Igorot Cave & Cliff Burial



A BBC slideshow here.

Essay here.



This is an original vintage post-mortem photograph from the 1930s. I believe it shows a very rare glimpse into traditional Igorot funeral customs. The man in this photo is deceased and bound in a sitting position.

A customer who has spent time with the Igorot had this to say, "I can explain why the man is placed in the seated position. I just spent a week in Ifugao, Philippines with a member of this tribe. A person is placed in this position and salted and dried for 3 days. The reason they are seated is because once dry, the person can be removed from the chair and turned,sideways into the fetal position. The Igorot/Ifugao tribe believes that a fetus in the womb is in the fetal position and by placing them in the fetal position after death, they will return to "mother nature/mother earth". Also Interesting to note that deceased loved ones are typically placed under their bed, under a child's bed, under the house, or somewhere else in the house in order to keep them close to the family. Just thought I'd share what I learned straight from a tribe member himself"


Source.
     Posted By: Paul - Tue Nov 24, 2020
     Category: Death | Religion | Foreign Customs | South Pacific and Polynesia





Comments
Interesting how long the deceased man's toes are and that they are splayed. Also, if a cell phone or a keyboard were placed in his hands, he would look just like a 21st century person.
Posted by Fritz on 11/24/20 at 07:33 AM
I wonder who came up with the name "I-go-rot".
Posted by Virtual in Carnate on 11/24/20 at 07:42 AM
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.