The Toraja community of Indonesia have engaged in the annual Ma’nene ritual, which sees them spend time with the corpses of dead relatives, who they shower with gifts before placing back in their cleaned tombs
Astonishing images have emerged of an annual ritual where villagers dig up the bodies of their dead relatives.
The Toroja community of Indonesia pull their dead relatives’ corpses from their tombs, clean and clothe them before spending time with them, chatting and lighting cigarettes for them.
It’s an annual tradition and happens every August before planting season in the community in Panggala, Nort Toraja, South Sulawesi, but the photos never fail to astound.
The annual Toraja death rituals – or Ma’nene ritual – are inspired by the community’s belief in an infinite link between life and death.
This year, two men are pictured with the mummified corpse of a dead relative, who has had a baseball cap stuck on his head and a cigarette in his mouth, which the men are lighting.
They interact with the mummified corpses as if they were alive, and clean their graves and replace decorated coffins before putting them back.
And in the modern era, tribespeople use their smartphones to take pictures with their dead relatives.
In one picture, community member Roni Pasang hugs the corpse of his dead cousin.
Families often keep the mummified corpses of the recently deceased in their homes for months – sometimes years – as they mourn and prepare and save money for the burial, which they find hugely significant.
Sometimes they use a ‘Tongkonan’ – a building specifically designed to house the dead before burial.
The Torajans often get into crippling debt from funerals, as they place so much importance on death as the most important aspect of life.
The dead are interacted with as if they are alive, often being included in family meals.
In one image, the corpse of a little girl is seen newly clothed in a purple dress, shoes, a hair band and even a wig while Lin Arensia poses with her.
In a later picture, Lin takes a selfie with grandfather Ne Potta.
The dead relatives are laid in their tomb in the fresh clothes, and every year knives are used to cut them away so it can be replaced.
One picture shows a pair of Adidas shoes being placed on a relative’s foot.
Another corpse is given a new hat, sunglasses, shorts and a watch.
Sticks are used to hold them up and the corpses are cleaned with dry paint brushes.
Conversely, the Toraja people are a largely Protestant Christian community, living in a country where the majority of the population are Muslim.
But the annual tradition remains entrenched in their culture down the centuries.
For Torajans, the death of the body isn’t seen as an abrupt event and attempts are made to keep them part of the family.
According to their ancient belief system, the spirit of a dead person must return to his village of origin.
So if a person died on a journey, the dead person would be walked back home from the scene to the village.
Torajan Eric Crystal Rante Allo last year told The Sydney Morning Herald: “Toraja people believe the spirit of the dead lives among us, the living, looking out for us, blessing us.
“That’s why, before the ritual of the burial is performed, they are called to’makula, or just sick, not yet dead. Toraja’s people highly respect their dead.”
Now Bartolomeus, a rice farmer, said: It’s like when you come home for Christmas, it’s that feeling of joy meeting someone you haven’t seen for a long time.