According to Arnold Van Gennep rituals should be studied as living facts. By taking various examples, we will propose a dynamic theory to encompass the various factors that control the birth and death of ritual behaviors.
Paper long abstract:
According to Arnold Van Gennep rituals should be studied as living facts. From this point of view, ethnology and folklore are distinct from history, which studies past events. The living character of folklore necessitates paying attention to the life cycles of customs. In every era, there is a certain creativity that needs to be interpreted. By taking various examples, we will propose a dynamic theory to encompass the various factors that control the birth and death of ritual behaviors.