It was believed that the living had a relationship with the dead where the dead provided everything the living needed ( health , fertility of land and animals , fortune , etc. , ) and the living through offerings could provide the dead with a better place in the spirit world . It was believed that the living had a symbiotic relationship with the dead where the dead provided everything the living needed ( health , fertility of land and animals , fortune , etc. ) and the living through offerings provided the dead with a better place in the spirit world .