Greetings from the Philippines
Hanging coffins in Sagada
The people of Sagada traditionally followed a unique burial ritual, hanging their coffins from cliffs or placing them in a cave. They believed that the higher the dead were placed, the greater chance of their spirits reaching a higher nature in the afterlife.
This ancient tradition dates back over 2,000 years and is still practised by some today. The coffins can be seen in various locations around the town. Eventually they fall, or decay and break apart (in one cave we saw skulls, another has human bones). The oldest of those coffins we saw was, we were told, around 200 years old.
According to custom, the elderly carve their own coffins out of hollowed logs. If they are too weak or ill, their families prepare their coffins instead. The dead are placed inside their coffins, traditionally in a foetal position as it is believed we should leave this life as we entered it. To facilitate this a dead person would be seated in a chair in the family home for some days, receiving visitors and gifts. We saw some fascinating old photos of this practice in an interesting museum we visited in Bontoc, taken by Filipino photographer Eduardo Masferré.
A few more bonus photos:
40 Comments
equinoxio21
Amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks, glad you found it interesting 😀
rkrontheroad
Of all the burial traditions I have read about, this is by far the most unique. How moving that it is still observed and so many of the old coffins are still there.
Sarah Wilkie
I’m pleased you found it of interest Ruth. The locals take great care of the coffin sites, only allowing tourists to visit with a guide for instance. They are very wary of them becoming a Tik Tok freak show.
Amy
Oh… so unique!
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, totally I believe!
Tanja
Very unusual burial tradition
Sarah Wilkie
Unique, I believe!
Teresa
I knew you’d be posting about this. Such a unique tradition worth seeing and experiencing. Glad you were able to do it. I have often thought of going but I still haven’t up to now.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Teresa. Yes, we couldn’t miss seeing this and I found it fascinating talking to our guides about the tradition and the uniqueness of the culture in the mountains more generally.
grandmisadventures
These coffins are so fascinating to me. Nothing says faith and devotion than scaling a rock wall to hang a coffin of a loved one. I can’t imagine what an ordeal that must be for them.
Sarah Wilkie
Tough work maybe but the whole community helps, not just the family of the deceased. And I understand they consider it an honour, not an ordeal.
Anna
Wow how absolutely fascinating!
Sarah Wilkie
It was, and we learned even more details than I included here. Something for a future post perhaps!
Anna
I forget you are in a similar timezone to me now! I’m not used to you replying so fast! 😂
Sarah Wilkie
Haha yes, we’re a long way from home 😀
thehungrytravellers.blog
Glad you got to see this remarkable sight. Interesting though….our guide definitely said the last was 2010, although to be clear he did say it was still practiced in the caves. Did you get to try the lemon pie?
Sarah Wilkie
It’s possible the acquaintance our guide mentioned was placed in a cave rather than hung – I’ll check with her. But we skipped the pie as we were eating so much, although we did get an excellent coffee in the town, a rare thing on this trip!
the eternal traveller
Gives a new perspective on the saying “hanging around”. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Haha, yes 😂
Rose
Interesting, I had not heard of this burial ritual before.
Sarah Wilkie
This is one of the sights that intrigued me enough to make me want to visit the Philippines!
Monkey's Tale
Amazing! As I said to Phil and Michaela, I didn’t know they only recently stopped this strange custom, but you say it’s still being practiced – wow. What an interesting cultural tradition. Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Yes – see my reply to Jude below. We’ve got to know our guide well over the last week and I trust her when she says it still goes on, albeit only occasionally.
Monkey's Tale
Wow, that would be quite the funeral service!
Sarah Wilkie
It would, and there’s even more to it than that! I’ll try to write a fuller follow-up post on my return home.
margaret21
Fascinating stuff. Burial customs seem to be very couuntry-specific in many ways.
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, although there are also overlaps which often reflect trading and migration patterns. For instance here in the Philippines more generally (not Sagada) they traditionally buried family members on their own land, as they often still do in Madagascar. And both countries practice a form of bobe-washing ceremony, where bones are removed from the grave every so many years to be cleaned and honoured with gifts and prayers. Centuries ago Filipino traders went to Madagascar and took their customs with them.
margaret21
Interesting stuff! I wonder how log those bones continue to be honoured in thi way? Don’t worry, I don’t expect you to know!
Sarah Wilkie
I don’t, but I suspect through several generations at least.
Heyjude
Love that first photo. How on earth do they get them up there? Must be dangerous, though didn’t Phil say that it is no longer practised? I wouldn’t fancy seeing the human bones and skulls (and yes I did see them in your other photo).
Sarah Wilkie
According to our guide, officially they day it is no longer practiced but actually some people do choose it. She knows someone who was buried that way just two years ago. And the local guide we had there talked about it in the present tense. Apparently they use ropes and a sort of pulley system to get some up the cliffs, while others are in caves you can climb to.
Anne Sandler
Wow, that’s a unique custom!
Sarah Wilkie
It’s one of the things that made us curious to visit this region
Sue
Oh, my goodness!
Sarah Wilkie
Fascinating, eh?!
kzmcb
I might put that in my advanced care directive.
Sarah Wilkie
Hmm, not sure I would!!
Washe Koda
Wow I was at the Subic Bay Navel Station in 1976 and the monsoon’s and typhoons destroyed the cemeteries there they bury families on top each other 20 people deep sometimes
Sarah Wilkie
I’ve seen them several people deep in some places we’ve been but nowhere near 20!