Second Burial

Second burial terminates the cycle of mortuary rites that follow first burial. Between the first and the second burials, there is an intermediary period that coincides with the duration of decomposition of the corpse. After exhumation, the bones are collected, sorted, and ritually cleansed, and then moved to a [Page 856]new location. This can either be an individual grave, a common grave, or an ossuary. There is great cross-cultural variability in the traditions of second burial. Examples of second burial can be found in Asia (e.g., Kalimantan, China, Japan, Taiwan), Africa (e.g., Mali and Madagascar), Australia, and in Europe (e.g., Greece, France, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands). Second burial does not necessarily involve exhumation. Second mortuary rites can also be performed with a substitute for the body, but the body typically accompanies the relocation of the site of worship or honoring of the dead. In most cases, the second burial is considered final, but tertiary burials do occur. When the second burial specifically entails the removal and reburial of the corpse, it is called the secondary burial. Next to secondary burial, other forms of secondary disposal exist, as the body can also be cremated or displayed after an initial period of burial.

Research on Second Burial and Its History

Robert Hertz was the first scholar who investigated secondary rites of disposal. In 1907, he described the secondary treatment of human remains by the Dayak in Borneo and keenly observed the regular and socially sanctioned relocation of relics of some or all of the deceased from a temporary to a permanent grave. Hertz's analysis of the second burial drew attention to mortuary rites as indicating a transition rather than a termination. Hertz argued that, among the Dayak, the body cannot immediately be taken to its final resting place; instead, this transition can only be made after an intermediary period, during which the body is placed in a temporary shelter. Across different cultures, depending on the method of disposal, the intermediary period varies from 40 days to 15 years—lasting minimally until the bones have become dry. Especially important in this process are notions of impurity, pollution, and purification. The soul of the deceased is feared by the living because, until complete decomposition of the corpse, a soul is considered to remain on earth and capable of inflicting harm upon the living.

Parallel to the transformation of the decaying corpse, the soul of the deceased must pass through a liminal phase before receiving its final destination. The Dayak believe that only after the second burial will the soul enter the land of the dead.

Hertz's analysis of the second burial demonstrates how the fate of the corpse and the soul are interlinked. Furthermore, it shows the impact of the death on the deceased's social environment. After the death, the intermediary period provides the mourners with the time needed to come to terms with personal loss. Like the dead, the living undergo a liminal phase, during which their identity is adjusted. Through enacting the final passage, not only is the soul transferred to the land of the dead, but the rites of the second burial also restore the “normal” social fabric among the living.

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