Labirola

"LABIROLA je lutka napravljena da na samrti zarobi pokojnikovu dusu protiv njegove volje. Ovo je obicno cin osvete prema osobi cija se dusa zarobljava, jer se pritom lisava pokoja, odnosno mogucnosti prelaska na onaj svet. Dusa ostaje zarobljena u lutki sve dok ista ostaje cela, tojest dok ne izgubi nijedan svoj deo. Ukoliko lutka ima oci i usi, pokojnik moze da vidi i cuje sve u blizini. Nekada su zivotinjskog ili grotesknog oblika iako se, koliko je poznato, koriste za zarobljavanje iskljucivo ljudskih dusha.

Izgleda da ne postoji striktan metod u pravljenju lutke, ono sto je bitno je da je u lutku vidljivo ugradjen predmet od znacaja pokojniku, jer taj poznati predmet predstavlja mamac za dushu. Takodje ne postoji ustaljena praksa sta se potom radi sa lutkom. Najcesce se zakopavaju da bi se zastitile od unistenja, a cesto su zabelezeni i slucajevi gde se lutke postavljaju tako da mogu da vide svoj odraz u ogledalu. Tacno znacenje ovoga nije jasno, ali je verovanje da ovo predstavlja mucenje za dusu.

Ovakva kradja dusha je bila posebno popularna u Latinskoj Americi tokom proslog veka, mada postoje tragovi slicne prakse sirom sveta. Neretko su po smrti starih zena u njihovim kucama pronalazeni veliki brojevi lutaka za koje se smatra da su zapravo labirole. Ono sto je interesantno iz danasnje perspektive je da mnoge lutke koje ovako nadzive svoje gospodare zavrse u antikvarnicama ili prodavnicama suvenira. Uglavnom se mogu prepoznati po predmetu koji je pripadao pokojniku. Pogledajte po lokalnim svastarama i buvljacima, iznenadicete se. Ako sumnjate da vec posedujete labirolu, preporucuje se da sa nje uklonite komad ili je rastavite i ponovo sastavite, jer ce ovo osloboditi dushu."

"LABIROLA is a doll, made to trap a man's soul when they are on their
deathbed. This is usually an act of revenge; the soul cannot rest,
because it is denied passage into the other world. The soul stays
trapped as long as the doll remains whole. If the doll has eyes and
ears, the deceased can see and hear through the doll. Sometimes
labirolas are animal-shaped or grotesque, although it is understood
they are used exclusively to trap human souls.
There doesn't seem to be a standard method of construction; what is
important is that an item of significance to the deceased is visibly
built in to the doll, in order to lure the soul.
What happens next also varies. Usually the dolls are buried to prevent
damage, but there have also been records of dolls being positioned in
front of a mirror. The exact meaning is unclear, but it is believed
that this tortures the soul.

Such soul-snatching was particularly popular in Latin America during
the last century, although there are traces of similar practices
around the world. Often, upon the death of an old womain, large
numbers of dolls were found in their homes, believed to be labirolas.
Interestingly, in the modern world, many dolls that outlive their
owners end up in antique or souvenir shops. They can usually be
identified by the item that used to belong to the deceased. If you
look around your local shops and markets, you may be surprised. If you
suspect that you might already own a labirola, it is recommended that
you remove a piece of it, or disassemble and then reassemble it, as
this will set the soul free."

Voodoo art by Yoka. 

For more information visit her awesome blog!