# Cultural response to deaths

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-response-to-deaths/242626>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 29, 2004, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-response-to-deaths/242626 "2004-04-29T04:05:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-response-to-deaths/242626/1 "2004-04-29T04:05:50Z")

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While reading my psychology textbook, in passing it mentions that one culture holds a sexual orgy in response to the death of someone. Does anyone know anything about this culture and their reasoning / belief for it? The textbook does not tell the name of the culture or provide any more information than that.

Ronin

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**Author:** ![MartinL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@MartinL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MartinL)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-response-to-deaths/242626/2 "2004-04-29T10:29:52Z")

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While I do not know anything about the culture you mentioned, I recall that death is considered a powerful aphrodisiac, on the theory that we try to keep our species alive, and even more so when we see it endangered. That may provide some reason for a sexual orgy.

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**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-response-to-deaths/242626/3 "2004-04-29T13:12:52Z")

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As for the rationale…maybe trying to counter death with a celebration of life?

Or to try and replenish the population?

Or the culture didn’t have booze or drugs, so an orgy was the only thing available to dull the pain of grief? 😃

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**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-response-to-deaths/242626/4 "2004-04-29T15:14:46Z")

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Perhaps you are thinking of the Ronjeremian tribe.

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**Author:** ![Fearless\_Leader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Fearless\_Leader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fearless_Leader)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-response-to-deaths/242626/5 "2004-04-29T16:47:47Z")

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I believe I have read that this occurs (occured?) in the rural areas of Ireland. Irish custom was once (maybe still is) that the wake takes place in the house of the deceased; during and after the wake people would copulate in the fields to celebrate and create new life, as Ranchoth mentioned. I hope I’m not unwittingly jumbling together a bunch of unrelated things I’ve heard to come up with this.