Last Rites

So it was that Tulimak of the Tundra, became my property; and my responsibility. I had slain him, and he had gone unclaimed by any of the peoples gathered at Kanirniq. His property became my property; and his funeral rites became my responsibility. Although I had not met him until recently, it could now fairly be said that I knew him better than anyone else had; because I had killed him.

After our dispute had been settled honorably and witnessed faithfully as is customary, people had left the torch lit area of Kanirniq's Ring of Sand to attend their own fires and furs. All lives do not stop because one does, others go on; and the one, is in time, forgotten.

Lilyana had approached him, knelt besides him, and lain herself over his chest in grief; whatever else he may have been, he had been her owner. Her future suddenly uncertain now, she wept; sobbing quietly now as she lay with and embraced him. I allowed this display to continue for a time, giving the woman the last moments with him in solitude.

Quietly I moved among the flickering light of the flaming torches, extinguishing them until only one remained; that of the Vessel of Fire. Turning full circle as slowly looked around myself, I spoke very clearly. "Spirit of Tulimak, hear me now; I will remain with you here for the coming of Angutak with the torch of Tor Tu Gor to guide you to the fields of Qudlivan!"

Tulimak, was dead; his spirit had no vessel to contain, or to protect it now; it was vulnerable, and could become lost in the darkness. Such spirits; lost and alone, cold and hungry; would remain forever within the world around us, moving unseen among the people creating strife and turmoil in their anger.

I could not allow this fate to befall Tulimak; I could not allow this curse to hang upon the people. I seated myself upon the ground beside him, holding the one remaining torch in my hand. I would remain with him until Angutak arrived with the coming of the light of Tor Tu Gor to collect the spirits of the dead.

Before the fullness of the night had colored the sky its darkest, Lilyana had roused herself from him; lifting swollen wet red eyes to mine, she whimpered softly between gasping sobs "Master, what is to become of me now?" With a milder look upon my face, I spoke gently to her; "first, you will bathe yourself; then you will warm my furs until sunset." She sniffled; wiped her eyes, and dried her cheeks before running her fingers through her hair, tousling it and shaking it out then spoke softly with a hopeful yet faltering whisper as she lowered her green eyes, "which are yours Master?" I inclined my head toward the man with whom she still sat, "they were his."

There was much to be done; Tulimak would need to be prepared for his journey to the spirit world, and because the men of no people had raised their voice for him upon the ring of sand, it fell upon me to do. I sent the woman away to bathe and to rest while I sat with the body and spirit of Tulimak until mighty Angutak; the Father, who comes for the dead, walked across the face of our world again with the powerful torch of Tor Tu' Gor in his hand searching for those who could be found.

Now I must wait with Tulimak until with the passing of Tor Tu Gor the direction of the shadows his feet cast upon the ground had turned to follow the trail of mighty Angutak as he passed by. Only in this way could I be sure that the spirit of Tulimak did not remain to trouble the peoples of any land.

I began to prepare for the rite of passage after which the spirit of Tulimak would be forever banished from the lands of the living. He must follow mighty Angutak on the trail to the hunting grounds of Oudlivan; beyond where the sunset touches the horizon.

At the center of Kanirniq's Ring of Sand, lashed and standing imposingly together as a pillar of one were the three ominously dark and unadorned Vessels of Passage. The center most was a column containing a fire which was continually kept burning; from within a pan at its base, ash could be taken. From the shorter columnar vessel could be taken a measure of salt; and likewise from the third and shortest among the three, could be taken a measure of water.

As mighty Angutak watched bringing the mighty torch of Tor Tu Gor directly upon the feet of Tulimak; my hands spilled the dust of ash and salt upon the ground between us, the two mingling upon the dark sand. With measured care, I then took water with my hands from the shortest vessel and let it fall between my fingers drop by drop upon the mixture, darkening the ash and binding the three substances together beneath the flickering light of the sacred flame.

I lifted my hands to the sky and spoke loudly as I slowly turned full circle with the light of Tor Tu Gor shining brightly upon my face. The words left my lips slowly, each one carrying the weight of something far older than the stones outlining the ring around us now. I lowered my hand toward the earth, taking within my fingertips some of the darkened mixture with before drawing them back and rising once more. Extending my arm and rolling the mixture loosely within my fingers, as it began to fall I began to speak. "Spirit of Tulimak, you are denied our fire; you are denied our salt; you are denied our water. Leave our lands now, and do not return."

I stood watching in silence as slowly the shadow of his feet turned; and I knew he had followed the path toward Oudlivan with mighty Angutak. Now, I could eat and rest to prepare myself for the journey with him to the Place of Returning, where his body would be lain to return to the Tundra and it's beasts. I bathed, and ate, and slept.

After rising, I returned to Tulimak with two buckets of warm clean water, while Lilyana carried a basket in hand and a rolled fur upon her arms. She carried soap and oil, soft clean cloths, a comb and many wild flowers. Taking Tulimak's knife from the ground at his side I used it to cut away his skins and open them to expose his bare body. Lilyana spread the fur upon the ground; together we undressed Tulimak and moved him onto it. I left it to the girl to bathe him, and to oil his body; she would comb his hair and braid it with many wild flowers.

We come into this world with nothing but our flesh; and in our customs, so to must we leave it.

Once his body was prepared with great care, being washed and cleaned, scented and pleasing; it would be returned to the Tundra; and its beasts. From the Tundra his body had risen and upon it he had walked, and lived, and died; and now, to it he must return. His body had been prepared; and now deep into the wilderness Tulimak and I must go together for many passangs to the Place of Returning; the Gate of Andlivun; where waited Nuliajuq, the Great Wife, who births all things.