Liminality and Traces of Affectivity in the Work of Arnold van Gennep

Linking liminality with affectivity does not mean to propose new and alternative interpretations of what liminality is or could be, taking it to territories distant from its place of origin, quite the contrary: it means to move the concept back to its rightful place in intellectual history, back to the centre of human emotions trembling at the threshold. This can best be indicated by tracing how affectivity was a theme in Arnold van Gennep’s (AvG) life-work, even if it was not a word he used.