Južnovelebitska mirila – od istraživanja profesora Ante Glavičića do danas
Southern Velebit mirilo from the research of Professor Ante Glavičić to today

Summary/Abstract: Prof. Ante Glavičić made a great step in the exhaustive analysis of the mirilo (spots marked by stones when people had died) phenomena over the entire Velebit area in the 1970s. From his studies researchers drew out the relevant data and began with some of his theses and assumptions for future investigation. Here on the basis of his work and mentioned sources, they compare the differences of mirilo in the northern, central and southern parts of Velebit. In all considered aspects they have all been proven: spiritually – in religious, architecture, orientation, epigraphically and artistically – symbolic. On the basis of the results it can be concluded that marked differences emerged in the various historical circumstances from the Modern Age to the 20th century, the context of which has yet to be determined. According to Prof. Ante Glavičić's and later research, the customary dimension in the ceremonial nuances is of very little difference over all of Velebit, since they are the reflection of one traditional spiritual-religious culture that is expressed in the ritual measuring of the deceased and symbolic crossing of his soul from the earthly into the heavenly, cosmic life. However the ceremony of measuring the deceased in a defined historical context acquired various expressive forms on the northern and central Velebit areas compared to the southern, where the tradition was preserved the longest. This primarily relates to the title of mirilo for marking the place of the measurement of the deceased and in this sense does not represent the place of resting of the funeral procession, but only of the deceased in which he last time stood on the earth the end of the journey of which he passed everyday of his life. Although the symbolism for both mirilo/počivalo (a funeral procession resting spot) is the same, the question arises why the other title is more widespread and outside the Velebit area,since the title počivalo itself in southern Velebit, marks the resting place of women with heavy straps on their backs which they wore from Podgorje to the summer habitats in the mountains or for commercial exchange in Lika. The greatest distinctions are expressed in the varying direction of the position of the mirilo sites and the orientation of the headstones - foot stones marking the deceased feet (i.e. his height) and the stone cutting - masonry skills in the shaping and stacking of slabs of drywall construction. Finally, the greatest difference is etched in the memory of epigraphy and creative artistic expression in the rich details of ornamental and symbolic abstract motifs – the geometric stylisation. Therefore the comparison of epigraphic and artistic aspects cannot be carried out, since to date information about the inscriptions and decorations on the mirilo of northern and central Velebit has not been recorded so the brief analysis of the epigraphy and artistic motifs of mirilo southern Velebit was carried out. In the end we can conclude that the southern Velebit mirilo in essential aspects (architectural, epigraphic features and artistic motifs), offer the possibility for the comparison with other monuments of various uses in the immediate and wider geographic area from the prehistoric to 20th century, particularly in iconographic artistic motifs, although their symbolic – semantic interpretation will remain a problem for further consideration.

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