Origins and continuity of the custom

The history of mirila is still not fully understood. Although their symbolism and associated beliefs point to older roots, the mirila preserved today and their inscriptions confirm that they were built primarily on the coastal side of Velebit, along the paths connecting mountain huts with coastal settlements, from the 17th century up until the mid-20th century.

Based on the inscriptions carved into the stone slabs, the majority of mirila can be dated from the early 19th to the mid-20th century. However, their cultural history is likely older, as many mirila bear no inscriptions, only symbolic depictions. Due to pastoral movements and population migrations throughout history, it is possible that the custom existed even earlier — before written records began to appear on stone.

Across the entire Velebit area, we encounter various names: mirila, mirilišta, namirilišta, počivala, počivališta. Today, the best-preserved mirila are found in the southern Velebit region — particularly in the areas of Tribanj, Starigrad-Paklenica, Seline and Modrič — where they remained in use until the 1970s. Thanks to the continuity of pastoral life, the custom endured longer there than in some other regions, where physical traces have vanished, and the memory has been preserved only in toponyms — place names such as Mirila, Mirilišta, or Namirline.

The fading of the ritual

In the mid-20th century, there was a sudden shift in the way of life. Inhabitants gradually abandoned their mountain huts and livestock farming, settling permanently in coastal towns. The development of tourism and new economic opportunities severed the everyday relationship with the mountain — the very space where mirila played their role.

At the same time, the attitude towards burial also changed. The grave in the settlement's cemetery became the central place of remembrance, and the custom of mirenje gradually ceased. From the 1960s onwards, new, individual tombs were constructed, abandoning the earlier practice of communal clan graves and mirila.

New mirila were no longer built. The existing ones remain along the mountain paths — as stone traces of a way of life that has vanished.