Motif
Death before decrepitude preserves the afterlife condition
death_before_decrepitude_preserves_the_afterlife_condition
A motif of the Immortality Without Renewal family. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
1 occurrences
1 traditions
comparative
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The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 1 of 2) MACAULAY. / CHAPTER II. THE PERILS OF THE SOUL. / HEINE. / CHAPTER III. KILLING THE GOD.; lines 4583-4665 confidence: high
Mangaians are reported to believe natural-death spirits are weak while battle-slain spirits are vigorous; Frazer generalizes that some choose death before feebleness so the soul enters future life vigorous.
The passage reports beliefs that a person’s mental and physical faculties or spiritual vigor after death correspond to the condition at the hour of death, motivating suicide, self-immolation, or burial alive before decline.
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