ABSTRACT
HE Dani conceive of the world as inhabited by a host of supernatural beings. A very few of these supernatural beings are nonanthropomorphic,
J L such as the snake of the rainbow and the monsters of the whirlpools. Among the anthropomorphic beings some are remote and have little relevance to human behavior, like the people of the sky, the sun woman and the moon man, and the spirits that live in special places. But most immediately effecting Dani behavior are the ghosts of dead people, which stay near the living people and pose a constant threat to them. In Dani terms, the edai egen or soul matter of the living are vulnerable to attack by the ghosts of the dead. The theme that runs through Dani ritual is the placation of these ghosts and is manifest in such ritual activities as bringing goods together, killing pigs, and killing enemies. As these acts are performed, the ghosts are informed by displays of goods, shouting, singing, and dancing.
