I was reading a historical romance the other day and there was a mention of a prayer read at a condolence ceremony held by the Mohawk tribe after the heroine's mother's death. I'm not sure if it's an actual prayer or something the author invented. Notwithstanding, it is just too beautiful not to share.
Lightly covering the mourner's ears, "When a woman mourns, she cannot hear. Let this words remove the obstruction so that she can hear again."
Laying hands on the mourner's eyes, "During your grief, you have lost the sun and fallen into darkness. I now restore the sunlight."
Crossing hands at the centre of the mourner's chest, "You have allowed your mind to dwell on your great grief. You must release it lest you, too, wither and die."
And finally smoothing hands across the mourner's shoulder and down the arms, "In your sorrow, your bed has become uncomfortable and you cannot sleep at night. Let me remove the discomfort from your resting place."
Angel Rogue by Mary Jo Putney (1990)
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