Maridjan, Mount Merapi's spiritual guardian dies in Indonesia eruption

Mas Penewu Surakso Hargo, better known as Mbah Maridjan ("Grandfather Maridjan")was the spiritual guardian[2] or "gatekeeper" of the Indonesian volcano Mount Merapi. For 33 years, Maridjan spoke to Mount Merapi, appeasing its unpredictable spirits by throwing offerings of rice, clothes and chickens into the volcano's gaping crater.

Many villagers took his word -- not that of government officials or seismologists -- as the last on when it would erupt. And the 83-year-old did appear to predict the volcano's latest eruption, which killed 33 people this week, but did not heed the warning himself.

His rigid body was found Wednesday, prostrate on the ground in the typical Islamic prayer position and caked in heavy white soot.

When he was 50, Maridjan inherited the position of "key holder" of the mountain from his father, receiving the official appointment from the sultan of Yogyakarta.

He was believed by many to have the ability to speak directly to the mountain and led ceremonies every year to hold back its lava flows by throwing rice, clothes and chickens into its dome.

Many villagers saw him as a hero, believing him over government officials and seismologists when it came to determining Merapi's danger levels. But he was a constant source of frustration for those tasked with overseeing evacuations.