ABSTRACT
The ritual aspects of Sebei funerary customs are not simply more concerned with the living than with the dead; they are directed almost entirely to the living, giving but cursory attention to the body and none whatsoever to the soul of the deceased. The ritual aspects are devoted to matters that can only be viewed as purification of the mourners. The anthropological discourse on death rituals has generally centered around the notion that they are performed to regain equilibrium that has been disrupted by the death. The Sebei behavior does not only suggest that the understanding of ritual requires an appreciation of both facets. Viewed from the standpoint of Sebei contractual law, the public hearings that take place in conjunction with the funerary rites will be seen as a functionally effective device for preserving the record in a nonliterate community and assuring the equitable satisfaction of economic obligations and rights.
