Death may seem like the end of the road, but throughout history, many cultures considered it the beginning of an extraordinary journey. From self-mummifying monks seeking enlightenment to dancing with the dead, humanity’s approach to saying goodbye has always been full of surprises.
Get ready to discover some of the most unique and mind-boggling funeral customs from around the globe.
Sky burials, or jhator , have been practiced in Tibet for more than a thousand years. With the region’s rocky terrain and lack of firewood making traditional burials or cremation difficult, Tibetans turned to offering their dead to vultures. This practice aligns with the Buddhist belief that death marks the release of the spirit, leaving the body as an empty vessel no longer needed by the soul. It also represents generosity – a chance for the body to nourish other life forms after the spirit’s departure.
In early sky burials, monks or designated individuals would carefully prepare the body, breaking it down to aid the vultures in consuming it quickly. Even today, sky burials remain a sacred tradition in remote areas of Tibet and Mongolia.
Sokushinbutsu, or "living Buddha," was an extreme form of self-mummification practiced by certain Buddhist monks in Japan. Monks who chose this path underwent a rigorous process of fasting, meditation, and physical preparation to achieve a state of enlightenment and control over their physical form. The ultimate goal was to preserve their bodies in a mummified state, allowing them to continue their spiritual journey even after death.
As they approached death, the monks would entomb themselves in a small grave, sitting in a lotus position, while meditating. They believed that by purifying both body and mind, they could reach a divine state and achieve immortality. While the practice is no longer legal, the body of preserved sokushinbutsu can still be seen in a few temples across Japan.
Famadihana, or the "Turning of the Bones," is a unique burial custom practiced by the Malagasy people of Madagascar. This ritual involves exhuming the remains of their loved ones, rewrapping them in fresh shrouds, and quite literally dancing with the bodies to live music. Famadihana is traditionally held every five to seven years and it’s believed to help families honor their ancestors and strengthen family bonds.
Famadihana is not a somber affair—far from it. During the ritual, families share stories, sing, and celebrate the lives of their ancestors.
Endocannibalism, the act of consuming the ashes or flesh of deceased family members, has been practiced by various indigenous tribes as a way to honor and connect with the dead.
Among the Yanomami tribe of the Amazon, this ritual involves consuming the cremated ashes of their loved ones mixed into a ceremonial drink made from fermented bananas. The Wari' tribe of Brazil also practiced endocannibalism as a means of honoring the dead and easing the emotional pain of loss. By consuming the flesh of their loved ones, the Wari' believed they were also releasing their soul into the afterlife .
Suttee, or Sati, was an Indian funeral custom dating back to at least the 4th century BCE. As part of this tradition, Hindu widows would commit self-immolation by leaping onto their husband's funeral pyre in an effort to secure their reunion in the afterlife. The act was believed to demonstrate a widow’s ultimate loyalty and devotion, but the reality was much grimmer—many widows were coerced into the act, trapped by societal pressures that left them little choice.
British colonial rule officially banned Suttee in 1829, but the practice lingered in some rural pockets into the late 19th century.
Deep in the wetlands of Northern Europe, ancient Celts and Germanic tribes sometimes “buried” bodies in peat bogs. The process involved placing the deceased in a seated position, sometimes surrounded by tools, clothing, or food for the journey to the afterlife.
Because of the cool, oxygen-starved environment of the peat bogs, the bodies were well-preserved—their hair and skin often intact, as if frozen in time. One of the most famous examples is the Tollund Man , discovered in Denmark back in 1950, whose remarkably preserved body offers a rare glimpse into Iron Age rituals and beliefs.
