Sky, Space and Beads: 9 unusual funeral traditions across the world
Sky BurialsIn Tibet, bodies are left outdoors for vultures to consume, then crushed and fed to crows.
Burial BeadsIn South Korea, cremated ashes are turned into colourful beads, worn as jewellery or kept in an urn due to limited graveyard space.
Cremation In The PhilippinesIn the Philippines, Apayos tribals bury the dead in their kitchen area, while Benguet tribals blindfold and sit the dead in a chair at the main entrance.
Jazz Funeral
In New Orleans, mournful jazz music escorts the deceased to the cemetery, followed by upbeat music later for the celebration of life.
EndocannibalismIt is a controversial and unusual practice where some tribes across the world practice eating human flesh from their own community after death.
Dancing With The DeadIn Madagascar's Famadihana tradition, the dead are wrapped in fresh clothes every few years and celebrated with dance and music.
Balinese Death Ceremony
The body, placed in a coffin, is later shifted into a sarcophagus resembling a buffalo or dragon and then cremated.
Zoroastrian Death CeremonyThe dead bodies are cleansed with bull’s urine, and exposed in a ‘Tower of Silence’ for vultures to consume.
Space Burial
A comparatively modern death ritual, this involves the launching of cremated remains into outer space. In 1992, the Pegasus rocket was launched along with the ashes of 24 people into the outer space.
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