The Sky Burial & Maori Death Rituals

Death Rituals

Tibetan- Sky Burial

 The most common form of the disposal of the dead practiced by Tibetan’s is the sky burial.  The body is wrapped and once the ceremony is about to start, “men in long white robes” come out and unwrap the corpse.  They all have hatchets prepared to make an incision.  After death, Tibetan’s refuse to touch the body for three days because they believe that “more important than the body, is the spirit of the deaseased.” The first cut is made and immediately attracts vultures that are shooed away.  The cutters continue, removing the organs and then after awhile stand back to let the vulture feed on the body.  They feed on the body for a while.  A bloody skeleton remains and the men take out mallets and begin pounding on the bone.  Tibetans believe the mortal remains “are merely an empty vessel.”  The man’s spirit is gone and the rest of vultures and hawks eat the remaining tissue in the meat. 
      There really isn't any similarities between the tibetan ritual and the Maori ritual. The Tibetan ritual is a lot more severe and has spiritual meanings to it.  Since the soil is hard, they do not have a proper burial for the person and it becomes obvious to let the vultures eat the body but I believe their views are having a hard time to accept reality.  They think the spirit is more important the body and give it to the vultures as some sort of offering. 

Maori Death Ritual

            Before any ritual happens, it is important to the Maori that they see the person before they die.  The ceremony is called Tuku and it is “to free the spirit from the body”(loddon mallee). To prepare the body, it is dressed in fine garments, most likely of the Maori culture. Feathers are put in the hair and it is “traditionally oiled and combed”(loddon mallee).  The body is never left alone until buried.  At the funeral, family and friends give speeches and tell stories and sing. Mourners then go and have food at the family’s house.  Before the feast, it is made sure that the house is blessed so the spirit of the deceased will not linger. 
    The Maori death ritual is fairly simple.  There isn't any similarities to the Tibetan ritual but I believe they value the person about to buried.  It reminds me a lot of a funeral in the U.S with of course some major differences but they mourn by telling stories and singing and having a big feast afterwards.