Tikijitoa - Ceremony of Ashes

“What happens if we die?” Tiala asked her mother Umija, crying.

A day earlier, her grandmother has never woken up again and was now lying on a deathbed surrounded by red fire glass, black stones and orange flowers of consolation.

"Grandmother's immortal soul is now with Banyulu and is being led by her into the realm of the dead. We will give her body to the fire tomorrow, because we were born from fire and through our ashes new life will arise - just like the ashes after a volcanic eruption.", Umija comforted her daughter.

Tiala's first brush with death at the age of eight. -

During Tozumto, the 7th month of the Layid solar calendar, the Layikani go to volcanoes or other fire-holy sites to commemorate the long-dead or to scatter the ashes of those who have passed into the afterlife in the past year.
Many families have their own set days when they make the journey to the volcanoes, but over the centuries it has become a tradition for the residents of towns or villages to set off together to see the volcanoes, because Tikijitoa is no a joyless celebration, rather the mourners are accompanied by Tikitebos with dancing and singing to honor the dead.

Origin

The first ceremonies of ashes took place during the Age of Enlightenment in the middle of the 3rd millennium BEC when high dignitaries of the Layikani were buried in this way.

The Layikani believe that the souls of the deceased are led by the sun goddess Banyulu, who is also dying, to the underworld beneath the volcanoes, from where they reach the realm of the dead and become immortal. But their bodies should burn into ash, like the fertile earth of volcanoes, so that the cycle of life can begin again.

Even back then, the journeys were long and arduous, as the climbs to the volcanoes led over impassable terrain. In addition to the priestesses, followers of the dignitaries also took part in the commemorations. To make the climb easier, many of the travelers repeatedly sang songs.

In the coming years, this developed into the tradition of Tikitebos, a type of professional ceremonial dance and singing group that became an integral part of the ritual from the Age of the Ancestors around 3,000 BEC.

Wake among the Layikani by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney

Wake

After the death of a Layikani, the body is cleaned and wrapped in different colored linen cloths depending on the gender, age or title of the dead. Priestesses or princesses receive dark red scarves, all other women receive red scarves, girls up to puberty receive orange scarves, and men receive yellow scarves. All colors symbolize the fire to which the dead are returned. The eldest woman of the family says a prayer in honor of the scorched earth god Tozuwu and the aging sunset goddess Banyulu, and a one-day wake begins for boys and men, a two-day wake for girls and women, and a three-day wake for dignitaries.
The color of the funeral linen and the length of the wake also reflects the matriarchy on Layida and is due to the fact that only women can enter into the Spark symbiosis. The higher the position of the woman, the darker the color of the linen and the length of the wake is when she died, or, as the Layikani would say, the darker the fire burned within them.
During the wake, relatives and friends say goodbye to the deceased with small gifts. Offerings include flowers in red and orange tones, fire glass or lava stones, which are burned with the body after the wake.

Combustion

The burning is sacred and is carried out just outside the cities and towns by the mostly male Toasomu, the ash masters.

The Toasomu digs a larger hole and drills a deeper one in the middle so that lava can emerge from the ground and fill the hole. Then he places a fireproof metal coffin into which the body with the gifts was previously placed. Due to the heat, the metal coffin glows and the dead burn to ash except for a few bones.

The ashes are then collected in wonderful urns, usually lovingly designed by the families, and given to the family to take home until the ashes ceremony.

Ceremony of ashes

During Tikijitoa, families gather and carry the festively decorated urns, which have previously been draped on small palanquins, through the streets of cities and towns to the fire holy sites of their communities. The funeral processions are led by the Tikitebos, who honor the deceased with rhythmic drum beats and various dances and joyful songs.
After arriving at the fire-holy site, a priestess from the local Safambi order lights the sacred three flames of the three sun goddesses, which symbolize the circle of life. The eldest women of the families stand in a circle around the flames to open the urns and scatter the ashes in all directions.
The remaining bones are returned to the volcano's lava or other adjacent lava flows. The Layikani then share the food they brought with them to commemorate all their ancestors.

Ascent to the fireplaces in honor of the deceased by Blue Fairy 74 - Midjourney-Collage