to ensure they're markers didn't fade into obscurity. Finished with his work, he invited the queen and princess to come forward.

The grave was rather beautiful. The boulder was smooth and idea for a gravestone and showed off the painting beautifully. Rafiki had managed to capture Simba's colors well in the design. The swirling, colorful background reflected the passage of the king through life and his completion of his path in the greater picture. It was a very elaborate and eye-popping design, clearly made with a lot of effort and love towards the deceased.

The widowed queen and fatherless princess now sat in front of the grave at dawn. It had been raining the night prior and the grass was covered with a carpet of very thick morning dew. A heavy scent of petrichor lingered in air, blissfully filling the nostrils of the mourners in early morning light. This moment showed all the makings of being an enjoyable, blissful day.

Unfortunately for the bystanders, there was so no such thing to be had here. There senses and bodies were drained from mourning and the weather could've been grey, rainy, and miserable for all they cared, for it would surely be more fitting towards the cloud of grey exhaustion and sorrow they felt. Reddened eyes stared achingly towards the stone, mirroring the exhaustion and pain felt underneath.

Nala spared a moment to pry her eyes off of the grave and at her daughter, who had her head bowed and eyes averted. Even so, Nala could sense how hurt and devastated her daughter was. She never even got to talk with her father regarding their little spat several days ago. She never got to reconcile with him. And now she'd never have the chance to again.

Now as the singular primary ruler, Nala would be in charge of filling in Simba's duties for the time being. Kiara still had to be trained for her solo hunt as one of her last rite of passage to adulthood, then be finished up on her royal lessons before possibly taking over earlier then planned. Additionally there was the issue about the former Outsiders, now trying to make nearby territory their new home and the sorting of issues surrounding that..

Though most of all, she had the duty of Kiara's last living parent to comfort and support her daughter through this time of grief and to be able to be there for not only her, but everyone else.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard a gasp and barely had time to register it before Kiara lunged at her, paws throwing up and around her shoulders while her face buried into her chest. The shivering form of her daughter sent her back into reality and she held onto her tightly, never wanting to let her go. Tightly the two lionesses embraced each other, their quiet sobs and broken breaths reaching up into the quiet, early-morning air and disturbed the serenity the rising sun brought. Hot tears dropped to the ground, mixing with the cold dew on the blades of grass.

The gravestone stood unwaveringly and cold before them, standing present to the two weeping lionesses, though offering little comfort or relief.

I did some research about burial and graves in Africa. I found out that the oldest burial were found there, so there was some burying of the deceased way back when. Given the heavy spiritualism and emphasis on beliefs such as the Circle of Life, I tried to include both traditions focusing on both realism and the soul-aspects. The flowers and public burial are taken from the Lion Guard and how both Aminifu and Janna's funerals were held. The notion that elephants and lion leaders usually take part in each others' funeral was also taken from the show.

Scavengers coming in follows more towards the Circle of Life aspect. While the bodies may become the grass, the flesh could potentially develop diseases which could spread and bring even more death around, so scavengers come in, after everyone else had left, to take care of the issue. After this, to ensure that the body is safe for further steps and following more spiritual rituals, modeled off of Igbo Funeral Rites , the shaman buries the body at sunrise, dancing and singing and praying to honor the deceased and also to lift their spirit to join the ancestors. Before the grave is completely filled, he asks the deceased's chosen animal, in this case Ma Tembo, to help bring a gravestone to be used as a marker for the grave and add in it, before it is buried. The stone is then decorated with a design of the deceased and also a symbol representing the Circle of Life. Prior to death the person can request the colors used in the design.

The burial place occurs in the Field of Kings, a plot of land essentially working as a cemetery for the deceased rulers of the passed. The ruler picks the stone and paints prior to death and usually the plot too. When the deceased's mate dies, for example when Nala follows afterwards, she'll have similar ceremony and will be buried on the opposite side of the stone, with her own mural and design placed on it, following a similar Circle of Life motif with the placement of her remains and marker.

As for royal, but not ruler lions, such as the Lion Guard, they can choose to be buried close by to the Field of Kings in smaller, but still noticeable graves, usually forming a bit of a barrier around the rulers they protected. In case of Guards which served and then ruled, like Kiapo and Kion, they'll have a mark placed above their head like a crown to signify their rule, even if it was temporary or far away. Kion will prefer to be buried and marked at the Tree of Life, though a grave will still be erected in the Pridelands.

As for rulers which were evil or bad, such as Scar or King Mtukufu's traitorous queen Jaha, the funeral rites are different. For Jaha she wasn't added to Mtukufu's marker and her remains were buried in an unclosed location. For Scar, what remains which could be gotten from the hyenas/fire were given the cleansing ritual, to remove any diseases or negative auras, before removed and thrown far away from the Pridelands to remove any evil lingering spirit, in this case thrown into the Outlands volcano. A small 'funeral' was held, though more to serve as a reminder to not let history repeat and hopes that no spirits come back to haunt the living.

In Scar's case, Simba later found his skull in one of the few areas which didn't recover from Scar's rule and the fire, where several dead trees were and the green was having a harder time returning. Upon investigating the land, Simba found a lion skull and recognized it as his uncle's, though decided to leave it and the area, allowing the land to serve as a more blatant reminder of the past and also to allow him to do yearly respects to the lion he once knew and loved. Coincidentally, the area would also be connected to the land which would be burned in the Outsiders act of arson and the skull would be destroyed, and upon coming in Simba and Kovu would realize that the land would begin healing properly once more.

Anyways, aside from that long bit of lore, to confirm it, yes, Simba is in fact dead. Sorry to break your hearts guys but it's true.

Nala © The Lion King © Walt Disney Animation Studios
Kiara © The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride © Walt Disney Animation Studios
Story, Art © Vtoony