In many regions and communities in Indonesia, death is as important as life itself.
Death never ceases to fascinate us. In Indonesia, especially, having someone pass on may not necessarily entail a procession as simple as a memorial followed by, depending on one’s faith, burial or cremation. Certain cultures in Indonesia throw such an intricate funeral ceremony and ritual as they believe that death marks an ethereal reunion between the soul of the departed and nature itself. Other cultures, meanwhile, believe that the living has to help the departed reach the heavens above — literally. Certain funeral traditions, moreover, also reflect the social status of both the living and the departed.
Here Indonesia Expat breaks down several funeral rituals and traditions across Indonesia; some of them have grown iconic so much so that the procession itself has turned into a tourism appeal.
The funeral rituals and traditions are listed below in alphabetical order.
Asmat Tribe’s Mummification
One unique funeral tradition comes from Papua — to be more exact, carried out by the Asmat Tribe — by preserving the body of the departed like a mummy a.k.a. mummification. However, not everyone can be mummified as the tradition dictates that mummification is typically carried out on those who have the highest position, such as tribal chiefs or warlords of the Asmat Tribe. The body of the departed will be smeared with certain natural ingredients and then, placed on a fireplace to go through a slow smoking process. After several years, the body that has gone through the mummification process will change colour to black. Afterwards, the body will be displayed in front of the Asmat Tribe’s traditional house. If there are important cultural events like traditional rituals, the mummy will be seated facing the crowd to commemorate the departed’s services back when they were alive.
Brobosan
In a journal entitled Brobosan Tradition in the Death Ceremony of the Javanese Community in Rajabasa Raya Village written by Tia Damayanti, Henry Susanto, and Yustina Sri Ekwandari as published in 2019, it is explained that Brobosan is a symbol of respect from a Javanese family for one of their members who has recently departed. This procession is carried out when the body of the departed is going to be taken to the cemetery. The body will be carried by four people who stand for a moment in front of the family’s house. Afterwards, the children and grandchildren of the departed will walk under the body seven times. However, Brobosan is only carried out for the departed who are already married; this funeral procession is not carried out should the departed not yet enter matrimony.
Iki Palek
For most people, cutting off one’s finger sounds terrible. However, cutting off a finger harbours a deep meaning for the Dani Tribe in Papua. For them, cutting fingers is done as a form of harmony, unity, and strength within a person or a family. If a family member dies, one finger belonging to one of the family members who is still alive (typically, a woman) will be cut off. Before the finger-cutting begins, the finger will be wrapped with thread and a spell will be recited. The finger will, then, be tied with thread until it is numb. The finger-cutting process can be done in two ways: the woman can bite her finger until it breaks or she can use an axe or a knife. After the tradition is complete, the wound will be tied with leaves and undergo a natural healing process which is estimated to take about a month. If the ones who died are both of her parents, she will cut two finger joints instead.
Kambira’s Baby Grave
Kambira’s Baby Grave is, essentially, a tree. Why is it called a baby grave? Because it harks back to one of the funeral rituals in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, in which departed babies are buried in a tree (also referred to by the locals as “passiliran“) called Tarra: a type of breadfruit tree with a large size that has stood the test of time for centuries. The act of burying a departed baby in the log of a Tarra tree is believed by the Tana Toraja people as a manifestation of returning the departed to their mother’s womb. The body would be buried in a sitting position and without clothes — just like a baby in the womb. Then, after the body is buried in the tree log, it would be covered with tree branches. Some reported that this tradition is no longer performed in the modern era. However, the trees remain existing to this day and continue to be maintained and preserved as a tourist destination.
Mangokal Holi
Samosir Island, which is located in the middle of Lake Toba, North Sumatra, also has a unique burial tradition. The tradition is called Mangokal Holi: a hereditary belief of the people of Samosir Island manifested in the act of removing ancestral skulls as a form of respect. The Mangokal Holi tradition is carried out by dismantling the graves of long-dead family members and placing their bones on a monument (referred to by the Samosir people as “tugu“). The Samosir people believe that the Mangokal Holi tradition can bring the spirits of ancestors closer to the Creator. On top of that, the Mangokal Holi burial tradition also aims to unite the bodies of all family members in one beautifully crafted monument. The more beautiful and the more expensive the monument is made, the higher the status of the family of the departed.
Marapu
A tradition of the Sumbawa culture, Marapu is a belief dating back all the way from the megalithic era; a funeral ritual that is steeped in the Sumbawa people’s ancient belief in the power of ancestral spirits. Marapu can be very expensive because there are livestock that must be slaughtered throughout this procession. Henceforth, Marapu can be postponed for years after the death of the departed in question. Besides animal sacrifice, Marapu also features a uniquely shaped tomb as the final resting place for the departed; the tomb is typically in the form of stones with holes which are, then, covered with more stones.
Ngaben
When discussing funeral traditions in Indonesia, perhaps Ngaben is one of the most popular and well-known among the expatriates who have frequently visited and/or vacationed in Bali. This typical Balinese Hindu funeral tradition aims to purify the spirit of the deceased. However, in order to do so, several traditional ceremonies must be held; one of them is building a wooden ox as a place of resting for the Ngaben procession’s corpse. At the peak of the Ngaben procession ceremony is Ngeseng Sawa which is the cremation of the corpse. The wooden ox is also ‘cremated’ with the aim of ‘confusing’ the spirit of the departed so that it does not return to the world of the living. After the cremation process is complete, the Ngaben procession is continued with another procession called Nganyut: the act of drifting the ashes of the departed (who is now cremated) into the sea. Ngayut serves as a symbol of the reunion between the souls of the departed and the nature from which they were born.
Rambu Solo
This funeral tradition from Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi is believed by the Toraja people as a means to ‘perfect’ death, as well as an expression of both respect and deliverance for the departed as the latter leaves for the spirit world. However, the Rambu Solo funeral tradition must go through a fairly long traditional ceremony process; one of the steps within the process is that animal sacrifice must be made by the family of the departed. Depending on the social strata of the departed, the amount of animal sacrifice — either a pig or a buffalo — can reach tens to even hundreds of animals. It is not surprising that the Rambu Solo traditional ceremony can be held for three to seven consecutive days. After the traditional ceremony is complete, the body of the departed can finally be ‘buried’ on a high-rock cliff referred to by the Toraja people as “lemo“, symbolising the act of delivering the spirit to “puya” or heaven.
Tiwah
As a funeral tradition carried out by the Dayak Ngaju Tribe in Central Kalimantan. Tiwah stands apart from other funeral traditions in Indonesia due to how this particular tradition must be carried out after the body has been buried for several years, leaving only the bones as its remains. According to the beliefs of the Dayak Ngaju people, Tiwah is carried out to deliver the spirits of the ancestors to the place of origin of the soul (referred to by the Dayak Ngaju people as “Lewu Tatau”) together with Ranying: the highest god figure in the beliefs of the Dayak people. Generally, Tiwah is held for three days to a full month. The procession begins by building Sandung Rahung which is a place designated to store the bones of the departed. A buffalo, serving as animal sacrifice, is also prepared as it is later tied near Sandung Rahung.
Waruga
A tradition upheld in Minahasa, North Sulawesi, Waruga is, essentially, a tomb. Waruga is derived from two words: “waru” which means “house” and “ruga” which means “body”. Literally speaking, Waruga refers to a house where the body of the departed will return to heaven. It is believed that Waruga has existed since the 9th century. Waruga is made of stone consisting of an upper and lower part. The upper part is shaped like a house ridge, while the lower part is rectangular. The upper part of Waruga functions as a tomb cover, while the lower part functions as a place for the corpse. The stone used for Waruga is a type of basalt lava stone taken from the eruption of Mount Klabat and Mount Lokon. When the body is put into Waruga, it will be positioned in a way that the departed’s heels touch the buttocks and the mouth seems to kiss the knees, evoking the position of a baby in the womb. For the Minahasa people, this body position reflects their belief that humans begin — and end — their lives in the same manner.