The "Mirila" - The Funeral Monuments of Velebit

Mountain massif of Velebit, extending along Northern Adriatic coast in the lenght of over hundred kilometers is geographical, climatic as well as ethnic border between coastland and Lika plane. Thes difference is also expressed in the vegetation cover, which is responsible for maintaining of the inhabitants life. On the soil of Velebit there is mostly raising small cattle.
Isolation of this area has contributed to preservation of cultural background, particularly the spiritual culture with particular regard to the question of death and after - death life. Along the ways which leed from the mountains towards winter settlements of shepherds people on the coast, aproaches to interesting groups of constructions like tombs, so called mirila. They are constructed of natural or semitreated stone plates, as beds, with solar and other simbolic decorations ingraves on heads and foot plates.There, on the way to the coast, they put the defunct for rest. On this place are through the years conducted all ceremonies in the honor of the dead ones. This is also the rest in peace for the soul of the dead ones, and their soul remains here in the mountain, while the body is bearing on the villages cemetary without special ceremonies.
This costum of marked places for rest, constructed in stone or wood, is present also in the Alpine areas, so called Totenraststeine. In the Balkan area, one form of this customs is evident by Vlach tribs and traces of symbolic craves we can find also in arhaic Greec eps.

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