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While death is often an intimate and sorrowful experience, it can also carry profound spiritual and communal significance. It’s a concept that has shaped humanity long before we even became human, forming half of life's certainties (for now, at least). The way different societies honor their dead offers a fascinating glimpse into their traditions, beliefs, social structures, art, technology, and virtually every facet of life. Given the vast number of cultures across the globe and the passage of time, it's no surprise we've developed a range of unique responses to death.
10. Ifugao Funerals
The indigenous groups of the Ifugao region in the Philippines are known by various names, but for simplicity’s sake, we'll refer to them as the Ifugao. When a member of an Ifugao tribe passes away, the community begins the mourning preparations. Interestingly, the spouse of the deceased is strictly prohibited from participating in the rituals. Instead, male relatives take charge, constructing a special chair that will be used to support the body during the mourning period, which can last up to eight days.
The body is cleansed, blindfolded, and positioned near the front door of the home, with a fire continuously burning close by. This fire serves two purposes: keeping insects away and helping to dry out the body. Once offerings are brought, the spouse is not allowed to view the body and must refrain from partaking in the offerings as well. Consequently, the spouse often spends the mourning period in a separate room or even in a different house. If only one room is available, the spouse may share it with the body, but must avoid looking at it.
On the fourth day of mourning, the body is removed from the chair and its skin is peeled off. This is considered one of the key rituals, as the tribe believes it boosts fertility. The skin is buried beneath the deceased’s house. The body, too, may either be buried on this day or left out for another four days. Regardless of the timing, it is eventually laid to rest under the house of the deceased.
Years after the funeral, someone close to the deceased may begin to show signs believed to be caused by the spirit of their late loved one. In such cases, the bones are exhumed so the soul can join the living in a celebratory feast. The bones are then given a second funeral.
9. Itneg Funerals
The Itneg people, also known as the Tinguian by outsiders, are another indigenous group residing near the Ifugao tribes in the Philippines. Due to their geographical closeness, their funeral rituals share certain similarities with those of the Ifugao, though they remain distinct in many ways.
Much like the Ifugao, the Itneg prepare the body by bathing and dressing it in fine clothing before placing it in a specially constructed chair. While this ritual is common, the Itneg believe in the presence of numerous evil spirits that must be kept at bay. One such spirit, Kadongayan, is notorious for appearing and slicing the deceased's mouth from ear to ear, resembling the Joker. To ward off this spirit, pig intestines are hung outside the door during the display of the body. Additionally, a live chicken, its beak broken, is hung near the corpse as a symbolic message to Kadongayan.
Dishes are positioned beneath the body to collect any fluids that may leak out. These dishes are later placed in the grave alongside the body. Ibwa, a spirit who once visited funerals peacefully, now craves human flesh and fluids after being accidentally offered one of these dishes. He arrives with his companion Selday to feast on the dead.
Akop is a spirit who seeks to bring death to the spouse of the deceased. He appears as a head with slimy limbs, lacking a body. To protect themselves, the spouse must hide behind pillows and sleep in a fishing net for three days. On the third day, village warriors embark on a headhunting mission, typically in a neighboring tribe's territory, to safeguard the spouse.
The body is interred beneath the house, as it is believed to be the safest way to protect the deceased from wandering spirits. Mourners undergo a ritual in which they are whipped and painted with a mix of pig blood and oil, after which they are free to return to their daily lives. The mourning period officially concludes for everyone except the spouse, who must continue to grieve for an additional three months.
8. Aseki Corpses
The Anga people, an isolated mountain tribe from the Aseki district of Papua New Guinea, have been studied for over a century. Their seclusion has led to various conflicting theories about the origins of the mummies found in the area. While some local accounts suggest the tribe engaged in cannibalism, there is disagreement about whether this practice was actually part of their customs. Other reports claim that the tribe used body fat from the dead in cooking.
One thing that remains certain is the presence of mummies throughout the region, many of which are curled up in baskets or supported by bamboo. Some believe that these mummies were preserved with salt during World War II. However, the prevailing theory is that the mummies were part of a long-standing ritual where corpses were smoked for months before being coated in red clay. Christian missionaries put an end to this practice in 1949, but the locals still maintain the mummies, which can be found in several areas across the region.
7. Tongan Kings’ Funerals
Tonga is a small nation consisting of approximately 170 islands in Polynesia and stands as the last monarchy in the South Pacific. The country’s royal lineage spans over 1,000 years, and even though the most recent king, Tupou V, introduced reforms to make the nation more democratic, the royal family is still treated with immense reverence. The burial customs of their kings serve as the most significant reflection of this deep respect.
Tongan kings are regarded as so sacred that no one is permitted to touch them while alive, and only a select few are allowed to do so after their death. These individuals, known as nima tapu, meaning ‘sacred hands,’ are entrusted with the task of preparing the king’s body. Once they complete this duty, they are secluded from the public for the remainder of the mourning period, during which they are prohibited from using their hands. This period of mourning lasts for 100 days.
Given the impracticality of such a rule, the nima tapu are attended to by servants who fulfill their every need while they endure the mourning period. This is considered a preferable arrangement compared to the former practice, which involved either executing those who touched the king’s body or severing their hands.
6. Ngaben
Ngaben is a complex ceremonial ritual performed in Bali to purify the spirit of the deceased and help guide them to the afterlife. Much like many other cultures, Ngaben is celebrated as a life-affirming event rather than a mourning of death. In this belief, death marks the moment when an individual transitions to the afterlife before being reincarnated.
Before the Ngaben ceremony begins, the body is placed in a small room known as a bale delod, where it is treated as though the person is merely resting. Life carries on as usual for the family. The body is then temporarily interred in a small temple called a pura dalem until the family gathers enough funds for the full ceremony. Once the time arrives, the coffin is placed inside an intricately designed tower that can rise up to 9 meters (30 feet) high.
A procession is organized, and the tower is carried to the cremation site by young men who spin and move erratically to prevent the soul from returning. The body is placed inside a bull-shaped sarcophagus, which is set on fire. Afterward, the ashes are collected and scattered into the sea, symbolizing the purification of the soul.
5. Fijian Funerals
Fiji, a relatively small country, has a number of unusual customs that were practiced by various tribes throughout the islands. One of these traditions involved the killing of healthy family members, which could happen in two ways. In the first, an individual would approach their parents (or vice versa) and declare that they had become a burden, signaling it was time to end things. The family would then discuss whether the parents preferred to be strangled by their own children or buried alive, but the act of death itself was non-negotiable.
When a tribal chief passed away, there was a nine-day mourning period where women whipped men with shell-lined whips, while men retaliated by firing hardened clay at the women using bamboo. Self-inflicted injuries were also common, with individuals cutting off their pinky fingers or toes. Women would sometimes go as far as burning themselves.
The most infamous practice was to strangle individuals close to the deceased, particularly wives of deceased men, so they could join the dead in the afterlife. This custom was rooted in the belief that one enters the afterlife in the same state as they leave life, meaning any disabilities or disfigurements would carry over. To avoid this fate, many people opted to end their lives while still healthy, rather than risk an eternity with a maimed body. As expected, this tradition saw a decline in the 20th century.
4. Caviteno Tree Burials
The Caviteno are a Spanish-Filipino ethnic group from the Cavite region in Luzon. Though geographically close to the Ifugao and Itneg, their customs differ significantly due to their distance from these other groups.
In contrast to the many diverse burial practices found globally, Caviteno funerals are relatively simple and grounded in nature. Instead of mummification, cremation, or traditional burial, the Caviteno bury their deceased inside trees. The bodies are placed vertically within hollowed-out tree trunks, as they believe that since trees give life, it is only right to return the favor by allowing our bodies to nourish them after death.
Typically, the deceased selects the tree to be used for their burial before passing, often in their later years or when they are nearing death. This practice resembles modern trends like tree pods, which have gained popularity as an alternative to traditional coffins in recent times.
3. Ma’nene
In a world full of strange ways to treat the dead, one culture stands out for resurrecting their departed loved ones. The Torajans, an indigenous group from Indonesia, are known for exhuming their family members' bodies every three years and parading them around the town.
The Ma’nene ritual is a meaningful way to honor the deceased by exhuming their bodies, changing their clothes, cleaning them up, and spending a moment with them once more. As part of this ritual, family members also mummify the bodies to preserve them for as long as possible. One individual, Piter Sampe Sambara, has been dead for more than 80 years, and his body has undergone the Ma’nene ritual over 25 times. Though not in perfect condition, his body remains relatively well-preserved considering his death in 1932.
2. El Muerto Parao
El Muerto Parao, or 'the dead man standing,' is a new trend in Puerto Rican wakes. Rather than the usual open-casket ceremony, the Marin Funeral Home stages a diorama of the deceased's life, with the center of attention being their propped-up corpse.
Damaris Marin, the director of Marin Funeral Home, has developed a unique embalming technique that allows for these intricate setups. There was some initial debate about whether this practice was legal, but it was later confirmed that the method complied with the law, making it permissible to display the bodies in such a manner.
One example involved a propped-up boxer, Christopher Rivera, who was shot dead at 23. His body was posed in the corner of a boxing ring, allowing family and friends to take a final photograph with him. Other displays include David Colon posed as if riding his motorbike, Edgardo Velazquez displayed in his ambulance, and Fernando de Jesus Diaz Beato, whose body was displayed with his eyes open in March 2016. This was the first time such a display was done, and it was meant to surprise his family.
1. South Korean Cremation
South Korea is a relatively small country, measuring about 100,000 square kilometers (39,000 mi), roughly the size of Kentucky or half the size of the United Kingdom. Despite this, it is home to approximately 50 million people and is a highly mountainous region, which creates a significant issue when it comes to burial space.
To solve this problem, the South Korean government introduced a law in 2000 mandating that families must disinter their loved ones after 60 years. This harsh measure caused the number of burials to drop by half in just a decade, with 70 percent of people opting for cremation. However, given the deep cultural reverence for ancestors, many were reluctant to simply turn their relatives into ashes. This led to the creation of Bonhyang, a company that transforms ashes into beads using heat.
The beads come in various colors, and the quantity produced is influenced by both the size of the person and their age, with younger individuals having denser bones and producing more ashes. A single person’s remains can yield up to eight cups of beads, but rather than being worn as jewelry, these beads are typically placed in clear jars and displayed in the home, offering a meaningful way to remember the departed.
This idea was introduced in the United States but failed to catch on and is now largely confined to South Korea. If beads aren't your preference, it’s also possible to have cremated remains transformed into a diamond.
