EPISODE 13: MUMMY MIA: HERE WE GO AGAIN (PART 2) | Death, Burial and the Afterlife in Pre-Colonial Philippines

EPISODE 13: MUMMY MIA: HERE WE GO AGAIN (PART 2) | Death, Burial and the Afterlife in Pre-Colonial Philippines

As we close out the series on this fascinating topic (for now), we move further south and explore the death & burial practices of our pre-colonial ancestors in Visayas and Mindanao.

In this episode, we learn how burial practices differed by social class. Find out the perks and perils of being a slave in the pre-hispanic era, rituals one underwent to try and ‘save’ the dead, and just what price a tribe was willing to pay to send off their Datu properly. We also learn about the early origins of the crying ladies, and the strange things they’d have to include in their eulogies for the deceased.

[Trigger warnings for some descriptions of gore and slight sexual themes.]

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology hosted by friends Anama Dimapilis and Ice Lacsamana, avid mythology nerds, and semi-professional gossips. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram and Facebook for more good stuff. We also welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes.

You can also find us on Youtube – Gods Must Be Crazy Podcast channel, where we post some of our episodes and interviews. For other inquiries, please email us at godsmustbecrazy.pod@gmail.com

The intro and outro music is by Brian O’Reilly (@dendriform on Instagram).

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SOURCES:

Scott, William H. Barangay: Sixteenth-century Philippine Culture and Society. Quezon City, Manila, Philippines: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1994. Print.

Suarez, Michelle, et. al. A Lolong Time Ago: A Pre-History of the Philippines. Tahanan Books for Young Readers. 2016. Print.

Indonesian Torajan Tribe - Death & Burial Practice (National Geographic):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCKDsjLt_qU