[Kutara]

Culture & Customs, cont.
Religion
While the Dothraki revere a number of supernatural beings or spirits, it would be inaccurate to call them polytheistic.  They are more henotheistic in their beliefs: while they acknowledge the existence of other gods, who may claim power in certain locations, they worship only a single deity: Vezhok, the Great Stallion.  He gallops across the Night Lands, with the stars as his fiery khalasar.  It is believed that when a Dothraki dies, their soul will rise to the Night Lands and ride alongside the Great Stallion, and those who burned brighter in life will burn brighter in the night sky.  Because of this belief, the Dothraki burn their dead, allowing their ashes to rise to the heavens.  Conversely, to allow a body to rot and return to the earth is seen as a terrible dishonor.
While not gods in the same sense as the Great Stallion, Dothraki also worship and seek omens from the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth.  The Sun is believed to have been the greatest warrior the Dothraki have ever seen, so fierce in battle that his star burns brightest of all, with such ferocity that he serves as the Great Stallion's lone vanguard.  His wife the Moon travels with the khalasar, her light gentler than that of her husband, but no less a beacon to others.  The Earth, it is said, is the Mother from whence all life came, and is revered as such.  The Dothraki do not build, do not plow, because to do so would be to scar the face of the Earth Mother.  As a result, many victims of Dothraki conquest have had their walls torn down and fields laid bare, so that the Earth Mother may reclaim her land.
The closest thing to a priesthood the Dothraki possess are the dosh khaleen, a council of wise women who hold great respect among the khalasar.  They conduct religious rituals, interpret all manner of omens, and are thought to possess great powers of prophecy.  Bordering on the arcane, their ways are mysterious even to other Dothraki, but their wisdom is absolute.  Blood magic, on the other hand, is strictly forbidden among the Dothraki, and practicioners of such dark arts (maegi) are viewed with distrust if not outright hatred.

Music & Art
Life on the Dothraki Sea can be a harsh existence, but it is not devoid of joy.  The khalasar seems to operate to the ubiquitous beat of rawhide drums, from the joyful cadence of the children's drums, to the thunderous roar of the khal sado (khal's drum).  The wooden frame allows for ease of transport, and is usually crafted from pillaged barrels and crates.  Every member of the khalasar - from the youngest child to the most wizened crone - play drums, and will generally do so if given the opportunity.
More skilled Dothraki musicians will play flutes of various size and pitch.  While wooden flutes are preferred for their richer tone, suitable material is often scarce on the plains.  Instead, the long bones of horses are boiled to remove the marrow and used instead.  However, as trees are in much greater supply in Cuiviénen, this trend seems to be shifting once more.
Perhaps the most intrinsically Dothraki instrument, however, is the morinkhor, or horsehead fiddle.  Like so many aspects of their culture, its deceptively simple appearance belies its great depth and complexity.  The morinkhor is a string instrument with only two strings, made of horsehair and strung along a wooden neck, usually with a horse head carved upon it (giving it its common name).  By manipulating the tension of the strings and bow, the player is capable of achieving different notes, and can even mimic human speech and animal calls.
As the Dothraki are a culture with an oral history, song and music play a vital role in preserving their history and lore.  Song, especially, is used to tell the stories of their ancestors even if the original khalasar dissolves.  In addition to traditional singing, the Dothraki developed a deep, resonant technique that carries great distances in their native lands.
Due to their nomadic lifestyle, any art the Dothraki possess must be easily transported, if not worn upon their person.  Skilled artisans will often engrave or carve designs upon even the most practical belongings, transforming them and - in some instances - evoking protective entities over the item and its owner.  While leather is their clothing of choice, the Dothraki will often embellish their clothing with decorative embroidery, and have been known to sport truly extravagant designs when attempting to display their power.  Warriors wear trinkets woven into their braids to commemorate particular victories.  While many of these trinkets are trophies from the battlefield, some are intricately carved pieces of metal, bone, or wood, created either as a gift or as tribute to the warrior in question.