The Amazing Stuff

All cultures have a way of celebrating the ones who have passed away. It might be funerals, it might be simply telling stories, or it might be the huge holiday we in the U.S. know as Halloween. But few come as close to the dead as the Ma’Nene festival that takes place in the Tana Toraja province of Sulawesi, Indonesia, where people spend quality time with their deceased loved ones — quite literally.

Ma’Nene is a festival of ancestor worship. When a person dies, their body is mummified using natural ingredients and buried in rock graves. This preservation allows for the family to come back an visit each year.

The festival, which has no set date but is usually held in late August, allows people to revisit their loved ones. This woman is having an emotional moment over the casket of her late husband.

But it goes further than just seeing the caskets.

The mummified bodies are removed from their coffins and lovingly tended to. This includes cleaning the bodies, removing their old clothes and giving them new ones.

Some of the bodies are even propped up so the family can gather around them, just as they would when the person was alive.

Looking into the face of death like this isn’t seen as scary or sad, but rather as a way to connect with death — and transcend it.

This mummy is especially heartrending — it’s a baby.

Dust and debris are removed from the body, and then the bodies are dressed. Their personal affects, like this man’s glasses, are kept, as well.

People so still respect the possible dangers of breathing in the dust, so many wear masks.

The photos you see here were taken by photographer Paul Koudounaris, who specializes in capturing the way different cultures approach, deal with, and celebrate death. This festival might seem macabre to people from other cultures, but to the people in Tana Toraja, it’s a heartfelt expression of a love that even death can’t conquer. “To the villagers it is sign of the love they still share for those who have passed on but are still present spiritually,” he explains. “It is a way of showing them respect by letting them know that they are still members of the family group, and still hold an important place in local society.”

Many people think looking into a face like this is frightening, but to the people in Tana Toraja, these are still the faces of their beloved relatives.

Ma’Nene might seem strange, maybe even distasteful, to those outside of this culture. But in a society that seeks to get as far away from death as possible, it’s refreshing to see people embrace and celebrate it so readily.

You can see more of Koudounaris’ photography on his website and Facebook page, and learn about the ways people all around the world honor their dead.

We’ve covered some pretty strange hotels before, and while some of those might seem weird, this one is downright morbid. It all starts in a quaint New England town, where owner Andrew Knight renovated the rectory of an old church into a cute little hotel. The Italianate building is pleasantly picturesque from the outside, but inside, there’s a dark little secret.

This is the newly opened Inn at the Agora in Lewiston, Maine. It was originally the rectory of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Looks cute, right?

In the late 19th century, St. Patrick’s was run by Monsignor Thomas Wallace. He loved the church and the town so much, he never wanted to leave.

The Monsignor oversaw the church’s construction, as well as that of a mortuary chapel and a crypt so that he could be buried in the place he so loved. In 1907, his wish was fulfilled, and his remains were interred in the crypt.

Wallace stayed there for 102 years, until 2009, when the church closed. His body was relocated to a local cemetery, and the church was purchased by Knight, who set about turning it into a hotel — including the crypt.

That’s right. For a little extra, you can spend the night in Wallace’s next-to-final resting place.

It’s outfitted with furniture and a TV.

It even has a cozy coffin for two in the space where Wallace’s body used to be.

Wallace’s original name plaque is still visible, and the coffin bed is placed atop the original slab that once contained his bones. But don’t worry, he’s been moved.

It seems morbid, but sleeping in a crypt was surprisingly popular. Knight held an eBay auction for the first night, and the first guests won with a bid of $760.

Since it’s a crypt and not exactly designed for the living, the crypt room doesn’t have a toilet. Because of this, guests are required to leave by 2 am, and must make arrangements at the Inn at the Agora for the rest of the night.

The entrance to the crypt as seen from the outside.

(via CNN)

If you’re staying at the Hotel Crypt, you’ll also be treated to a complimentary bottle of “Bloodeaux” red wine. You can opt for a “last meal,” as well.

To those who think that turning a crypt into a hotel room is disrespectful, Knight insists that Wallace would be thrilled to find that people love his church as much as he did. “He’d at worst have shrugged it off as a minor annoyance or, at best, laughed at the ridiculousness,” Knight says.

You can check out more information, including booking deals, at the Inn at the Agora and Hotel Crypt.