 In many cases the taboo remains intact until the body of the dead has completely decayed,

Psychologist Wilhelm Wundt associates the taboo to a fear that the dead man's soul has become a demon.Moreover, many cases show a hostility toward the dead and their representation as malevolent figures.Edward Westermarck notes that "Death is commonly regarded as the gravest of all misfortunes; hence the dead are believed to be exceedingly dissatisfied with their fate [...] such a death naturally tends to make the soul revengeful and ill-tempered.