Grieving on Pandora

[tsmuketsamsiyu]

Kaltxi All!
Its been a hot minute since i was on the forums,2010.

There was a few issues with my ex, my kids and my whole life with avatar end which i though was going to be forever but I found myself back home with all of you!

I'm a real-world Mortician and Embalmer and my son is a Funeral Director.

I wanted to extend my gratitude for those who dragged me to AVATART TWOW and I'm in shock.

I wonder who created Neytiri's grieving (or grief) makeup and her Wrap that she wore to bury her son within Eywa. We had a chat about that on my Birthday since it was opened on it and a bunch of us industry people filled the movie up at 7 pm.

Does anyone want to open a chat about Death with Eywa and how funerals between communities might look like? I'm eager to talk death care on here! It important and it might help anyone facing it in the community here and looking for a way to celebrate hospice care or acute care in pallative ways. We have Humane Euthaniasia here in Canada and we have a amazing community here that love avatar as much as me. We have already wrapped a casket in wisps and pictures of the Tree of Souls, thats all they wanted. It was a great send off. We even did the obituary in Na'vi as much as we could.

I'd love to see and hear your stories and get a chat started. I understand death and want to help those on here with their journey. No matter how far it is or quick it started. Im here.

I see you. Oel Ma tsukan Ma Tsmuke.

 

[SoulOfNeytiri]

Oh My Eywa! I never thought of doing that (the send off that you described), but it made my cry when I read your post! What a beautiful idea!!!

 

[Na'viDreamer]

I was also curious about Neytiri's attire during Neteyam's send off, as well as the solid stripe going down Jake's face and the black/darkly colored bands that were on his arms. I am mostly curious about what Na'vi practices are when it comes to the death of a blood family member in comparison to the death of a clan member, because in the first film, we briefly saw a send off of an Omaticaya clan member, however no one was in funeral/grieving attire. They came in their everyday attire and placed their seeds of the sacred tree on the member as a way to say farewell so that the member's spirit can go on to become one within Eywa.




I wonder if the attire for Neteyam's funeral is what Omaticaya wear when a direct family member dies, or if this was the funeral practices of the Metkayina. Because I also noticed that Tanowari's and Ronal's clothing were also different for Neteyam's send off. They did say in the movie that the Sully's were Metkayina now, so I wonder if this was just Metkayina attire for funerals.




I also noticed that Neytiri was wearing Neteyam's necklace for the funeral as well.




It's all very interesting to think about and I have not seen anything yet in the official canon about the funeral styles of the different Na'vi clans. I am interested in it because the funeral for the Omaticaya in the first film felt much lighter, especially with Jake narrating that the Omaticaya believe that all energy is borrowed and that in the end, all energy must be returned. Granted, I understand the horrific circumstances that Neteyam died under, so his death is a lot heavier and I imagine that no Na'vi, no matter what their spiritual beliefs are, wants to experience the death of a loved one, especially the death of a child. I imagine that dying of old age vs. dying due to murder and war are very different in terms of energy being returned to Eywa. However, I like the idea that death is not the end, no matter how you die. Your soul goes on, back into Eywa where there is freedom, peace, and no pain.

 

[Sopyu ftu äo]

It's all very interesting to think about and I have not seen anything yet in the official canon about the funeral styles of the different Na'vi clans. I am interested in it because the funeral for the Omaticaya in the first film felt much lighter, especially with Jake narrating that the Omaticaya believe that all energy is borrowed and that in the end, all energy must be returned. Granted, I understand the horrific circumstances that Neteyam died under, so his death is a lot heavier and I imagine that no Na'vi, no matter what their spiritual beliefs are, wants to experience the death of a loved one, especially the death of a child. I imagine that dying of old age vs. dying due to murder and war are very different in terms of energy being returned to Eywa. However, I like the idea that death is not the end, no matter how you die. Your soul goes on, back into Eywa where there is freedom, peace, and no pain.

My thoughts about the Omatikaya funeral is that there was a lot we didn't see. I feel that the burial itself is only a small part of the funeral process, and the main focus is the Tree of Souls for that clan. This is where the true act of remembering, sharing and connecting with those who have died really takes place, as well as passing them back into the care of Eywa and the ancestors.

At the funeral Jake witnesses, he is not yet one of the clan, and so wasn't allowed to witness that part. This also helps balance the sorrowful and the joyous. It is an act of sorrow to return the body back to the forest, as we loose their outer, physical beauty and presence (tìlor), but there is also tangible and real comfort and happiness in passing them into Eywa's care, for we know they are safe and will live with her, the loved ones who passed before them, as well as the clan ancestors, and that their yuey (inner beauty) will always be accessible and in touch with the people anytime they wish through the Tree of Voices. This ins't a matter of comforting faith or belief - as it's a literal, tangible and observable part of the Na'vi life experience - they can literally visit the and commune with them anytime they want - so the reassurance and comfort it provides is very real - and these two different ceremonies - sorrowful and comforting - maintains the balance that is a fundamental aspect of the Na'vi in general and the Omatikaya in particular.

 

[tulkunbrother]

Very deep and interesting words are being said here. In this kind of situation, I like more to read and learn than give my opinions, as I don't have much knowledge of Na'vi culture than you guys do.

But what I can say for sure is that spirituality for the Na'vi is something much more tangible to them than it is to us. I know it is not a really deep opinion, but I end up relating their proximity to the spiritual "world" to their moral evolution as sentient beings, their connection and respect for nature and life in general.

I believe that this deep relation with nature and respect for life and their planet opens the door to a more closer connection to Eywa.