dancing dead, The

By W. E. A. van Beek

Book Description

Drawing from over four decades of immersive fieldwork in the Mandara Mountains, anthropologist Walter E. A. van Beek presents a profound exploration of the Kapsiki/Higi people's spiritual worldview. This comprehensive study reveals how an African community has maintained its sacred traditions across centuries of regional upheaval, offering valuable insights into the resilience of indigenous wisdom.

At the heart of Kapsiki/Higi spirituality lie two essential principles: dwelling and belonging. Van Beek illuminates how their sacrificial ceremonies create deep bonds with the mountainous landscape they call home, while their elaborate rites of passage guide individuals through life's transformative moments. From birth rituals through initiation ceremonies and marriage customs, each practice strengthens the community's interconnected fabric.

The book's title reflects one of their most striking traditions, where decorated bodies join their families in ceremonial movement, celebrating the continuation of relationships beyond physical existence. Unlike ancestor-focused belief systems, the Kapsiki/Higi embrace a thoroughly relational approach to the sacred, where all ceremonies ultimately weave together into one unified spiritual cycle.

This ethnographic work offers readers a window into a worldview that prioritizes connection over hierarchy, relationship over doctrine. For those seeking to understand how traditional communities maintain spiritual coherence in changing times, van Beek's detailed observations provide both scholarly depth and genuine reverence for indigenous knowledge systems.