Measure of the body, peace of the soul

According to tradition, the ritual of mirenje (measuring/making peace) carried a dual meaning. At the mirilo site, the physical measure of the deceased’s body was taken, but at the same time, their soul was also appeased and put to rest. It was believed that precisely at this spot, the soul would separate from the body and find peace — instead of wandering through space, it remained in its designated place.

In oral traditions, the mirilo is described as the dwelling place of the soul — a space where the soul finds contentment and peace. If the body were laid down in the wrong place, it was said that the soul might separate too early and return among the living. Therefore, mirenje was an act of establishing order and balance: creating peace between the deceased and the community bidding them farewell.

The journey down the mountain

When a member of a clan passed away in a mountain hut or hamlet, their body was carried towards the cemetery next to the church at the base of the mountain. Wrapped in cloth and secured with rope to wooden stretchers, the body was carried by the men of the clan, who took turns on the long and steep journey down the Velebit slopes.

Halfway to the cemetery lay the clan’s cluster of mirila called mirilište — the resting place of souls. There, the procession would halt for the first time. The body was laid upon the ground, and the ritual of mirenje was performed. According to tradition, the body was strictly not allowed to be lowered to the ground before reaching the mirilo. Otherwise, the soul might separate at the wrong location and wander. Left unappeased, it could return to its earthly hearth, disrupting the peace that the ritual of mirenje was meant to establish.

By building a mirilo, the descendants were creating an offering for the peace of the soul. In this sense, the mirilo symbolically established peace for both the dead and the living.

The ritual and the separation of the soul

On the mirilo, the body of the deceased was laid upon the ground to take its mira — the physical measurement of the body's length, after which the mirilo was named. A headstone was placed at the head, and a footstone at the feet, marking the place of rest.

According to belief, it was precisely here that the soul separated from the body and remained on the mirilo, in an "eternal bond with the sun".

Symbols, inscriptions and personal marks were later carved onto the headstone. These were believed to help the soul recognise its mirilo and find peaceful rest upon it.

The burial of the body

Following the ritual of mirenje, the procession would continue its journey to the cemetery next to the church at the mountain’s base, where the body was buried. In earlier periods, burials were often carried out in communal graves, particularly in smaller and poorer communities.

Mirilo as a place of memory

In the southern Velebit area, a mirilo was built individually for each deceased person. Unlike the grave, which belonged to the body, the mirilo was believed to be a sacred place where its soul rested. Mirila were visited, and people would pause and pray beside them. In this way, the community preserved the identity of the deceased and maintained a lasting connection between their living and their dead.

This practice was also influenced by the way of life of the Velebit shepherds. They spent a large part of the year on the mountain, moving along the paths where the mirila were located. They were part of their everyday space — closer and more present than the cemeteries in the settlements in the lowlands below.