Funerals Manguisa style are quite different from what we know in the western world.  With the advent of morgues within the last 20 years, the deceased is no longer buried immediately.  The body can be held in a morgue for however long is necessary for widely scattered family members to return home.  And a whole tradition, called "the removal of the body" has sprung up since morgues have become common place.  This almost always takes place on a Friday.  Once the body is "removed" (in as fancy a casket as the family can afford...also a "tradition" which has sprung up in front of our eyes) it is taken back to the village for burial.  The casket is carried into the home of the deceased, or if they no longer lived in the village, into the house of their parents,  or the family head (who may be an uncle).  The casket is opened and the body "lies in state" all night long.  While close family members spend the night with the body, others come and go throughout the night.  A lot of drinking takes place.

Late morning, or early afternoon on Saturday, people start arriving.  The family has cleared a large area of jungle growth.  Plastic chairs have been rented and set up in sections.  Some sort of a covering to protect people from the sun is erected over the section for the most important people.  Traditionally, long poles are cut from the jungle, along with piles of palm fronds.  With these simple, readily available materials, a very effective shelter is constructed.  However, if the family has the means and want to show off their wealth, nowadays one can rent plastic tents which serve the same purpose.  A family member is assigned the task of seating people in their appropriate section.  If the deceased was married, the VIP section is for the deceased's father's people.  Directly across the clearing from them is the deceased's mother's people.  And there would be corresponding sections for the in-laws and the out-laws of their spouses families.  And if the deceased were a polygamist, then the sections for the clans increase in number.  If a person was not married, there are only two sections. 

Alcohol is an incredibly important part of all funerals.  It is not uncommon for fights to break out at random moments if someone perceives they should have been given a larger bottle of beer, or more bottles of beer, than someone else in close proximity to them.  Food and alcohol draw many people to funerals who might not otherwise attend.  And thus it is that a small team of family members are assigned the task of guarding and distributing alcohol.  Cases and cases of beer are kept in a locked room inside the house.  To keep everyone happy, the beer must come out early on.  It is distributed according to a fairly complex system of your relationship to the deceased, your position in the family, and how much you have contributed to the heavy expenses involved in the burial. 

Around two in the afternoon the ceremony begins.  Traditional religious practices are strictly performed.  These are largely demonic in origin and insure that the afterlife will advance according to firmly held traditional beliefs.  Then there is generally a lull in the service while the visiting Catholic priest and his entourage arrive and set up shop.  Once this part of the ceremony is finished, the head of the family and his assistant step out into the clearing.  The family head carries a long cane.  Facing the deceased's father's clan (called his "real" relatives), the family head taps the ground three times.  Then he calls out in a loud voice, requesting permission to begin.  All the men yell something like "HEY".  He then stands in front of the deceased's mother's clan and repeats the same thing, getting the same response.  If there are two other family groups, he must do the same with each of them, in descending order.  Once everyone has given their consent, he begins to tell the story of the deceased's final illness.  He stands facing the mother's clan and goes into elaborate detail, explaining all that the family has done to treat the illness.  This is extremely important.  If that clan is not satisfied that all has been done for their relative that could possibly be done, but he died anyway, the mother's clan will not give permission for the burial to take place.  When he finishes his lengthy monologue, he asks their permission.  Permission is granted by all the males yelling something like "HEY".  He then turns to the father's clan, requesting their permission.  It is given the same way.  And if two (or more) other clans are present, he must receive their permission as well.  Once everyone is satisfied, and the ceremony can advance, either the family head, or another family member will give another lengthy monologue.  This  one is similar to our eulogy of our dearly departed.  The life story of the deceased is gone into in great detail.  Following this the casket is closed and a number of male relatives carry the body out back of the house to where the hole has already been dug.  Only those members of each clan who want to (the ones who were close to the deceased) follow the casket and witness the actual burial.  A great deal of wailing goes on as the casket is lowered into the ground and covered up.  

Meanwhile, a large group of female relatives of the deceased have been cooking through the night in order to be ready to serve the several hundred who attend the burial.  The cooking takes place a distance away from the ceremony.  By the time the family head is starting into his monologue, the ladies are weaving in and out among the crowds and serving people according to their rank and position in the family.  Food is given first to the mother's clan, and then all other clans in descending order.  Interestingly enough, the father's clan (though considered the "real" relatives) are fed last.  

Did I mention that  funerals Manguisa style are quite different from what we know in the western world? (That would be an understatement!)