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| Famous cliff graves and Tau Tau |
From the Funeral ceremony we went to Lemo about 6 km south of Rantepeo where there is a very extensive grave site. The tombs are hewn out of solid rock into the side of a vertical rock wall and are around 2m by 2m cubed. The cavern has a small opening and all the members of one household are buried here over generations.
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| Tau Tau. |
Above and around the doors which mark the entrances to the tombs are large carved niches in which Tau Tau are placed. These are figures carved to resemble the dead person and they are increasingly complicated as the carving ability of the Tana Torajan wood carvers has improved. The Torajans believe the dead need to take many things with them into the spirit world so they go to their graves very well provided for. In ancient times these people were also head hunters and several heads would be hunted for a noble person to take with him as slaves for his journey. I use the word “his” generally because the women are equally well provided for and families follow both male and female lines.
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| Beaded dancers pig sacrifices and a house initiation ceremony |
From the Lemo graves to a House Initiation Ceremony and we fought our way down a very crowded road to the site where a new Tongkonan was being consecrated. Lavishly decorated in traditional style, with festive flags, beaded hangings and lucky Ikats. (Locally woven cloths) it was quite a sight.
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| Pig for now. Pork later. |
The temporary houses and rice barns brim full of people, dead pigs everywhere and one huge sow neatly caged above ground in a bamboo contraption presiding over the carcasses of her fallen compatriots. The incongruity of pig meat being carried off slung over bamboo poles, carried by men weaving between beautifully dressed Torajan girls in ceremonial costume of bright canary yellow and hung with colourful beads, was striking. Soon there appeared out of the crowd two beautifully dressed women who performed a traditional dance to drum beat during which members of the crowd dash in to place money in the headband of the girls. I dashed in to do my bit! There must have been over 1000 people here. One very important house this one, 500 pigs must die!
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| Pork take away! |
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| Beautiful walk to the hanging graves. |
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| Very old hanging graves |
Walking on up the hill we came upon an amazing burial site, a tree, a member of the breadfruit family! Here, in this tree are the bones of many babies. Called Baby Trees, animists believe a baby with no teeth is without sin and therefore requires no funeral. It is in fact not really dead. The baby is placed in a foetal position within a hole carved out of the tree. The tree oozes milk like sap which it is believed will nourish the baby. A fragile frame of bamboo and grass is placed over the hole and the tree gradually grows over leaving only a scar. When the frame finally falls away the family is satisfied that the baby has returned to heaven. Candles are burned here every Thursday and small offerings are made. Quite moving!
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| Baby Tree |
Before the Torajans had the technology to dig rock tombs they hung heavy timber coffins from poles suspend high on cliff walls or inside caves. We visited Londa Caves next where we walked by lantern light through caverns full of decaying coffins and piles of bones and coffins containing several family members. Torajans believe those who house together should be buried together.
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| A tumble of family buried together. |
