Arnold van gennep (1873–1957) and the virtual boarder area where the souls of unchristened deceased children stay

Prosser-Schell, Michael (2013) Arnold van gennep (1873–1957) and the virtual boarder area where the souls of unchristened deceased children stay. Acta Ethnographica Hungarica, 58 (1). pp. 203-219. ISSN 1216-9803

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Abstract

The article commemorates a certain scientific conception of “Folklore” which was presented by Arnold Van Gennep in the early years of the 20^th century and which is widely unknown nowadays. Further, the issue is dealing with some points of Van Gennep’s narrative research i.e. the religious legends. The article discusses a particular and eminent problem in researching “rites of passage,” the problem of stillborn children, who could not be baptized and therefore could not be buried by a church ceremony either. There are and were very different and controversial definitions on the liminal space where these children’s souls may dwell, which can be localised neither in heaven nor in hell.

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