Oluílií - Ancestor Consecration

Luhu Dropclear drew a sign of gratitude in the sand with her tail. The scent of blooming plumeria, mingling with the light salt of the lapping waves, caressed her nose as she watched Oríl, the last chieftain of the Qiriri of the Emerald Lagoon, being laid in the ancestral barge. Soft, deep humming sounds reached her dragon ear, meant to soothe the grief of the bereaved, but Luhu had been too attached to the old chieftain, and tears of sorrow filled her deep blue eyes.   Two manatees were tied to the front of the festively decorated boat, and the procession slowly began to move. Luhu joined the last of the boats, in which the entire village had taken their places. Songs of creation drifted over the mourners until everyone had reached the ancestral sandbanks. Enveloped in a dark blue lotus leaf and entwined with a woven net of water reeds, the chief was lowered into the water. Luhu dove down into the ancestral reef, which itself had specially adorned for the occasion. Luhu observed small coral sailfish hiding among the flowering polyps. More and more Qiriri followed Luhu underwater and surrounded the old chief's final resting place. The guardian of souls spoke the blessings of life and the ancestors, and slowly the reef began to stir. Shimmering sea creatures appeared above the coral to welcome the deceased, whose soul had transformed into a transparent, shimmering lionshark, into their circle of ancestral spirits. Luhu knew it was not the end, but a new beginning.

When a Qiriri dies, the water people believe that the deceased's soul walks the earth in the form of ancestral spirits, continuing to protect and advise the living with its wisdom. The power of the ancestral spirits is particularly strong in the coral reefs where the deceased are laid to rest. Because their souls are visible in a transparent, luminous form, and the flourishing reefs are a sign of their continued existence, the Qiriri do not see a clear separation between life and death, but rather understand it as a transition to another form of existence.

The reefs serve not only as the starting point for ancestor worship but also as sacred gathering places for family members to speak with the deceased, to ask for advice and comfort, and to seek protection, for the ancestors are considered powerful guardians and protectors of the reefs. Every Qiriri knows their future ancestral spirit through the "Reflection of the Five Streams," which is closely connected to the "Destiny of Water." After death, they appear in the form of the continent's most diverse underwater fauna. Turtles swim around the reefs with rays and sharks, while seahorses, manatees and small crocodiles frolic among them.

Ancestor Spirits of the Seas by Blue Fairy 74 ft. Midjourney

Embrace of the Lotus by Blue Fairy ft. Midjourney

The Embrace of the Lotus

The "Embrace of the Lotus" describes the first phase of the funeral rituals. Using fragrant seaweed and sponges, and under clear, flowing water, the deceased's body is cleansed to honor its outer form.

Afterward, the body is wrapped in leaves of the Eternity lotus. Lotus plants are considered by the Qiriri to be mediators between water and land, as they are firmly anchored to the earth in the mud, then grow through the water, and their blossoms unfold on the surface. The Eternity lotus is a specially cultivated plant with particularly large, dark blue leaves, while its bright yellow flowers are relatively small. Various small belongings of the deceased, such as stones, jewelry, or weapons, are placed inside the wrapping to accompany the ancestor in the afterlife.

Additionally, the lotus shroud is tied with braided ropes made of water reed, into which the deceased's favorite flowers and plants are artfully woven. To protect the identity of the deceased's soul on its journey to the afterlife and to facilitate the connection between the soul and ancestral spirit, the deceased's face is adorned with a death mask made of polished seashell, into which the deceased's ancestral spirit has been engraved.

The three blessings of the last waves

We call upon the ancestral spirits who have gone before us and live on in the murmur of the waves.
Oril comes to become one with the stone guardians of the reef for eternity,
to listen to the silent whisper of the gentle waves and to feed shimmering schools.
Let him rest in your wisdom and shine in your light.
Guide Oril on the unseen currents of the tides and welcome him into your circle.

- Blessings of the Ancestors -

Mirror of the Ancestors

In times of great need or during special rituals such as the Ancestor Anchors, the Soul Guardians can also temporarily assume animal form themselves in order to better utilize the power of the ancestors and thus better protect the village.

The transformation into an animal form is subject to strict rules, and any abuse would incur the wrath of the ancestors and the dragon goddess, as recounted in the myth of "Dragonfrost." Certain animal forms, such as lion sharks, narwhals, or giant octopuses, are therefore reserved only for the highest guardians of souls.

Afterlife in the Corals by Blue Fairy 74 - Midjourney-Collage