ABSTRACT
Eachcreaturewasconsideredtohaveitsproperturntobeyoungandgrowing, tobematureandprocreative,tobeoldandtodie.Onceaman'ssonordaughter hadbeencircumcisedandwasreadytomarry,theparentshadtostophavingchildrenorsomeonewoulddie,theyorthechild'schild,orboth.Apersonwhodied young,diedout-of-turn,primafaaieevidencethathewaskilled.Todiewithout offspring,eitherbecauseofyouthorbecauseofsterilitywastointerruptthe vitalcycle,tobreakoffthecontinuousancestor-descendantchain,tomakean endwherethereshouldhavebeenperpetuity.Thebodiesofchildlessmenand barrenwomenwerethrownintheforestorthebushwheretheycouldbedevoured byanimals,notburiedathomeliketheparentsofchildren.Thebodiesofbabies andyoungchildrennotyetcircumcisedwerelaidonthegroundinthebananagrove, unburied.
