This is only one aspect of the phenomenon. Behavioral gadgets
may be attention-demanding but they are used for particular pur-
poses. As I said at the beginning, people have all sorts of reasons to
perform a particular ritual at a particular time. The reasons generally
focus on the effects of the ceremonies, on what is alleged to result
from correct performance. So what can rituals do, that other forms of
actions cannot achieve?
EXCHANGE WITH SLEEPING PARTNERS
[241]Consider for instance sacrifice,a very common form of religious ritual.
The world over, animals or other offerings are presented to gods,
spirits or ancestors to ward off illness, to insure good crops, to make
rains fall or more generally for propitiation. The example mentioned
at the beginning of this chapter is of this kind. Hindu goddesses are
involved in daily events, they can prevent misfortune or bring it
about. So it makes sense to sacrifice a goat and to consecrate it so it
becomes worthy of sacrifice. The relative emphasis on sacrifice as
opposed to other ceremonies varies a lot, from Hinduism where an
extremely complex system of sacrificial rites is central to religious
observance, to Islam where it is a major ritual but confined to annual
celebrations, to Christianity where it is marginal.
The Kwaio frequently sacrifice pigs to their ancestors during elab-
orate ceremonies that "dedicate" the animal to a particular adalo. As
Keesing reports, there are all sorts of reasons why the ancestors would
require such a sacrifice. First, the ritual is meant to appease them in
cases of ritual violations, such as people walking though an area of the
village that is abu,that is, forbidden to them. Also, various cases of ill-
ness or misfortune are brought about by ancestors who feel neglected
and crave the pork that the living enjoy. Finally, the Kwaio also raise
special pigs for one particular ancestor on whose protection they
depend.
The general ideology of sacrifice, the justification for its perfor-
mance, is almost invariably the notion that misfortune can be kept
away and prosperity or health or social order maintained if the partici-
pants and the gods enter into some mutually beneficial exchange
relation. The ancestors, to follow the Kwaio case, will forgive a ritual
violation if given a pig, and they will agree to protect those who give
one preventively. The logic whereby a slight can be compensated for or
WHYRITUALS?