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Death knocks suddenly where it is not expected, at an unforeseen moment. A type of resignation, of fate (''jin beharra'', ''gertatu beharra zen'') as if our destiny were already written. Exacerbating this concept, the person who dies shows us that there is in something in us that transcends us; as captured in that well-known saying: ''odolak baduela hamar idi parek baino indar gehiago''. Finally, there was ''Herioa,'' the grim reaper, who was believed to come and find the dying, but they did not give up the struggle easily: anyone who was weak would fall easily. That fight was followed by the community with concern (particularly if the ill person was young), and they would speak matter-of-factly of running out of time, of fighting, of remission, of strength, etc. In addition to that context, to which the discourse of the Church would have to adapt, there was a “reading of the signs”.

Finalmente, tenemos algunas razones para creer que para muchos compatriotas nuestros de los “viejos tiempos”, los muertos seguían ejerciendo alguna actividad entre nosotros en forma de almas errantes, ''arima erratiak''. Verdaderos seres intermediarios, estas ánimas errantes, siempre activas, moradoras de las sombras pero también del fugitivo destello, del aliento expirado profundamente, entraban muy difícilmente en la antecámara que la Iglesia les preparaba en espera de ese gran juicio que presuntamente sería el último. Tenemos algunas razones para creer que aunque los difuntos se marcharan, no necesariamente desaparecían. En el fondo, la Iglesia no podía contradecir esta idea, sino recogerla, dándole un sentido especial (así, al niño muerto Dios lo convierte en ángel).