Everyone has to die one day - a truth that holds for every living being. But how their final rites are performed depends on their families. In some cultures, people cremate the dead, while in others, they bury the body in the ground.
In the remote village of Sagada, Philippines, a tribe has an ancient ritual of hanging coffins from cliffs. We know about the Toraja tribe in Indonesia that used to bury babies inside living trees. This tribe also preserves its ancestors until the families can gather money for their funeral.
The Malagasy people in Madagascar have a ritual of digging up dead bodies every 5-7 years and dancing with them to honour their ancestors. They believe that the souls of the dead live in the realms of the spirits.
Similarly, the coffins hanging from cliffs on an island in the Philippines are believed to keep the departed souls connected with their ancestral spirits.
Why This Tribe In The Philippines Hangs Coffins From Cliffs
Sagada is a village located in the Cordillera Central mountains of northern Luzon, the most populous and largest island in the Philippines. It's an 8.5‑hour‑long drive from Manila and is inhabited by the Igorot people.
It is believed that the ritual of hanging coffins from cliffs dates back over 2,000 years. Carved by hand, the coffins are suspended above the ground and nailed to the side of a cliff. The gravity‑defying graveyard is the reason why many people travel to this village despite the ride being bumpy.
The Belief Behind Hanging Coffins On An Island In The Philippines
The Igorot tribe believes that if you hang the coffins on a cliff, the dead will be closer to the ancestral spirits. The higher the coffin, the closer the departed family member will be to their ancestors.
Another reason why this practice of hanging coffins began is that the elders of the Igorot tribe believed that if their bodies were buried on the island, water would eventually seep into the soil and rot their corpses. They wanted their bodies to remain safe.
The coffins that are nailed to the cliff not only keep the dead bodies safe from floods but also from animals on the ground. This practice is also carried out in some parts of Indonesia and China.
The Filipino Tribe Has A Unique Way Of Burying The Dead
According to a BBC report, the Igorot community had a tradition of burying their family members in a one‑metre‑long coffin. Each member used to have a death chair, and the bodies would be moved to the casket after breaking their bones to turn them into a foetal position.
The tribe believed that a person should depart the same way they entered this world. If you ever pass by a cliff with hanging coffins, you will also witness a wooden chair hanging beside them. Those were the death chairs of the departed individuals. However, now the coffins are larger, at least 2 m long.
The corpses are wrapped in rattan leaves and vines, and then comes a blanket. The dead body is positioned on the death chair facing the main door of the house as relatives and loved ones pay their last respects. A candle is also lit to not just prevent the decaying of the body but also to conceal the rotting smell.
After holding a vigil for the dead for a few days, the body is removed from the death chair and transferred into a coffin. It is later secured in the foetal position and wrapped again in a blanket and rattan leaves.
When someone dies in the Igorot community, they butcher chickens and pigs for the celebration. If an elderly person dies, they butcher three pigs and two chickens. While the coffin is being carried to the cliff, people in the procession try to grab it as it is believed to bring good luck.
When the procession reaches the cliff, younger men climb high up to place the dead body inside a hollowed‑out coffin. The bones are again cracked to fit the casket and then sealed with vines.
However, this practice is now taking a backseat. Only the elders in Sagada village continue to follow this ritual; the youth, inspired by Christian beliefs, prefer to bury the dead in a cemetery.
Also Read | Why This Indonesian Tribe Once Buried Dead Babies Inside Living Trees