Village Graveyard
Sept 17, 2009 18:39:54 GMT -7
Post by |Ayame Unbound| on Sept 17, 2009 18:39:54 GMT -7
.::.::.::.Onaji Yasumi.::.::.::.
((Equal Rest))[/center]
Description:
With life, comes death. In the ninja world, death is in inevitable state of being which none can avoid. We are all born to this world, and we shall all eventually leave this world. Many view death in such a negative manner because of this. Death is often viewed as the permanent end of something; whether it be good or bad. Many dread the face of death, and some have even gone to great lengths to avoid such a state of being. Sadly, this is not possible. One must understand that death is apart of the natural cycle of things in this world. With Life, their must be Death, and with Death their is life.
Many forget to see beyond this stigma behind what death is. Upon "exiting" this world, new life can be birthed from death. One's body becomes apart of this world again, returning to the earth and becoming apart of the cycle of life. Death brings life once again. "Onaji Yasumi" is the name given to Kumogakure's graveyard. Onaji Yasumi translates to "Equal Rest", which has many profound meaning behind the name. For one, "equal" represents the duality behind life and death. The equal relation ship between the two meanings, and how each one follows another symmetrically. "Rest" merely means that the person has left this world, in a resting manner. They are forever sleeping, and so their rest is eternal. When used together as "Equal Rest" the phrase means that in death, their is no separation between the classes, races, clans or status of a person. Everyone will eventually pass in the same manner, and eventually return to the earth in the same manner; "resting equally"
Location:
The villages graveyard, is located only a few hundred meters away from the Grand battle arena (Girikamisama). It can be found in the south west region of Kumogakure, roughly taking up 30 square meters of land. A portion of a thick forest intersects the upper portion of the grave yard, fusing the graveyard and forest together in a very odd manner. To reach the graveyard, one may merely use a road which connects to the main road system in Cloud, which takes a person on the path directly to the cemetery.
Upon reaching the cemetery, one will encounter a small shrine that has been erected for the village. This shrine is attended by many monks and shrine keepers, who look after the cemetery itself. People usual enter this shrine to pay their respects to the grave stones located here, give donations, work in the cemetery or simple visit the location. The building is rather small, and accommodates very little. Wakes and funeral services can also be found and held here as well.
Returning to the earth:
The cemetery here in Kumogakure has a very odd ruling, which has been maintained since the dawn of this cemeteries creation. After a person has been buried here in the graveyard, their burial plot is allowed to "fade away". What this means is that after a prolong amount of time, the burial plot is allowed to decay and fall into ruin. The plots of land are not maintained, and so nature is allowed to"reclaim" the plot of land, and allow the buried individual to return to the earth; returning to the cycle of life, and becoming one with nature again.
Many upon many bodies have been buried here. The bodies of war hero's, commoners, ninja and non ninja alike are all buried here, resting forever in these plots of land. Grave markers are designed to last for roughly a few decades, but then they will eventually crumble and return to the earth as well. Most relatives will forget these ancestorial plots, and keep the memory of their loved ones with them in their homes, hearts, memories, or in their own personal shrines within their homes.
A forgotten Path:
Some paths here in the cemetery are far to old to remember by many, and have been over taken by nature over the years. Many sections of the graveyard have transformed more into a forest then a cemetery, absorbing the gravestones, and plots of line, and making little remembrance of the presence of humans. Beaten paths disappear, and large tress and shrubs spread across these sections of the cemetery. Some plots of land are still visited by family members, who take care of what remains of the plots of lands, and their passed loved one's burial plots.
Be for warned as well, as this section of the cemetery has been prone to "unusual" events. They say the intertwining of the forest and the passed, have given this section of the cemetery a stronger spiritual presence. Whether one can dub these presences as ghosts or other worldly entities, is another story...
Graves of the Unknown:
For those who have had no families, relations or who were merely unknown individuals, there bodies are placed in a section of the cemetery, with unmarked graves. Sadly, the people buried here did not leave any clue to who they were, or what type of relation they had to the village and its people. Respectfully, their bodies are laid to rest here, where they too shall return to the earth in a final rest.
Just as the forgotten paths, this section of the cemetery also bears a strong spiritual presence, not of this world. Not many people come to this section of the cemetery after all.... For more than one reason...
