Unbelievable Famadihana

  I can't imagine being in actual physical contact with a dead body, never mind a previously buried one.  Nonetheless, there exists a tradition in Madagascar, called Famadihana, of digging up previously buried bodies, re-wrapping them in new cloth, and essentially parading them around dancing at their tomb.




    As bizarre and almost eerie as this sounds, this tradition is part of the series of steps that must be taken as part of the death ritual in this culture.  Although a relatively new practice, it is not uncommon, but is declining in use.
    Every 7 years, the ritual is repeated.  It is thought that the spirits of the ancestors cannot rest until the bodies have fully decomposed.  So, the bodies are unwrapped and re-wrapped until their relatives believe they have been released.
    When the bodies are unearthed, they are unwrapped from their previous cloth, and re-wrapped with fresh white cloth.  The old cloth, once removed from the remains, is cut up and placed under the mattresses of newlyweds, to promote fertility.
    Unfortunately, all I can think about when it comes to digging up dead bodies is zombies, but that is just my natural inclination to fear and avoid dead things.