Episode nº 26 – Water and Death

We present a new & long series of our podcast that is part of a Creative Europe funded project, Tramontana Network, a cooperation between 11 mountain-based cultural organizations from Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Romania, Poland and Albania that work in the intersection of ethnographic research and contemporary artistic practices.

Throughout dozens of episodes of this series we will creatively address subjects like agropastoralism, transhumance, water management and infrastructures in rural areas, social change and its impact on landscape and food, the Ukrainian migration to rural areas in Europe and many more.

Water, often celebrated as a source of life, holds a duality that connects it intimately to themes of death. Across cultures and religions, water symbolizes the cyclical nature of existence, emphasizing both creation and destruction. The very essence of water embodies purity and renewal, yet its capacity to drown and destroy reminds us of its darker side. This duality raises profound questions about our relationship with water, reflecting our fears, beliefs, and understanding of mortality.

In various religious contexts, water signifies profound spiritual beliefs regarding death and rebirth. In Christianity, baptism is a rite of initiation involving water, symbolizing the death of the old self and the emergence of new life in Christ. Conversely, in many Indigenous cultures, water is viewed as a sacred entity, a life force that must be respected. The symbolic understanding of water establishes a sacred link between the living and the afterlife, where water can also act as a conduit to ancestral spirits or to a realm beyond life.

In literature and art, water often represents the thin veil between life and death. Poets and playwrights depict rivers as symbols of passage, where characters must confront their mortality. Imagery associated with water—storms, floods, or serene lakes—mirrors human emotions, conveying themes of despair, hope, and transcendence. This archetypal representation of water reflects our innermost fears about the end of life and our desire for redemption or revival.

Ultimately, the connections between water and death underscore a richer, more complex relationship. Water’s inherent duality serves as a constant reminder of the fragile balance between life and death, urging us to contemplate our mortality. This relationship invites us to address not only the life-giving properties of water but also its potential for destruction, ultimately leading us to a deeper understanding of existence.

In this podcast episode we blend together three recounts of the dark side of water. In the first, Francesca Migliorin recalls that in her town of Biella in Piedmont youths commit suicide usually by throwing themselves off a bridge, having that specific geographical area one of the highest suicide rates in Italy. In the second, mr. Adelino Serrano from Vouzela, a mountain area in Portugal, mentions how local villagers avoid drinking our using water in certain areas were copper and tungsten mining activities were developed in the past, something that is ignored by public authorities. Also, two ladies refer that artisanal irrigation channels in the same area of Vouzela, would have to be cleaned because of mice and moles that could carry diseases if being in contact will irrigation water.

Special thanks to Studio Florìda in Genoa and to the third age university of Vouzela, a project by the municipality of Vouzela.