The High Price of Death in Torajaland

The High Price of Death in Torajaland

Sulawesi is famous for many things: diving, trekking, it’s volcanoes and beaches. But, Torajaland is known for its dead. The funerary rites of Torajaland fascinate travelers, namely the famous tau-tau cliff burials with bamboo effigies. But it is the sacrifices that have come to be known as one of the darkest events in cultural tourism in Southeast Asia.

To see the massacre of dozens and even hundreds of animals at a Torajaland funeral is not a sight for the faint of heart. Many may not ever wish to see such a thing. Mainly, the sacrifice is that of water buffalo – with albino buffaloes the rarest and most expensive – but there are also pigs and horses. Machete hits throat after throat as mourners sing their barely audible dirges over the screams of the sacrificed. The minimum for a traditional Torajaland funeral is six water buffalo sacrifices. For the people of Torajaland, it is a high price indeed; my guide tells me that some women joke that they don’t want to marry Torajan men because they spend all their money on funerals.

To the people of Torajaland, the more sacrifices mean the deceased will reach their journey’s end faster. Relatives sometimes save for months or years to give their loved ones the best chance. The sacrifice is only one part of the intense funerary rites of this land. There are also dirges, cockfighting, and the cleansing of the bodies. Death is important to the Torajans, as it is to everyone.

Travelers will notice that the uniquely-styled Torajaland homes are covered in buffalo horns. Death is a sign of status. But these fantastically grim funerals are more than just a curiosity; they are a crystal clear glimpse into a shared human culture – a past where we all stood together and agreed that we wouldn’t be afraid of the dark.