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| Echo Sagada Mountain Province , Philippines |
The practice of hanging
coffins exists in different places in Asia such as Indonesia, China
and the Philippines but I will talk about the hanging coffins in the
Philippines because this practice is somewhat full of weirdness in
that place.
Ok... first when you are
old you are supposed to make your own coffin. If you are too sick to
make your own coffin other relatives will help make one for you. This
has been the tradition of the people from the Echo Sagada, Mountain
province, Philippines.
The coffin that I am
talking about is a kind of coffin that is carved out from a tree
trunk. You have to find a big log and hollow it out as your very own
final resting place. It is sad making your own coffin but well---it
is the tradition they have been doing for so many centuries. So they
are probably used to it.
When you die your body
will be squashed there in your resting place (the coffin you make).
Some of your bones will be broken but yeah it is the tradition so
it's ok. Even if you will try to carve a tree trunk wider or longer,
your bones will be squashed anyway because they will always put the
dead body in a foetal position inside your carved coffin.
They believe that there
are many benefits of hanging your coffin in the cliff. They believe
that by hanging the coffins the dead will be more closer to heaven.
The dead can also watch other relatives since the dead bodies are up
high. Also, hanging coffins will not use up space on soils for
planting crops. Hanging the coffin can also stop robbers from
stealing other things valuable inside the coffin.
They believe that the
young people will have spiritual success. Some family members will
carry the corpse to the coffin which will be in the cliff waiting and
the fluids that will flow out from the corpse is believe to give
talent and good fortune to the relative that will carry the body.
The dead will be dressed
in a family's favourite, colourful clothing so that in the next life
the relative can recognize that person.
Chairs are also put up
there beside the coffin as part of their ritual. Then with the chair
and the coffin they will hoist your body up to the cliff. Some of
those hanging coffins have been there for more than 2,000 years.
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