Philippines: Stairway To Heaven 17

 After a few weeks of traveling, we were impressed by the friendly and hospitable Filipinos in the valleys, but when we visited some difficult-to-reach mountain villages, we could easily imagine that we were walking among people who were headhunters and cannibals just a few decades ago.

Text & Photos: Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Philippines: Stairway To Heaven 16

 Many an explorer and missionary ended their lives this way.

In some cultures, a man could not even marry until he had killed and eaten at least one enemy.

Text & Photos: Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Philippines: Stairway To Heaven 15

 
The locals believe that by eating human flesh they also gain the soul and power of the deceased, especially if they eat the heart, brain, genitals, breasts, arms or legs, where these powers are greatest.

Text & Photos: Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Philippines: Stairway To Heaven 14 Headhunting Expeditions

 
In many places, entire headhunting expeditions were organized, and in some places entire populations of smaller islands disappeared.

Text & Photos: Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Philippines: Stairway To Heaven 13

 
According to some, in remote places it has not died out to this day, despite the harsh punishments imposed by the colonizers and despite missionary work.

Text & Photos: Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Philippines: Stairway To Heaven 12

 
From these skull cults, in many places in Melanesia - in the Solomon Islands, the New Hebrides, New Guinea and the Philippines - the gruesome custom of headhunting and cannibalism developed, which in some places persisted until the 1950s.

Text & Photos: Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Philippines: Stairway To Heaven 11

 Headhunters

In some places, the hair is left on the skulls, and the flesh from the face is removed and replaced with a clay face.

Elsewhere, the entire head is smoked and the face is covered with pitch to preserve the features.

Text & Photos: Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Philippines: Stairway To Heaven 10

 
In many places, the bones are cleaned a day after death and placed in special sacred places (e.g. in a house of spirits).

Jaws or even whole skulls are worn by widows or "mourners" on a string around their necks. In general, they pay special attention to skulls - also because of the belief that the spirit of the deceased resides in the skull.

Text & Photos: Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Philippines: Stairway To Heaven 9

 
O. Johnson reports that on the island of Vao they believe that the soul separates from the body in the ground and goes to "heaven" deep in the earth.

Therefore, they bury the elderly alive and celebrate the event by dancing on the fresh grave. It happens that some of the unfortunate buried ones dig themselves up, but they are buried again. 

 Text & Photos: Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Philippines: Stairway To Heaven 8

 
Funeral customs in different parts of Oceania vary widely and are sometimes very unusual for our concepts.

In some places, the bodies are buried wrapped in a squatting position, in others they are burned, and in still other places they are fed to their protectors - sharks.

Text & Photos: Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Philippines: Stairway To Heaven 7

 
The residents of Sagada are nice and friendly people, like most Filipinos. However, they could not tell me why some of the coffins were open, with bones protruding from them.

Perhaps they were looted by robbers, or wild animals.

Text & Photos: Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

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