Realm of Shades - Veļu Valsts
In loving memory of Jean Arlene McCormick Zmolek
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We are to die, we are to rot,
Our name is to stay here, Our name is to stay here, In the corner of this room. |
Nomirt bij, sapūt bij,
Vārdiņam še palikt, Vārdiņam še palikt, Šās istabas kaktiņ. |
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- Latvian Daina (Traditional folksong)
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Death is not feared by Latvians but is simply considered a transition from life on Earth (under This Sun) to the life in the Realm of Shades (under the Other Sun). In ancient Latvia, Livonia, funeral rituals involved one person participating blindfolded, representing the person who has passed over. The blindfolded person in the middle is pulled along into the eternal cycle of life in what is known as the Long Life, on the other side of the sun.
In this Dance of the Dead, the dancer is truly blindfolded: she cannot see. It takes tremendous courage to let go, releasing her earthly Life to her guardians as she is led to the Realm of Shades. During the ritual, she will 'choose' the next to transition to the Other Sun. As explained in the Dainas, the legacy of the Dead requires this very last event in one's lifetime to be a time for reminiscing, but more importantly, a celebration worthy of one’s standing in life. - Excerpted from text by Helmi and Dainis Stalti |