Selected Materials on Ritual Belief and Practice

The materials in this section are arranged in discrete units so that they may be read in their present sequence, or in any other preferred by the reader. As nearly as is practicable, the order follows that of the section on “General Formulations of Arapesh Culture.” Only the formal patterns are included here. Anecdotal material, case histories, the significance of the rituals in the social functioning of an Arapesh community, variations and deviations from these cultural modes resulting from differences in temperament or intelligence, or differences in the economic status of the participants, are all reserved for later description and discussion. All the tabular statements were organized and checked in the field.