The Richness of Warawatung Traditional Rituals

DESA WARAWATUNG is a southern village in Nagawutung sub-district, Lembata Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. It’s about 40km from Lewoleba, the capital city of Lembata Regency. This village is the result of division from the parent village Lusiduawutun with population of 297 inhabitants.

Tracing deep into the socio-cultural life, this village has some unique ancestral traditions that continue to be preserved to this day. The very strong of cultural traditions in this village makes Warawutung become a traditional village.

It is recorded that there are several cultural rites which are the characteristic of this village and still performed periodically and at any time according to customary rules.

1. Ga Kfaru (eating Young Corn)

Rite of eating young corn does not only exist in Warawatung village because some other villages also have this tradition.

The timing of this ritual ceremony cannot be arbitrarily carried out because it must be performed based on the calculation of the month that falls on the day of the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th month, and must not exceed the day in the 11th month because according to local beliefs on the day of the 11th month, the ancestors’ mouths will be closed so they cannot enjoy the offerings that are given for them.

Some typical rites in a series of young corn eating in Warawatung village are the following:

a. Para Koreng Krongot (offerings to the skull)

Koreng krongot or skull that will be offered, is the skull of ancestors and members of a deceased tribal family. Accordance to the tradition in this village, every family member who has died, within a certain period (± 10 years) the skull will be taken. The skull in a certain sense becomes like the relics of the martyrs as in church tradition, so it must be kept somewhere where according to their belief, the sacred place to the deceased is the Koker. Koker is a sacred house, square in shape with a bamboo wall or plaited reed at the top. Koker is also used as a place to pray for wishes and blessings.

During the young corn eating ceremony, the skull will be taken out and bathed (lebu pmaha) and oiled with coconut milk (popah orut).

Furthermore, these skulls will be incense with Kemenyan (benzoin) and fragrant wood, in customary language called Kaju Kaihali. This incense aims to revive the spirits of the deceased so they can enjoy the offerings that are prepared for them. After a few moments of incense ritual, these skulls will be dripped with blood of red roosters and then ritual feeding with red rice, boiled chicken liver and chicken heart. This koreng krongot procession takes place in the morning.

b. Para Fua Furek (Offerings to sacred magic stones)

Para Fua Furek or offerings to sacred magic stones. This rite takes place at night before the customary leader and tribal members who have been fasting all year (not eating corn and/or new rice), enjoy eating young corn. Fua Furek or these stones are sacred stones of the incarnation of ancestors, so they have names. These stones have been kept in a special place (sacred cupboard) which is placed in the right corner of the traditional house.These stones can sometimes increase and decrease, they can disappear and then appear again. Next, these stones were sprinkled with red roosters blood from all the tribal sons, followed by ritual feeding to the ancestors with red rice, burnt chicken liver and chicken heart (loma).

After the procession of para fua furek, the customary leader can enjoy eating young corn, this event called as Letok.

2. Guti Smei

Guti Smei is a blood ritual offering for people who have died unnaturally; such as being killed, fell from a tree or accident. According to the belief of the locals Warawatung, those who die unnaturally their souls must be freed and most importantly is the family and tribal members must be freed from blood demands.

This tradition started from the experience that people who die unnaturally could cause a loss of life of their family members of tribal if the blood ritual offerings were not performed.

Guti Smei must performed by a special person atamolan believed to be a tmulung (a person who escort the deceased souls to the right path). Tmulung will guide the rituals of guti smei, starting from communicating in the supernatural realm with the deceased, then giving instructions and other requirements that must be taken care of, so that the procession of guti smei will not be obstructed. After the mandated requirements are carried out by family members, tmulung sets the date of ritual ceremony.

In short, the sign that this blood ritual is successful, in sense of liberating the soul of the victim and the of blood demand of the victim, if at that night the tuak (palm wine) placed on the dish/bowl turns red like blood. If not, then the procession fails because there are still requirements that have not been fulfilled as advised by tmulung.

3. Pili Ujey

This rite is a tradition to reject or expel all kind of pests that attack the plants of the farmer.

What is unique from this tradition is when farmers’ fields are plagued by pests such as caterpillars and grasshoppers, then based on communal discussion between customary elders and landlords, the pili ujey ritual is carried out. This procession is only done by women. They will go from field to field and collect the caterpillars and grasshoppers to take them to the village. Of course, not all caterpillars or grasshoppers are collected from the fields, only one of two.

After being brought to the village, the women who brought these caterpillars and grasshoppers gathered in Namang and there they were fed by men who were waiting. After that, caterpillars and grasshoppers are collected in a plaited container (kdefak) then caterpillars are brought to sea, inserted into in an artificial boat and released to the ocean by special people who perform this rite. After this rite is carried out, there will be restrictions on locals not to do any activities both in farm field and at sea for the next three days.

From hereditary experience, after this rite is carried out the pests that attack the plants disappear by themselves. (Taman Daun)