Bottom Story of the Day

Wearing traditional dress, Maridjan, center, the spiritual guardian of Mount Merapi, and other villagers circle their village late Thursday night as a part of a prayer for protection from the rumbling volcano. The men later asked journalists to leave and it was reported that they removed their clothes as part of the ritual.

The men were trying to calm the volcano, which has been erupting in spectacular fashion for the past week after rumbling for the past few weeks.