Sacred stone, spring or grove
Moorimäe cross forest, Peri
Moorimäe ristimets, Peri
Beside a road at Peri in Põlvamaa, half a hectare of spruce and pine is a cross forest, a ristimets. When a funeral procession passed on its way from home to the cemetery, a cross was cut into a tree here for the dead person, so that their spirit would not find its way back home. Spruces were chosen for men and pines for women, and vodka and sweets were left at the trees. An inventory in 2012 counted 30 cross trees; in 2021 there were 26, one bearing eleven crosses, and at least one cross was less than a year old. The oldest archive account dates from 1933.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
Põlvamaal Peri külas tee ääres on pool hektarit kuuske ja mändi – ristimets. Kui matuserong liikus kodust kalmistule, lõigati siin surnu jaoks puusse rist, et tema hing ei leiaks teed tagasi koju. Meestele valiti kuusk, naistele mänd, ning puude juurde jäeti viina ja maiustusi. 2012. aasta inventuur loendas 30 ristipuud, 2021. aastal oli neid 26, ühel neist üksteist risti, ja vähemalt üks rist oli alla aasta vana. Vanim arhiivikirjapanek pärineb 1933. aastast.