Anthropology and deathAnthropology and death

Exploring Religions and Cultures Dr Àngels Trias i Valls & Roula P 2009

Van Gennep and rites of passageVan Gennep and rites of passage

Arnold Van Gennep was born in Germany on 23 Arnold Van Gennep was born in Germany on 23 April 1873 and died in 1957 in France. He was April 1873 and died in 1957 in France. He was an ethnographer and a folklorist and he is most an ethnographer and a folklorist and he is most known for his work regarding the rites of known for his work regarding the rites of passage. He influenced significantly modern passage. He influenced significantly modern French folklore and he was the first to establish French folklore and he was the first to establish the academic studies of folklore in France.the academic studies of folklore in France.

Throughout his book Throughout his book ‘‘Rites of PassageRites of Passage’’ 1960 1960 (first published in 1909), he argued that rites of (first published in 1909), he argued that rites of passage are transition rituals which indicate the passage are transition rituals which indicate the change of personal or collective status. change of personal or collective status.

Van Gennep distinguished two types of Van Gennep distinguished two types of rite.rite.

Rites that are related to the change of the Rites that are related to the change of the status of the individual (birth, the status of the individual (birth, the attainment of adult status, marriage, death attainment of adult status, marriage, death and so on).and so on).

Rites that mark standardized points in the Rites that mark standardized points in the passage of time (new year, new moon, passage of time (new year, new moon, summer solstice and so on).summer solstice and so on).

The threefold structure of rites.The threefold structure of rites.

Rites of separation (initial state)Rites of separation (initial state)

Rites of transition (liminal period)Rites of transition (liminal period)

Rites of incorporation (final state)Rites of incorporation (final state)

This is clearly a structuralist approach which can This is clearly a structuralist approach which can be often applied in several situations and be often applied in several situations and ethnographic contexts. BUTethnographic contexts. BUT……..

It is not ethnographically productive just to apply It is not ethnographically productive just to apply Van GennepVan Gennep’’s scheme unproblematically. s scheme unproblematically.

This model is based on the binary opposition This model is based on the binary opposition between the rites of separation (the initial state) between the rites of separation (the initial state) and the rites of incorporation (the final state). In and the rites of incorporation (the final state). In between, there is the liminal period. between, there is the liminal period.

The The liminalliminal period.period.We have encountered We have encountered liminalityliminality in our in our discussion about pilgrimage.discussion about pilgrimage.

Victor Turner built on Van GennepVictor Turner built on Van Gennep’’s insights. He s insights. He was the first to write a psychological account of was the first to write a psychological account of rites of passage.rites of passage.

He was a classical structuralHe was a classical structural--functionalist but his functionalist but his analysis revolved around symbolism and analysis revolved around symbolism and psychological anthropology.psychological anthropology.

Rites of passage according to Turner are Rites of passage according to Turner are a movement for structure to antia movement for structure to anti--structure structure and back to structure.and back to structure.

We have seen while examining pilgrimage We have seen while examining pilgrimage that the journey to the sacred place moves that the journey to the sacred place moves pilgrims from their social reality, their pilgrims from their social reality, their structure, to a temporal position which is structure, to a temporal position which is characterized as anticharacterized as anti--structure.structure.

Turner emphasized on ritual and symbols.Turner emphasized on ritual and symbols.

Contrary to LeviContrary to Levi--Straus who was trying to Straus who was trying to discover universal systems of thought partly discover universal systems of thought partly through symbolism, Turner argued that symbols through symbolism, Turner argued that symbols hold a multipurpose and ambiguous position.hold a multipurpose and ambiguous position.

Symbols, Turner tells us, are the key factors to Symbols, Turner tells us, are the key factors to understand a culture. Change on symbols, understand a culture. Change on symbols, signal change on culture. signal change on culture.

How do all these relate to death?How do all these relate to death?

Van Gennep refers to the assumption that death Van Gennep refers to the assumption that death is a journey and a gradual social process which is a journey and a gradual social process which extends over a long period of time. Similarly to extends over a long period of time. Similarly to other rites of passage other rites of passage –– birth, initiation, marriage birth, initiation, marriage –– death involves rites of separation, transition death involves rites of separation, transition and incorporationand incorporation

Rites of separation mark the movement of the Rites of separation mark the movement of the person from a previously occupied state to person from a previously occupied state to another (from the world of living to the world of another (from the world of living to the world of the dead).the dead).

Rites of transition or liminality hold an ambivalent Rites of transition or liminality hold an ambivalent status since the participants are neither in on the status since the participants are neither in on the world of the living nor in the world of the dead world of the living nor in the world of the dead they are they are ““Betwixt and BetweenBetwixt and Between”” (Turner 1964). (Turner 1964).

Mourners are separated by the rest of the Mourners are separated by the rest of the society. Their fate is paralleled with that of the society. Their fate is paralleled with that of the deceased. This period is unclear, polluting and deceased. This period is unclear, polluting and dangerous. Mourners need to pass this period dangerous. Mourners need to pass this period before they reenter into the society and assume before they reenter into the society and assume their normal positions in it. their normal positions in it.

In many societies (in North and South America, In many societies (in North and South America, Australia, Africa, Central Asia and Indonesia) the Australia, Africa, Central Asia and Indonesia) the funeral and the burial mark the beginning of the funeral and the burial mark the beginning of the long liminal period. The end of this period is long liminal period. The end of this period is signaled by the decomposition of the corpse, the signaled by the decomposition of the corpse, the exhumation of the remains, their ritualistic exhumation of the remains, their ritualistic treatment and their transportation to another treatment and their transportation to another location.location.

The purpose of the rites of passage is to secure The purpose of the rites of passage is to secure a smooth passage for the corpse, the soul and a smooth passage for the corpse, the soul and the mourners. the mourners.

All these rites of passage may vary in All these rites of passage may vary in context and intensity according to the context and intensity according to the cultureculture..

Bloch and Parry and Bloch and Parry and ‘‘Death and Death and the regeneration of lifethe regeneration of life’’

They deal withThey deal with symbols of rebirth and fertility symbols of rebirth and fertility which are frequently found in funerary rituals which are frequently found in funerary rituals throughout the world. Similarly to Turner they throughout the world. Similarly to Turner they study death through symbolism. study death through symbolism.

In their view there is a current symbolism of In their view there is a current symbolism of rebirth in death rites. Social existence thus has rebirth in death rites. Social existence thus has greater importance than the biological one. greater importance than the biological one. Society acquires power over the gaining and Society acquires power over the gaining and control over life.control over life.

Death in GreeceDeath in GreeceAccording to Seremetakis, death is not a According to Seremetakis, death is not a bounded event. It is rather a context for social bounded event. It is rather a context for social contestation, realization and manifestation of the contestation, realization and manifestation of the Greek society. Greek society.

Indeed, in the Greek culture death is not viewed Indeed, in the Greek culture death is not viewed as purely a biological phenomenon or a rite of as purely a biological phenomenon or a rite of passage. Apart from that, death is a highly passage. Apart from that, death is a highly multifaceted cultural phenomenon where dipper multifaceted cultural phenomenon where dipper collective and individual relations are exposed collective and individual relations are exposed and negotiated.and negotiated.

Some examplesSome examplesDeath and kinshipDeath and kinship

Funerals are family events entailing a gathering of Funerals are family events entailing a gathering of the consanguineous and affinal relatives. the consanguineous and affinal relatives.

–– In the Greek context, In the Greek context, it is conventional and it is conventional and obligatory in family events to invite the obligatory in family events to invite the relativesrelatives-- consanguineous and affinalconsanguineous and affinal--, to , to participate. participate.

––Gatherings such as funerals, weddings, Gatherings such as funerals, weddings, engagements and baptismal parties are engagements and baptismal parties are very important and they often entail very important and they often entail commensality. On festive occasions, dance commensality. On festive occasions, dance is also an inextricable element of the event.is also an inextricable element of the event.

Gatherings emphasize family as a principle for Gatherings emphasize family as a principle for constructing a collective reality where feelings of constructing a collective reality where feelings of bitterness, anger and pain can be expressed bitterness, anger and pain can be expressed and released within the collectivity of the and released within the collectivity of the kindred.kindred.

Kinship identity imposes on the individual a Kinship identity imposes on the individual a moral identity and a specific behavior moral identity and a specific behavior –– the the obligation to participate in happy and unhappy obligation to participate in happy and unhappy events.events.

Death and gossipDeath and gossip

The idea of the kindred as The idea of the kindred as ‘‘all one familyall one family’’, where , where relationships are built on mutual interest and care relationships are built on mutual interest and care renders a personrenders a person’’s sorrow to be collective sorrow. s sorrow to be collective sorrow. This close relationship however, entails excessive This close relationship however, entails excessive gossiping. Especially in funerals of very old people gossiping. Especially in funerals of very old people gossip is thriving. gossip is thriving.

Distance relatives, relatives that provoke the kindred Distance relatives, relatives that provoke the kindred with their behavior usually become the with their behavior usually become the ‘‘suspicioussuspicious’’ objects for the rests of the kindred. They are the objects for the rests of the kindred. They are the ‘‘strangersstrangers’’, they are the , they are the ‘‘othersothers’’..

Gossiping assumes the form of a cultural Gossiping assumes the form of a cultural determined process, a network of informal determined process, a network of informal communication that evaluates and constitutes communication that evaluates and constitutes every day life. every day life.

Gossip is the attempt to create a story about a Gossip is the attempt to create a story about a person. It is an attempt to void gaps and provide person. It is an attempt to void gaps and provide possible interpretations and misjudgments about possible interpretations and misjudgments about people in a fairly unproblematic manner. people in a fairly unproblematic manner.

Gossiping is an informal and subversive channel Gossiping is an informal and subversive channel of power in the creation of individual and of power in the creation of individual and collective history. collective history.

Living in exile is a metaphor of death.Living in exile is a metaphor of death.

The people who have left the family for long The people who have left the family for long periods and live abroad, are considered periods and live abroad, are considered –– metaphorically metaphorically –– dead. This is due to the pain of dead. This is due to the pain of the separation of the beloved ones. the separation of the beloved ones.

The pain living in exile is similar to the pain The pain living in exile is similar to the pain provoked by the separation of death.provoked by the separation of death.

The ritual of visiting the grave, cleaning it, taking The ritual of visiting the grave, cleaning it, taking care of it. care of it.

Cemeteries, in the Greek context, are extensions of Cemeteries, in the Greek context, are extensions of the living society. People religiously visit their dead, the living society. People religiously visit their dead, attend the graves and spent a considerable amount attend the graves and spent a considerable amount of time just being there.of time just being there.

The cemeteries look like small villages where the The cemeteries look like small villages where the dead dead live.live.

Good death Good death –– Bad death.Bad death.

Good death is the socially documented death. Good death is the socially documented death. The dead person has the relatives to mourn; The dead person has the relatives to mourn; he/she has lived a long and fulfilling life and has he/she has lived a long and fulfilling life and has seen children and grandchildren.seen children and grandchildren.

Good death is also the challenging of death Good death is also the challenging of death especially in a society organized around ethics especially in a society organized around ethics and revenge. and revenge.

Bad death is the Bad death is the ‘‘silentsilent’’ and and ‘‘nakednaked’’ death. The death. The deceased is alone and the death is deceased is alone and the death is undocumented. The undocumented. The ‘‘silent and nakedsilent and naked’’ death is death is also an expression of the nonalso an expression of the non--sociable nature of sociable nature of the deceased. This in the Greek context equals the deceased. This in the Greek context equals to poverty. to poverty.

Poverty relates not only to materiality but also to Poverty relates not only to materiality but also to abandonment and social isolation.abandonment and social isolation.

Bad death is the death of a young person. Bad death is the death of a young person.