The Segada people of the Phillipines have been burying their
dead in coffins hanging from limestone cliffs high above the ground
for more than 2,000 years. Their particular tradition involves the
placement of dead relatives into caves after carefully preparing a
hollowed out log.
Although no one can say for sure, it is likely this ritual
concerns the idea that that the higher the body is placed, the
closer to heaven. It also provides a way to protect bodies that
could potentially be destroyed by natural disasters such as
earthquakes and floods.
Segada is a remote area, situated some six hours away (12 in
rainy season) from the Luzon island town of Banaue, north of
Manila. The cliffs are laden with hundreds of coffins, but how they
got there seems a phenomenal effort involving either ropes to lower
the coffins down the cliff or some sort of timber scaffolding to
raise the coffin to such a height.
The coffins were carved by those that would inhabit them for
all eternity as part of this bizarre but very poignant ritual.
The corpses are smoked to preserve them throughout the 5-day
pre-burial feast and as the bodies are pushed into the coffins, the
cracking and even breaking of bones often occurs as the process is
completed.
The deceased remain in caves high in the cliffs in company of
the coffins of other ancestors. There are as many as hundreds of
coffins lined up in some of these caves.
Due to the fact that the area is unregulated, tourists have been
stealing bones as grisly souvenirs of their expedition into the
remote mountains.
While visiting these incredible caves, it is recommended that
you hire a guide, as the roads are complicated and difficult to
navigate.
Of course, don’t bother if you don’t mind the possibility of
becoming some of the bones that one day some tourist may steal and
keep mounted on their fireplace mantle!