Tana Toraja Religion

My culture area was Indonesia and Philippines; these countries are located in Southeast Asia. The groups that make up these culture areas are Berawan, Dyaks, Ifugao, and Tana Toraja. Some of these groups have been around for thousands of years, more specifically the Tana Toraja have been in their location for 2,000 years. The Tana Toraja is known for their rice terraces with that being there main crop, they also plant many vegetables such as beans, cabbage, and peas.
The definition of religion includes three defining points being supernatural, sacred, and animism. The Tana Toraja has sacred views on death, with funerals lasting weeks to celebrate the life. Some rituals involving the deceased are considered supernatural, where a Shaman casts a spell on a body that allows it to walk to the grave. The afterlife in the religion plays an important part in there everyday lives. …show more content…
Mention above the afterlife holds value on there everyday life. A symbol for death is the Tongkonan, a house for the deceased that they live in while the family is saving thousands for the funeral ceremony. They use this symbol as the deceased is still alive and living in that house, but just ill and waiting to pass on after the funeral. The Tongkonan is shaped like buffalo horns and is always facing North to symbolize life. Another myth about death is that the deceased must be buried where they were born, so the family members must embark on a mission to get the deceased back to there original