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Graves in Toraja are considered as second houses and called Tongkonan tang merambu (houses from wich no smoke rice). The distinguishing characteristic of Toraja's graves is its use as a family graves. Like the Tongkonan house, this grave was built by the ancestor in the past. If it is full, the family will look for a new places where a new grave is made. Generally, traditional graves are classified into Erong ( a big wooden coffin), Liang(stone graves), Patane (grave similar to house, and Passilliran (baby grave).
Erong. hanging coffin in Ke'te' Kesu'
It is unknown when the Toraja people began to maker the erong grave. But it is sure that this pactice is much older than stone graves. Its remains may still be seen in various cave in Toraja.An erong is wooden coffin whish is shaped like a rice stamping block. Its walls are adorned with carvings called pa'erong, which are intended to attract more blessings from the ancestors. It is hollowed out of jack fruit wood or other hard wood and its cover is removeable. Its forms and shape vary, some of them look like buffaloes and pigs, the others resemble boats. These forms may indicate the voyage of the soul to the next world.After the corpse is placed in the erong, it is carried to a cave. Some are hung, the others are just scattered at the foot of the mountain. Each erong belongs to one family. Many erong-types are at Cakke, Duri, 50 km to the south of Rantepao. According to informant Ne' Ruding (80 years old) these wooden coffin are made of different wood depending upon the social status of the dead. Erong which are made from cendana tree (sandal wood) belong to the noble class and its form is like boat, erong hoolloed out of jack fruit wood belong to the middle class and for commoners their erong are rectanguler and the wood is a simple one. In Duri complex this coffin is called mandu' and unlike the erong in Toraja, it belongs to only one person. This coffin which is placed very high in the mountain can be seen at Tontonan cave, 1 km off the main road. Source: LIFE AND DEATH IN TORAJA by STANISLAUS SANDARUPA |
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Liang, the stone grave
stone grave at Suaya by Kars Alfrink
Liang, stone grave, gained favor as graves in the 17th century when modern utensils to hollow the rock stone were found out. During the period, there were also many thieves from outside the area. They came and stole many precious materials that had been put into the coffin together with the dead person. And for its safety the relatives buried it highly in the rock. According to the teaching of Aluk Todolo, it is strictly forbidden meloko (to remove the possession of the dead from the grave). Such thieves would be drowned or burnt in ancient times. Nonetheless, the dead's belongings continue to be stolen and antique seekers have increased in number.From the time the grave is hollowed out, on through the enlarging, and installing the door, simple ritual are carried out. The work is paid with buffaloes. Since building up one grave costs three to four buffaloes only the rich may afford it. Some masters provide their household slaves with such graves which are usually made near their graves in the hope that these slaves will be still employed in the next world. Source: LIFE AND DEATH IN TORAJA by STANISLAUS SANDARUPA |
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Patane at Ke'te' Kesu'
Another types of graves is called patane. Some people just build a small tongkonan house in which all dead persons of the same family are buried. Some of these graves are built in concrete stone in a modern style. |
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Passilliran, baby grave
A baby has a special grave too, it's called passilliran. When baby having no teeth dies, it will be buried into a grave which is hollowed out of a living tree. Some of these trees can be seen in bamboo forest. Most dead babies are buried into the ground nowadays. |
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The word tau-tau means 'little person', or, also, 'like a person'. Spoken rapidly the words sound like tatau. The tau-tau is the image of the deceased, dressed in clothing, complete with accessories and jewellery. The effigy is more than a memorial statue as we know it, for it is thought to have a soul, the soul of the deceased.
closeup Tau Tau face
A specialist (pande tau-tau) fashions the effigy out of nangka-wood. Certain individuals have won fame in the making of these dolls; the carving supplies them with supplementary income. Well-known pande are Teken in Kesu' and Pong Salapu in Sangalla'. Today, resemblance to the deceased is the specialist's goal. Nowadays, since some tau-tau craftsmen, Teken, or Olle, have had training in sculpture on Bali, increasing verisimilitude is being achieved but, it seems to me, at the cost of something of the fascination and mystery characteristic of early death dolls. |
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Simbuang, The monoliths
The monoliths of the Toraja are called simbuang batu (batu = stone). It is not always evident what a menhir stands for. In some instances, menhirs can be interpreted as phallic symbols such as the one seen by A. C. Kruyt in Bittuang (1923) which had its top painted red. The stones are raised for deceased of either sex and designed to commemorate persons of consequence after their death. The higher the class of the deceased, the more considerable his status, the larger his menhir. For a deceased of standing, two to five simbuang batu may be set up, as, for example, took place at the mortuary feast for Pong Maramba from Kalambe in Kesu'.First of all an appropriate stone is selected. Before people go out to fetch the monolith, a pig is sacrificed to the spirits of the earth (ampu padang) because, after all, the stone is going to be removed from their kingdom. The stone is dragged by a large number of men. The number of participants depends upon the size of the stone. |
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