The hanging coffins of Sagada

Posted on 11/29/2015 | About Philippines

Imagine knowing your life is coming to an end. Then imagine it is your custom duty, in recognition of your impending life’s conclusion, to carve your own coffin. And if you are too weak or ill that you have to ask your offspring or a relative to do this for you. Finally, once your coffin is completed and you’ve moved to the ever after, your body and coffin will be tied or nailed to the side of a perilous cliff. This is the funerary practice of the Igorots of the town of Sagada in Luzon province.

Hewn from tree trunks near in the limestone karst cliffs and caves close to town, the famous coffins of Sagada are hung on local cliff faces in the belief that the practice would ensure the deceased would be brought closer to heaven and their ancestral spirits. They are a must-see for travellers to the Philippines.