The following paragraphs illustrates Hertz account of the three elements of death; the body, the soul and the survivor, and how they are connected as a whole, moving through the separation, the transitional and the incorporation stage.
The Body, Soul and Survivor in the Separation Stage: Hertz describes death as a departure. The soul is separated from the body and the physical body decays. The body in comparison to the soul and the survivor all undergo separation in their own manner. Accordingly, the body is not merely a physical one. It has a complex connection to the other elements (pg.27). The period of death is a vulnerable to the body both physically and socially because of its weakened state of resistance (pg.79). Once separation …show more content…
Likewise, the survivor experiences the same kind of constraint. The soul can’t move on to its final resting place until the body has completely decomposed and the final burial is performed. For the Olo Ngaju, the soul is separated into two parts at death one is its personality and the other its’ physical characteristics. Hertz explains, one is unconscious and remains with the dead body. The other conscious soul escapes the body at death, wanders around until the probation period is complete, and the final burial is performed (pg. 34). Like the body, the soul also is delayed at death. Likewise, the survivor must also mourn the dead for an extended period of time and is delayed from returning to their normal lives (Pg. 31). The common principle remains that, at death the soul exits the body and must remain isolated. It is reintegrated at a later period. A similar view applies for the survivors of the deceased. Thus, the soul never completely end the ties it has to the body or the living while it remains on earth (pg. 36). If it is not incorporated or renewed the soul belongs to the world it has just left. It resembles a state of uncertainty while standing in a doorway not going in or coming out. The transition of the deceased is a peculiar one. If it enters the world of it dead it’s like an intruder on earth its presence is seen as a taboo (pg.36). Similarly, Tylor animism theory that suggests souls are …show more content…
51). The survivors are described as representatives of the social body and seek to ensure its continuity. This solidarity compels the living to the duties of attending to the needs of the deceased. It is not a simple expression of emotions at times but a forced participation. The pressure of caring for the deceased creates a separation of the living from the rest of the community (pg.39). They become contaminated as the dead. They must be in isolation until they become clean again. This strict imposition on their life affects they whole life. They can no longer live the way other humans do. Much like the body and soul, the living loses his identity and must be cleansed before they are incorporated back into the community. The closer the kinship between the dead and the living the more unclean the living will become. The rest of the living rejects the survivors for fear that they would spread their filth on the collective community that the survivor is part of. They are no longer part of the ordinary world. For example, Olo Ngaju believes that the deceased is surrounded by an impure cloud that pollutes everything, not only things in close physical contact but everything that it is connected too. Even the personal properties of the deceased carry taboos. To the survivors, the body of the deceased has to be transformed which is a necessary to save the soul (pg. 38-43, 51). Among the Binbinga the survivors consume
The Body, Soul and Survivor in the Separation Stage: Hertz describes death as a departure. The soul is separated from the body and the physical body decays. The body in comparison to the soul and the survivor all undergo separation in their own manner. Accordingly, the body is not merely a physical one. It has a complex connection to the other elements (pg.27). The period of death is a vulnerable to the body both physically and socially because of its weakened state of resistance (pg.79). Once separation …show more content…
Likewise, the survivor experiences the same kind of constraint. The soul can’t move on to its final resting place until the body has completely decomposed and the final burial is performed. For the Olo Ngaju, the soul is separated into two parts at death one is its personality and the other its’ physical characteristics. Hertz explains, one is unconscious and remains with the dead body. The other conscious soul escapes the body at death, wanders around until the probation period is complete, and the final burial is performed (pg. 34). Like the body, the soul also is delayed at death. Likewise, the survivor must also mourn the dead for an extended period of time and is delayed from returning to their normal lives (Pg. 31). The common principle remains that, at death the soul exits the body and must remain isolated. It is reintegrated at a later period. A similar view applies for the survivors of the deceased. Thus, the soul never completely end the ties it has to the body or the living while it remains on earth (pg. 36). If it is not incorporated or renewed the soul belongs to the world it has just left. It resembles a state of uncertainty while standing in a doorway not going in or coming out. The transition of the deceased is a peculiar one. If it enters the world of it dead it’s like an intruder on earth its presence is seen as a taboo (pg.36). Similarly, Tylor animism theory that suggests souls are …show more content…
51). The survivors are described as representatives of the social body and seek to ensure its continuity. This solidarity compels the living to the duties of attending to the needs of the deceased. It is not a simple expression of emotions at times but a forced participation. The pressure of caring for the deceased creates a separation of the living from the rest of the community (pg.39). They become contaminated as the dead. They must be in isolation until they become clean again. This strict imposition on their life affects they whole life. They can no longer live the way other humans do. Much like the body and soul, the living loses his identity and must be cleansed before they are incorporated back into the community. The closer the kinship between the dead and the living the more unclean the living will become. The rest of the living rejects the survivors for fear that they would spread their filth on the collective community that the survivor is part of. They are no longer part of the ordinary world. For example, Olo Ngaju believes that the deceased is surrounded by an impure cloud that pollutes everything, not only things in close physical contact but everything that it is connected too. Even the personal properties of the deceased carry taboos. To the survivors, the body of the deceased has to be transformed which is a necessary to save the soul (pg. 38-43, 51). Among the Binbinga the survivors consume