"For Soj" - Rob Danton's remembrance

Today is the second consecutive "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead), a 48 hour period when many cultures believe that it is possible to commune with those we have lost. A few days ago, I wondered on the blog if anyone had erected a themed altar in Second Life® to celebrate and remember their dead, and I've since learned of several.

This video was created by Rob Danton in May after he lost someone he deeply cared for, The Sojourner. It seems that avatars have their own way of mourning their dead, and Rob feels that the "physical" manifestation resembles an altar. This is very moving. Thank you for sharing, Rob.



See also:

- Real Life inspires: Commune with the people you miss
- Juana Manuel observes the Day of the Dead by celebrating the living

Juana Manuel observes the Day of the Dead by celebrating the living

I asked Juana Manuel why she celebrates the living in her virtual life on her Day of the Dead altar, and she explained it this way:

"On my Real Life altar, I only have dead people. My reasoning for putting living people on the Second Life® altar is sort of convoluted. Two of the people on the altar had life threatening medical issues and almost died this past year. The rest are people with significance for me. One is an image of a place that "died" and is no longer the same build: Nexus Prime. I think that our avatars are manifestations of our souls and that in Second Life, we are disembodied souls... ghosts, actually."


Photo courtesy of al-zahra

Juana used Nebulosus Severine's sugar skulls to adorn the altar. The skulls are scripted so that you can name them via hover text.

"The other is that am into the Tarot, and in the symbolism of Tarot, death is more like change, or a passage, or a transformation. I feel like I have been changed profoundly and transformed by Second Life and the people I have met here. Some of the people represented (on the altar) are going through major transformations -- like the death of relationships, etc."

Teleport directly from here.

See also: Real Life inspires: Commune with the people you miss

Real Life inspires: Commune with the people you miss - Day of the Dead

We all miss someone who has died. When I've lost someone who is dear to me, I create an altar for them at my home in Real Life. On the altar, I place many things that I know that they loved, such as their favorite foods, candies, and wine or beer and even cigarettes, books that they enjoyed, a piece of jewelry that they wore, and so on. I add photographs, seasonal flowers - though marigolds are the most appropriate because it is said that they make it easier for the soul to find its way to the altar because of their scent - and candles.

I erect the altar somewhere I spend a lot of time, and over the course of a few days, I get to feeling like I've had a good visit with my lost loved one. For me, it is a healing experience.

Skeletons and skulls abound in Second Life, and I'll be blogging about two very notable skeletons soon, but I often wonder why I have never seen an NPIRL altar of any kind. This would certainly be a good time of year for it.

Late October is when Mexicans are busy preparing altars in their homes, businesses, schools and even their government offices to commemorate the Day of the Dead, a celebration of sorts that actually takes place over the course of two days: November 1 and 2. Many Mexicans believe that it is possible during these 48 hours to commune with the souls of their dead, and they approach the opportunity with a festive air, and even wish each other a Happy Day of the Dead.


Nicho de la virgen decorated for El Dia de los Muertos by peppergrasss

Bakeries and candy makers produce industrial quantities of candied skulls made out of sugar, and candle makers sell out on long-burning glass-encased votives.


Sugary by A30 Tsitika


Dia de los Muertos by groovehouse

Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) would have likely had a field day in Second Life®, for he was the Mexican political cartoonist, engraver and illustrator who popularized images of skulls and skeletons having a frolicking good time.

On November 1 and 2, Mexicans gather at the cemeteries with flowers, candles and food and actually celebrate their dead. In some communities, such as many of the small villages in Oaxaca and Morelos, there is a procession and a great deal of singing and even dancing. The smell of burning incense envelopes the gravesites and you can hear the people speaking with their dead and catching them up on everything that has happened over the course of the year.


Oaxaca - Dia de los muertos celebrations by Pimousse Pix

In Real Life, the altars can be large or small, simple or incredibly elaborate, taking many hours to assemble.

I would welcome the opportunity to visit any and all kinds of altars in Second Life, but would of course be especially interested in altars that would Not be Possible in Real Life. If you know of one, please do give us a heads up, would you?


Altar by DelScorchoSauce


Dia de los Muertos altar by Slack-a-gogo