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61). Life and death are inextricably interwoven. As death follows life, life springs forth from death. Death is the seed which brings life. Death is not a mere destruction, but a transition. As the old body dissolves into nothingness, a new body begins to take form. Transformation is the order of things. Finally, the Dayak conceive a reciprocal relationship between the living and dead. Both depend upon each other, the living for protection and largesse, and the dead for periodic offerings, respect, and commemoration. Mutual care and concern are the essential ingredients in a proper relationship. VAN GENNEP: THE RITES OF PASSAGE For Van Gennep, rituals performed at death resemble those played out during other critical periods in the life of the individual, e.g., at birth, social puberty, or marriage. rife is a journey, the individual a passenger. Along the way, the individual confronts periodic challenges which he must manage if he is to move to the next social station. To help the person cope with these crises, society has developed ceremonial responses which Van Gennep labeled the "rites of passage." All rites of passage follow a standard pattern. A rite of separation is followed by a rite of transition and concludes with a rite of incorporation. These themes of separation, transition, and incorporation mark every life cycle ceremony, although each is differentially emphasized depending upon the group and the occasion. Rites of separation are important in death, transition in death, pregnancy, betrothal, and initiation, and incorporation in marriage. Separation means to relinquish a previous social status, a requisite for movement into a new social position in the social structure. To be born is to move from the world of the unborn to the society of the living. To die is to depart the world of the living, and to enter the home of the ancestors. To mourn is to detach as a wife, or husband, to become widow or widower. Movement from one status to another is gradual. The person enters a transitional or luminal period, a sacred and dangerous time, during which normal, ordinary activities are interrupted. Now the individual is suspended between two worlds, between the past and the future, between a former condition and a new social destiny. In limen, one undergoes transformation, shedding an old social identity while molding a new social personality. The passenger emerges from limen ready in a ritual and social sense to assume the responsibilities of a new social existence. A rite of incorporation, which includes a ceremonial meal, confirms the transformation of the individual. Each person eats of food brought by others. "All are united to all, so that a complete and profound union is affected among the members of the group" (Van Gennep: 170). This tripartite model fits well the analysis of initiation (social puberty) rites. The initiate is separated physically from his home, parents and neighbors. He is transported to a mysterious and sacred place, where, together with peers, he faces a series of trials and ordeals. During limen, his former identity is obliterated, and a new social and spiritual self takes shape. The metamorphosis completed, he is accepted into adult society in a rite of incorporation at which he joins with others in a communal meal. He has made the transition from the asexual to the sexual worlds. Marriage, too, lends itself' to Van Gennep's analysis. Separation is evident as the betrothed moves from one household to another, from one family to another, from one village to another, from limited social responsibility to full adult status. Betrothal, the transitional period, may last for several years. Among the Chaga of Tanzania, reports Van Gennep, tree long transition allows the groom's family the time to raise the bride price promised to the bride's family. The slaughter of an ox signifies the end of the betrothal. After the wedding feast, the couple begins married life together. In American marriage, the honeymoon period may be viewed as transitional. The newlyweds have been formally united in marriage, and have presented themselves at a reception for the community. They depart on a honeymoon, to a magical place (often in the sun) where they luxuriate in a wonderful dream world. Normal responsibilities, e.g., working, shopping, cooking, and cleaning do not have to be met at this time. Like Van Gennep's actors in limen, the honeymooners are special and set apart. Soon the couple return to earth, to the real world, there to begin married life. The honeymoon is over. Death ritual subsumes elements of separation, transition and incorporation. Symbolic of separation in death is the deposit of the corpse in the grave, coffin or cemetery; burning the dead person's tools, jewels, house and other possessions; killing wives, slaves, and favorite animals of the deceased. Mourning is transition. The bereaved are segregated, physically and socially, from the living. In limen, they are cut off from the dead and from their friends and neighbors. Normal social life is suspended for them for a prescribed period of mourning, their activities hemmed in by taboos. Reversal of normal patterns occurs during the luminal period. In Europe, this included stopping all clocks in the home, the turning of mirrors toward the wall, the emptying of water vessels, and the opening of doors and windows (Lessa 1971: 760). A Jewish mourner during Shiva is forbidden, for seven days beginning with the
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