Six fascinating death rituals from around the globe
Nature's Symphony
While American funerals are often quite similar, different regions, cultures, and religions around the world approach death in varying, interesting ways. We’ve been reading about intriguing death rituals, both historic and modern, and we wanted to share some of our research with you. Have you heard of these before?
Famadihana: the turning of the bones
The Malagasy people in Madagascar take part in a death ritual called Famadihana, or the turning of the bones. In this ceremony, families exhume the bodies of their dead ancestors and re-clothe them in silk. They then participate in a lavish party, in which the family members dance to music with the exhumed bodies. Afterward, the bodies are buried once again. This practice, which takes place every few years, is considered an opportunity for the living to reconnect with the dead.
Buddha self-mummification
In a historic Japanese ritual, a group of Buddhist monks practiced what can only be considered a grueling process called self-mummification. The process was a long one: For years, monks would follow a strict diet that would rid them of body fat and toxify their remains, which decreased the odds of pests consuming their flesh after passing. In their final days, the dying monks sat in a tomb and waited for death. It’s thought that the process of self-mummification was an attempt at spiritual longevity after death.
Fantasy coffins
Leaving the physical world in a grandiose fashion is a sign of high status in Ghana, where residents are sometimes buried in fantasy coffins. These coffins – often tied to the decedent’s living profession – are nothing short of art. Coffins come in the form of everything from cars and airplanes to fish and turtles.
Memorial diamonds
Proof that death can, indeed, be beautiful: A handful of companies throughout the world will turn cremated ashes into lab-grown diamonds. The process involves procuring carbon from the remains and compressing it at very high temperatures to create a one-of-a-kind gem that can be displayed or worn as jewelry.
Tana Toraja funerals
In the Tana Toraja region of Indonesia, families save their money for some of the most elaborate funerals in the world. Throughout ceremonies that take place over the course of many days, families offer animals sacrifices as tributes to the deceased, and the horns of slaughtered buffalo are reserved as adornments for the family’s home. The entire ritual lasts 11 days, at which point the body is entombed in a cave, and a wooden effigy is positioned along the outside. This ritual is so important and expensive that families will often not have the means to perform it immediately after a death. In those cases, they will keep the decedent’s body in their own homes until they are prepared for the ceremonies, treating it as a living member of the family.
Tibetan sky burial
In one of the most unique death rituals in the world, Tibetan Buddhists offer the remains of their deceased to vultures. Because the ground in Tibet is so rocky, in-ground burial is difficult to achieve. Instead, many of the dead are traditionally cut into pieces and allowed to be eaten by scavengers. Tibetan Buddhists believe that this practice is an act of oneness with the world around them.
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