The final chapter weaves together most of strands that were developed in the previous ones. First, the contradiction between the attention to the corpse with the abhorrence of its smell, leads into insight in the position of the smith‑undertaker. Second, the distinction between minimal and maximal rites is elaborated, which leads into an analysis of how meaning is constructed in each of these types of ritual. Symbols form the main venue for interpretation, and the text analyzes their varying relationship—iconic, metonymic, metaphoric—with the lived world, as one major way to construct their...

The final chapter weaves together most of strands that were developed in the previous ones. First, the contradiction between the attention to the corpse with the abhorrence of its smell, leads into insight in the position of the smith‑undertaker. Second, the distinction between minimal and maximal rites is elaborated, which leads into an analysis of how meaning is constructed in each of these types of ritual. Symbols form the main venue for interpretation, and the text analyzes their varying relationship—iconic, metonymic, metaphoric—with the lived world, as one major way to construct their meaning. Finally, the dialectical relationship between ritual and time is discussed, both from a performance view and from the dwelling perspective that runs throughout the book, against the backdrop of ritual change over time.