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praxis

Ancestor Veneration

Ritual maintenance of relationship with the dead as ongoing presences whose favour is cultivated and whose offence is propitiated. Shinto uji-gami and obon, Norse disir and the alfablot, Celtic samhain and the feast for the deceased, Roman lares and parentalia, Chinese ancestor rites, Vedic śrāddha. Practice-coded rather than belief-coded: distinct from soul_migration (cosmological doctrine of soul-transmigration) and theosis_deification (deification trajectory); ancestor_veneration centres the living's ongoing ritual obligation to the dead.

66 passages · 7 traditions
finnic: 28 passagesfinnic28celtic: 14 passagesceltic14native_american: 8 passagesnative_american8mesopotamian: 6 passagesmesopotamian6western_esoteric: 6 passageswestern_esoteric6hinduism: 2 passageshinduism2norse: 2 passagesnorse2
finnic28
The Kalevala | Rune IV-e
“Weeping Aino, now disrobing, Lays aside with care her garments, Hangs her silk robes on the alders, Drops her gold-cross on the sea-shore, On the aspen hangs her ribbons, On the rocks her silken stockings, On the grass her shoes of deer-ski…”
The Kalevala | Rune V-c
“Finally the ancient minstrel, Mind depressed, and heart discouraged, Spake these words, immersed in sorrow: "Fool am I, and great my folly, Having neither wit nor judgment; Surely once I had some knowledge, Had some insight into wisdom, Had…”
The Kalevala | Rune XII-d
“Spake the stout-heart, Lemminkainen: "Rise ye heroes of the broadsword, Ye, the earth's eternal heroes, From the deeps, ye sickle-bearers, From the brooks, ye crossbow-shooters, Come, thou forest, with thine archers, Come, ye thickets, with…”
The Kalevala | Rune XII-f
“Now the minstrel, Lemminkainen, Changes both his form and stature, Passes through the inner door-ways, Enters he the spacious court-hall, And these words the hero utters: "Fine the singing quickly ending, Good the song that quickly ceases;…”
The Kalevala | Rune XVII-a
“FINDS THE LOST-WORD. Wainamoinen, old and truthful, Did not learn the words of magic In Tuoni's gloomy regions, In the kingdom of Manala. Thereupon he long debated, Well considered, long reflected, Where to find the magic sayings; When a…”
The Kalevala | Rune XVII-c
“"Thence arose the violation, Thence arose the first destruction, Thence came all the evil-doings: From the neighborhood of wizards, From the homes of the magicians, From the eaves of vicious spirits, From the haunts of fortune-tellers, From…”
The Kalevala | Rune XVIII-b
“Sail then farther on thy journey, Point thy prow to other waters." It was not her father's vessel, Not a sail-boat from the distance, 'Twas the ship of Wainamoinen, Bark of the eternal singer; Sails within a hailing distance, Swims still ne…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXII-d
“Not to sleep art thou conducted, Not to happiness, nor joyance, Wakefulness, thy night-companion, And thy day-attendant, trouble; Often thou wilt drink of sorrow, Often long for vanished pleasures. "When at home thou hadst no head-gear, Th…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXIII-e
“When the stranger leaves thy threshold, When his farewell has been spoken, Lead him only to the portals, Do not step without the doorway, That thy husband may not fancy, And the mother not imagine, Thou hast interest in strangers. "Shoulds…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXIV-b
“Bridegroom, thou beloved hero, Brave descendant of thy fathers, When thou goest on a journey, When thou drivest on the highway, Driving with the Rainbow-daughter, Fairest bride of Sariola, Do not lead her as a titmouse, As a cuckoo of the f…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXIV-e
“Now I leave these friends of childhood, Journey southward with my husband, To the arms of Night and Winter, O'er the ice-grown seas of Northland. "Should I once again, returning, Pay a visit to my tribe-folk, Mother would not hear me calli…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXV-a
“'S WEDDING-SONGS. At the home of Ilmarinen Long had they been watching, waiting, For the coming of the blacksmith, With his bride from Sariola. Weary were the eyes of watchers, Waiting from the father's portals, Looking from the mother's…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXV-b
“"But I know without the asking, See the answer to my question: Comest from the North a victor, On thy journey well contented; Thou hast brought the Northland daughter, Thou hast razed the hostile portals, Thou hast stormed the forts of Louh…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXVI-h
“Then the stout-heart, Kaukomieli, Deeply thought and long considered: "It is as my mother told me, This the wall that she predicted, Stretching from the earth to heaven; Downward deep are serpents creeping, Deeper still the rails extending;…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXVIII-d
“Thither archers never wander, There thy head cannot be severed; But an oath as strong as heaven, Thou must swear before thy mother; Thou wilt not for sixty summers Join in war or deadly combat, Even though thou wishest silver, Wishest gold…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXIX-f
“When the hero's feast had ended, Straightway was a magic vessel Given by the kindly hostess To the weary Kaukomieli, Bark of beauty, new and hardy, Wherewithal to aid the stranger In his journey to his home-land, To the cottage of his mothe…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXX-f
“These the words my father uttered, These the thoughts his son advances: 'Guard us, thou O great Creator, Shield us, thou O God of mercy, With thine arms of grace protect us, Help us with thy strength and wisdom, Guide the minds of all thy h…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXXII-b
“"Summer-daughter, charming maiden, Southern mother of the woodlands, Spread abroad thy robes of safety, Spread thine apron o'er the forest, Let it cover all my cattle, And protect the unprotected, That no evil winds may harm them, May not s…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXXIII-a
“AND THE CHEAT-CAKE. Thereupon the lad, Kullervo, Laid his luncheon in his basket, Drove the herd to mountain-pastures, O'er the hills and through the marshes, To their grazings in the woodlands, Speaking as he careless wandered: "Of the yo…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXXIV-c
“I am hapless Kullerwoinen Whom the heroes of Untamo Carried to their distant country, When my height was but a hand-breadth." Quick the hopeful mother answers: "O my worthy son, beloved, O my precious silver-buckle, Hast thou with thy mind…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXXV-d
“In the court-yard stood the mother, Thus the wicked son addressed her: "Faithful mother, fond and tender, Hadst thou slain me when an infant, Smoked my life out in the chamber, In a winding-sheet hadst thrown me To the cataract and whirlpoo…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXXVI-a
“'S VICTORY AND DEATH. Kullerwionen, wicked wizard, In his purple-colored stockings, Now prepares himself for battle; Grinds a long time on his broadsword, Sharpens well his trusty weapon, And his mother speaks as follows: "Do not go, my so…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXXVI-b
“Wilt thou weep for me departed, Shouldst thou hear that I have perished, Fallen on the field of battle?" This the answer of the brother: "I shall never mourn the downfall Of my brother, Kullerwoinen, Shall not weep when thou hast perished;…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXXVI-c
“thy brother too has perished, Dead he lies within the forest, Manalainen's trumpet called him; Home return and do him honor, Lay him in the lap of Kalma." Kullerwoinen thus replying: "Has my hero-brother perished, There is home a sable stal…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXXVI-d
“Bitterly he wept and murmured, Wept one day, and then a second, On the third day spake as follows: "Faithful mother, fond and tender, Why hast left me here to sorrow In this wilderness of trouble? But thou dost not hear my calling, Though…”
The Kalevala | Rune XLVI-f
“"Now I take the eyes of Otso, Lest he lose the sense of seeing, Lest their former powers shall weaken; Though I take not all his members, Not alone must these be taken. "Now I take the ears of Otso, Lest he lose the sense of hearing, Lest…”
The Kalevala | Rune XLVIII-a
“OF THE FIRE-FISH. Wainamoinen, the enchanter, The eternal wisdom-singer, Long reflected, well considered, How to weave the net of flax-yarn, Weave the fish-net of the fathers. Spake the minstrel of Wainola: "Who will plow the field and fa…”
The Kalevala | Rune L-g
“Cold and still my golden mother Lies beneath the meadow, sleeping, Hears my ancient songs no longer, Cannot listen to my singing; Only will the forest listen, Sacred birches, sighing pine-trees, Junipers endowed with kindness, Alder-trees t…”
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celtic14
The Mabinogion | Tale THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN-g
“And as long as thou concealest it, it will conceal thee. When they have consulted together, they will come forth to fetch thee, in order to put thee to death; and they will be much grieved that they cannot find thee. And I will await thee…”
The Mabinogion | Tale KILHWCH AND OLWEN-a
“OR THE TWRCH TRWYTH Kilydd the son of Prince Kelyddon desired a wife as a helpmate, and the wife that he chose was Goleuddydd, the daughter of Prince Anlawdd. And after their union, the people put up prayers that they might have an heir.…”
The Mabinogion | Tale KILHWCH AND OLWEN-d
“Then said Kilhwch, “Greeting be unto thee, Sovereign Ruler of this Island; and be this greeting no less unto the lowest than unto the highest, and be it equally unto thy guests, and thy warriors, and thy chieftains—let all partake of it as…”
The Mabinogion | Tale KILHWCH AND OLWEN-e
“I seek it from Kai, and Bedwyr, and Greidawl Galldonyd, and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl, and Greid the son of Eri, and Kynddelig Kyvarwydd, and Tathal Twyll Goleu, and Maelwys the son of Baeddan, and Crychwr the son of Nes, and Cubert the s…”
The Mabinogion | Tale KILHWCH AND OLWEN-f
“(They were men of Caerdathal, of Arthur’s kindred on his father’s side.) Dirmyg the son of Kaw, and Justic the son of Kaw, and Etmic the son of Kaw, and Anghawd the son of Kaw, and Ovan the son of Kaw, and Kelin the son of Kaw, and Connyn t…”
The Mabinogion | Tale KILHWCH AND OLWEN-g
“During his whole life, a blade of reed grass bent not beneath his feet, much less did one ever break, so lightly did he tread.) Teithi Hên the son of Gwynhan (his dominions were swallowed up by the sea, and he himself hardly escaped, and he…”
The Mabinogion | Tale KILHWCH AND OLWEN-i
“Uchtryd Varyf Draws (who spread his red untrimmed beard over the eight-and-forty rafters which were in Arthur’s Hall). Elidyr Gyvarwydd. Yskyrdav and Yscudydd (two attendants of Gwenhwyvar were they. Their feet were swift as their though…”
The Mabinogion | Tale KILHWCH AND OLWEN-x
“Were he alive, thy death he’d be. And thereupon Kai was wroth, so that the warriors of the Island could scarcely make peace between Kai and Arthur. And thenceforth, neither in Arthur’s troubles, nor for the slaying of his men, would Kai c…”
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native_american8
The Soul of the Indian | Chapter III-d
“After silent prayer, each medicine-man in turn addressed himself to his charge, exhorting him to observe all the rules of the order under the eye of the Mysterious One, and instructing him in his duty toward his fellow-man and toward the Ru…”
The Soul of the Indian | Chapter V-e
“There are some curious traditions of young men and maidens who transgressed this law unknowingly, being seduced and deceived by a magnificent buck deer, perhaps, or a graceful doe, and whose fall was punished with death. The animal totems…”
The Soul of the Indian | Chapter VI-a
“ON THE BORDER-LAND OF SPIRITS Death and Funeral Customs. The Sacred Lock of Hair. Reincarnation and the Converse of Spirits. Occult and Psychic Powers. The Gift of Prophecy. The attitude of the Indian toward death, the test and backgro…”
The Soul of the Indian | Chapter VI-b
“At every meal time, a dish of food was placed under it, and some person of the same sex and age as the one who was gone must afterward be invited in to partake of the food. At the end of a year from the time of death, the relatives made a…”
Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 79
“THE REMOVED TOWNHOUSES Long ago, long before the Cherokee were driven from their homes in 1838, the people on Valley river and Hiwassee heard voices of invisible spirits in the air calling and warning them of wars and misfortunes which the…”
Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 95
“HEMP-CARRIER On the southern slope of the ridge, along the trail from Robbinsville to Valley river, in Cherokee county, North Carolina, are the remains of a number of stone cairns. The piles are leveled now, but thirty years ago the stones…”
Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 111a
“THE MOUNDS AND THE CONSTANT FIRE: THE OLD SACRED THINGS Some say that the mounds were built by another people. Others say they were built by the ancestors of the old Ani′-Kĭtu′hwagĭ for townhouse foundations, so that the townhouses would b…”
Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 122b
“Da′ʻnawa-(a) Sa′ʻtsûñyĭ : “War crossing,” a ford in Cheowa river about 3 miles below Robbinsville, in Graham county. A hostile war party from the North, probably Shawano or Iroquois, after having killed a man on Cheowa, was pursued and cro…”
mesopotamian6
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet VI — Ishtar and the Bull of Heaven | Tablet VI, Section 1c
“But if thou’lt [not] make [this Bull], then . . . . I'll smite . . . ., I'll put . . . ., I'll . . . . 100. More than the . . . will be the . . . . . . . ________________________________ Anu [made answer, (thus) spe…”
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet VII — The Death of Enkidu | Tablet VII, Section 1a
“THE SEVENTH TABLET. THE DEATH OF ENKIDU. . "Why, O my friend, do the great gods (now) take counsel together?" . . . 30. "Of want . . . . since me it is that . . .hath . . . . And me the fever [hath laid] on my back." ______…”
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet VIII — The Mourning of Gilgamish | Tablet VIII, Section 1
“THE EIGHTH TABLET. OF THE MOURNING OF GILGAMISH, AND WHAT CAME OF IT. : "Unto me hearken, O Elders, to me, aye, me [shall ye listen], ’Tis that I weep for my [comrade] Enkidu, bitterly crying Like to a wailing woman: my grip is [slack’d] on…”
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet XII — Gilgamish Enquires of the Dead | Tablet XII, Section 1a
“THE TWELFTH TABLET. GILGAMISH, IN DESPAIR, ENQUIRES OF THE DEAD. . (Then), what time that the seine had pass’d through the Architect 's dwelling, (Aye, and) the net [had taken its toll] . . . . [said he]: "Lord, what [is’t I may do]…”
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet XII — Gilgamish Enquires of the Dead | Tablet XII, Section 1b
“Cried(?) [he] (for) Enkidu out of the earth to ascend: "[Not] (the Plague-god), Namtar, hath [seized] him, nor fever, (but only) the earth: nor the Croucher, [Nergal], the ruthless, hath seized him, (but only) the earth: neither fell he The…”
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet XII — Gilgamish Enquires of the Dead | Tablet XII, Section 1c
“"Tell, O my friend, O tell, O my friend, (O) tell (me, I pr’y thee), What thou hast seen of the laws of the Underworld?" "(Nay, then,) O comrade; 90. I will not tell thee, (yea,) I will not tell thee—(for), were I to tell thee, What I have…”
western_esoteric6
Psychic Self-Defence (Dion Fortune) | 6. Hauntings-a
“THERE are two forms of “haunting” which have to be considered, the one which is due to a discarnate soul who interferes with a particular person, and the one which is due to the conditions prevailing in a particular place, and which affects…”
Transcendental Magic II: The Ritual (Éliphas Lévi) | 11. The Triple Chain-b
“Mystification combined with it after wards, and even educated and intelligent persons were so infatuated with the novelty that they hoaxed themselves, and became the dupes of their own absurdity. The oracles of the tables were answers more…”
Transcendental Magic II: The Ritual (Éliphas Lévi) | 13. Necromancy-c
“There are two kinds of Necromancy, that of light and that of darkness - the evocation by Prayer, Pantacle and Perfumes, and the evocation by blood, imprecations and sacrilege. We have practised only the first, and advise no one to devote t…”
Transcendental Magic II: The Ritual (Éliphas Lévi) | 13. Necromancy-d
“Every evening at the same hour we must shut ourselves in the chamber consecrated to the memory of the lamented person, using only one small light, such as that of a funeral lamp or taper. This light should be placed behind us, the portrait…”
Transcendental Magic II: The Ritual (Éliphas Lévi) | 13. Necromancy-e
“The chafing-dish containing the sacred fire should be in the centre of the oratory and the altar of perfumes hard by. The operator must turn towards the east to pray, and the west to invoke; he must be either alone or assisted by two perso…”
Transcendental Magic II: The Ritual (Éliphas Lévi) | 13. Necromancy-f
“Thus, a fatal law drives demons downward when they wish and believe themselves to be ascending. So also those who term themselves chiefs are the most impotent and despised of all. As to the horde of perverse spirits, they tremble before a…”
hinduism2
The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter I, Section 1c
“In consequence of the predominance of impiety, O K ri sh n a! the women of the family become corrupt ; and the women becoming corrupt, O descendant of V ri sh n i! intermingling of castes results; that intermingling necessarily leads the…”
The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter IX, Section 1b
“Thus those who wish for objects of desire, and resort to the ordinances of the three (Vedas), obtain (as the fruit) going and coming. To those men who worship me, meditating on me and on no one else, and who are constantly devoted, I give…”
norse2
The Poetic Edda: Hovamol | Section 1f
“Fire for men | is the fairest gift, And power to see the sun; Health as well, | if a man may have it, And a life not stained with sin. 69. All wretched is no man, | though never so sick; Some from their sons have joy, Some win it from kin…”
The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1b
“The roving Norsemen of the tenth century, very few of whom had as yet accepted Christianity, were nevertheless in close contact with Celtic races which had already been converted, and in many ways the Celtic influence was strongly felt. It…”