Ancestral Connections
In countries such as Korea, Japan and Africa, this belief is intrinsic to the cosmology of the persons and in turn, informs their ritual practices. In all 3 cases, there is the underlying belief that the dead will advantage from the actions of the living descendants. This is essentially a symbiotic partnership, given that the living descendants are believed to acquire protection and blessings in return for their veneration of the ancestors. In most societies exactly where the belief in…