A

Animism
the belief that everything, both animate and inanimate, possesses a spiritual essence; the foundation of the conviction that both humans and animals have souls.
Anthropomorphic cross
a stylized cross whose shape resembles a human figure; the arms can suggest human arms, while the central part suggests the deceased’s body.

C

Cenotaph
a symbolic marker of a burial site without the physical body of the deceased; a term used to describe mirila in scientific literature.
Clan
an extended family that collectively managed livestock, shared pastures and helped one another in labour; the fundamental social unit of the Velebit pastoral world.

D

Dry-stone walling
a construction technique using stones stacked without any binding material (such as cement or mortar), used for both mirila and pastoral huts or pens.

F

Footstone
a stone slab placed at the feet of the deceased; together with the headstone, it determines the exact length of the body.

H

Headstone
an upright stone slab placed at the head of the deceased, frequently featuring carved symbols, inscriptions or personal marks.

M

Mira
the measurement of the deceased’s body length taken at the mirilo, after which the monument was named.
Mirilište
a clan (family) resting place of souls — a cluster of mirila belonging to members of the same lineage.
Mirilo
a stone monument along a mountain path where, according to belief, the soul of the deceased separated from the body and remained permanently bound to the space.
Mountain hut
a temporary or seasonal dwelling for shepherds high in the mountains, used for guarding the herd and producing milk and cheese.

P

Počivala / počivališta
regional names used across different parts of Velebit to refer to a mirilo or the site where the ritual of mirenje took place.

R

Rosette
a circular ornament composed of multiple "petals" or radiating lines; one of the astral symbols appearing on mirila.

S

Stone paving
the space between the headstone and footstone, paved with flat stone slabs; its length corresponds precisely to the height of the deceased.
Swastika
An ancient solar sign known across many cultures, appearing on mirila as part of an older layer of astral motifs.
Syncretism
in ethnology, the intertwining of two spiritual layers that do not exclude each other but adapt to one another; on mirila, it manifests in the meeting of ancient beliefs about the soul and the Christian symbol of the cross.

T

The ritual of mirenje
a funeral rite during which the measurement of the deceased’s body was taken at the mirilo, believed to bring peace to the soul and bind it to that specific place.
Transhumant livestock farming
an ancient Balkan tradition of seasonal, long-distance movements of shepherds between summer and winter pastures, also known in the Pyrenees, Apennines and Carpathians.