May 26, 2010: The Hanging Coffins of Sagada

[Undertoad]

In Sagada, Philippines, they have a funeral tradition dating back 2000 years.

When you get old, you build your own coffin. What a treat! Typically by hollowing out a log. It should be rather small, because it's going to have to be hauled up a cliff. Your family can help in the coffin-building process, which must really be a treat: hey kids, grampa's about to snuff it so get handy with the tools already.



And then once you die, you're packed into the thing - they can break your bones up if you're too big for the box - and you're hauled up the cliffside.

Now, if you're lucky you get a spot hanging on the outside of the cliff.



But you may just end of stacked on one of the caves that line the cliff.



Either way, what a final resting spot. The idea is to get you closer to heaven so the trip is shorter.

I guess, but if your soul can make the ionosphere, the last 500 yards aren't really that much of an extra haul.

debri.ru wikipedia