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destroyed, and the streams he fished in, tabooed. Yet there is concern for the welfare of the body, too. To protect against evil spirits, his eyes are closed, the orifices plugged, a vigil maintained, and gongs beaten. His relatives bring his usual meal twice a day until the final ceremony, sit with him, and treat him as if he were still alive. The soul, like the body, is undergoing transition. The Olo Nhaju believes in a dual soul. The corporeal remains with the body until the final burial, while the "marrow of the soul", the essence, wanders incessantly, unable to enter the homeland of the dead until the completion of the ritual duties by the survivors. The soul lives marginally in two worlds. It belongs neither to the afterworld, nor can it resume its existence on earth. In this condition, it may seek revenge against its kin, especially if they fail to fulfill their ritual obligations. But the living show concern for the soul, too. Treated as an intruder in both worlds, destined to wander indefinitely, the living ensures a favorable outcome by meeting their responsibilities. The mourners, like the body and soul, are in a precarious state. Ritually charged and dangerous, they no longer can live as others do. They do not dress, adorn themselves, or eat the same foods as their neighbors. They may not leave the village. The mourners are shunned, not only by men, but also by the spirits. "They are forsaken, not only by man, but also by protective spirits: as long as their impurity lasts, they cannot hope for any help from the powers above" (Hertz: 38). The final ceremony frees the participants in death. This collective celebration involves not only the mourners, but the entire group. The long intermediary period allows the family to accumulate the large store of foodstuffs necessary to accommodate the many guests attending the great feast. Often a number of families will pool their resources in a collective observance. For the Dayak, the final ceremony has three objectives: to give a final burial to the remains of the deceased; to ensure the successful removal of the soul to the land of the ancestors; and to free the living from their mourning obligations, permitting them to return to normal social life. To begin the final ceremony, the corpse is exhumed and brought back to the village. If the bones are not completely bare, the bits of flesh are removed, wrapped in a new cloth and placed in a coffin. For several days, the family celebrates by dancing, eating, singing and drinking. Sacred vases and other family treasurers enjoyed by the dead person during his lifetime are brought to accompany him on this journey. The bones are then removed to their final sepulture, a small, ironwood house raised on high posts. The transfer of the remains from the initial burial site to the final resting place liberates the deceased. "It liberates him from the isolation in which he was plunged since his death, and reunites his body with those of his ancestors" (Hertz. 55). The final service ends the travail of the soul, releases it from the grip of death, gives it peace, and ensures its entrance into its new home with other ancestral souls. Priests and priestesses arrange this spiritual transport. Reciting magical incantations, beating the drums, using their strange Mowers, they invite the celestial spirits to return to earth. They will carry back to the afterworld a boatload of waiting souls, sacrificed animals, and treasures displayed at the final feast. Practices during this final ceremony also affect the survivors. Human sacrifice and the taking of heads are essential elements. Victims are chained to a sacrificial post. The mourners dance around them, poke them with spears bringing screams of pain; the louder the better, for the heavenly souls welcome this. When the victim drops, he is beheaded, his blood collected by the priestesses, and sprinkled on the living "to reconcile them with their deceased relative" (Hertz: 63). This act of sacrifice "desacralizes the living, gives peace and beatitude to the soul of the deceased and (probably) regenerates his body" (Hertz: 6 3 ) . After the sacrificial ceremony, the relatives of the dead purify themselves by washing in the river. The final ceremony completes the separation of the dead from the living, and ensures the soul entry into the community of the sacred ancestors. The livings are freed from their mourning obligations. They return to normal activities, and resume their interrupted social relations. The celebration marks the end of a perilous time.” …the dark period dominated by death” is over, “a new era begun” (Hertz: 56). A number of themes emerge from Hertz's work. First, death is not an event, but a process. When respiration stops, the body receives a temporary burial. A transitional period between the initial disposal and the final burial provides the time for the decomposition of the body, the purification of the bones, the journey of the soul, and the liberation of the mourners. During, the intermediary period, the link between the living and the dead continues. Mourners visit the dead, speak_ with him, and bring his meals. He remains a member of the group until the final ceremony. A second theme concerns immortality, a cycle of life, death and rebirth. For the Olo Ngaju, "death is not a singular event occurring only once in the history of the individual, it is an episode that repeats itself endlessly and that merely marks the passage from one form of existence to another" (Hertz:
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