In the region of Tana Toraja, a primitive and hauntingly beautiful place on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, buffaloes must never be left alone.

They are big, gentle creatures, those buffaloes, and they are used neither as beasts of burden nor sources of food. Rather, they are pampered like beautiful mistresses.

They are addressed and treated as people. They are fed eggs and wine; they are regularly washed with soap; their owners will plow the field while they look placidly on; and on the hottest days their guardians bathe and refresh them before allowing themselves the same treatment.

The buffaloes of Tana Toraja also are objects of love songs sung to them by their owners. The songs are called passomba tedong (adoring the buffalo) and people learn them at an early age.

In return for such lavish and loving care, the approximately 300,000 inhabitants of Tana Toraja seek only one thing from these animals: their souls. After spending their lives lazing in leisure, the beasts face sudden violence in a sacrificial ceremony – a rite in which their spirit is called upon to accompany someone to the next world.

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