Myth of Tomanurung and The Funeral Ceremony in Toraja
It is such a difficult perspective to fill the core of modern logic when facing local elders in Toraja, which legitimates Tomanurung as literally interpreted to a person appeared from nowhere, normally they said "other world" or "sky" and sometimes through a specific term which is never ever crossing any mind of us. Thus, it turns to be extremely interesting to digging further into the deep. The Tomanurung also well-known as a person who brings wealth for particular livinghood needs, especially in the ancient realm of Toraja spoken history. There also obviously various version of the written folklores of many places beside Toraja, who are consider Tomanurung as their ancient. Unfortunately, the passage is not about to pay much concern to others but Toraja itself. It was through a direct face-to-face, listened to how the elders with a full-passionated telling about the folks of Tomanurung brought wealth and salvation to their village, until then the grand ancient without written inscription inherits the consideration into generations, perpetuated Tomanurung as the Lord of their birthland. The next generation of Tomanurung then separated away with several names of wise figures who highly honored by the people under the rules of their realm in Toraja. Pong Barumbun, one of the super interractive informant, also known with his teribbly fantastic speech during funeral ceremony narrated as follow:
Tomanurung itu ada dua. Yang pertama disebut Londong Dirura. Dia dihabisi karena melakukan pelanggaran besar sebab mengawinkan anak kandungnya dengan air bah. Itu menyebabkan dia punah dan tidak dapat melanjutkan kehidupan. Kemudian terlahir Tomanurung yang kedua, disebut Puang Tamboro Langi’. Puang Tamboro Langi’ kemudian menikah dengan puteri/bidadari dari air, yaitu sanda Bilik. Mereka melahirkan delapan orang anak. Empat diantaranya menjadi dewa (di alam ghaib) dan empat pula menjadi manusia biasa. Dari keturunan empat manusia biasa ini lahirlah Puang Lakipadada, pahlawan di Makale. Kemudian beranak pinaklah ia sampai pada saat ini.
By his fluently history telling, Pong Barumbun proclaimed there were two Tomanurung ever existed in the history of Toraja. Londong Dirura, the first Tomanurung who was unfortunately gone in case of disobeying the rules. Then came another, so called Puang Tamboro Langi’. He married a princess, the fairy of the water, also known as Sanda Bilik who finally gave birth eight children. Four of them were born as God in "other world", and four others were destined to be human being. The famous legendary patriot of Toraja, Puang Lakipadada is obviously considered as the pure descent of the last four human. By the time, generations of Lakipadada spread around in Toraja, born as the noble rank in social level. There are actually no more Tomanurung at this age, only the last living generations left with their faith of belonging the noble-blood. However, the name of honor remain used last longer as an honorable person with highly social-ranked. Those who grow with the similar perspective of honor will respect them in particular way.
Here is the other spoken history by Pong Barumbun,
Tomanurung juga disebut sebagai To Manglili’ Tondok, yang artinya penguasa atau pemimpin. Dia adalah manusia pertama yang meletakkan peradaban di Tana Toraja. Mengklaim satu wilayah adat yang punya aturan, tatanannya sendiri. Hal in terjadi pada zaman swatantra/ zaman rimba. Aturan yang berlaku adalah hukum rimba. Jadi. Pada waktu itu, yang dapat disebut sebagai Tomanglili Tondok hanyalah orang yang mempunyai tiga kriteria ini, To Bendan atau pemberani, To Sumanduk atau orang kaya, dan To Patutungan Bia’ sebagai obor, guru atau panutan.
He explained about Tomanurung at the age of existence. Tomanurung is so-called To Manglili’ Tondok. It is an honor name of lord and leader, means the ruler of the village/place. Barumbun continued with, Tomanurung is the highness, Lord who expanded the civilization and cultures within life of Toraja land. He embraced the realm of Toraja under his wise rules with his own social order. At the time, To Manglili’ Tondok became the lord, addressed with many name such as To Bendan means brave man, To Sumanduk means rich man, and To Patutungan Bia’ means enlighter, teacher and wiseman to followed. These other following names/main criteria then became the criteria of Tomanurung and interpreted in other way; Bida/Sia Turunan, Manarang/Sia Kinaa, and Sugi’/ Sia Barani. All is being interpreted into the symbol of Tomanurung __attitude and behaviors of Tomanurung as the lord of highest social rank__ means the symbol of bloodline, behavior and wealth, which todays stand as the main considerations before organize the famous "funeral ceremony" in Toraja.
It was a very fascinating project to see every single sequence in the ritual of funeral ceremony in Toraja. To watch the way they recite prayers, singing the condolence song in a fluctuative ryhtm while holding hand in hand forming a human circle. For sure, it is one of the miracle you have to see to enrich storage of mind. Have you ever seen a man holding a short and tiny__machete/traditional weapon__on his hand and the nose of a huge buffalo on his other hand, with a single swing could fall the buffalo down? such a scary scene, quite rude, but impressive in a way.
Moreover, with a slice of anthropology point of view, there are many more core of this ritual should be investigated. Unfortunately, this is not an anthropogist work. Well, without being apart from the Tomanurung, the upcoming passages are some of the little "field notes", check it out..... fiuu.
Ritual Performance/Funeral Ceremony
Funeral ceremony, so-called Rambu solo in Tana Toraja is one of the super unique ritual ever existed in particular ways. That is why, it is becoming so famous crossing worldwide, well-known entire domestic and foreign scale. It was RIP Paulus Palamba as our example, the name of the death person, and unexpectedly considered as noble bloodline inherited by Tomanurung in Mendetek, Makale, the Capital of Tana Toraja Region. what a coincidence! There were many sequences along the ceremony, furthermore, it was a noble bloodline_we will speak more about the interconnection between social rank and ritual at the upcoming passage_including the values of many paraphernalia around. Before the real ceremony, families and relatives of the death gathered for a discussion, clear everything, fix anything. it is called Makkuri-kuri. In this sequence, type of ceremony is discussed regarding social rank of the death person. The final decision depends on social-rank of the family bloodline, and blessfully RIP Paulus Palamba is a noble. It is called sangka’ silau eran (the act of deciding type of ceremony). This sequence was barely close, since nobody may attend exclude the family of the death. The act of keeping this family-meeting called Matallo Tampoka (maintain the eggs out of break). The type of this funeral ceremony is called Ma’bambangan which is only for those with noble bloodline , such as RIP Paulus Palamba (Tana’ Bulawan, local term for the noble) as the descent of Tomanurung. Families then placed the dead body right at the south of Tongkonan _head at west and legs at east_(Toraja traditional house) so-called sumbung, while the rumor of the ceremony begun to spread widely entire village. At the time, the dead person is called Tomakula’ (sick person). The dead will serve alike a real sick person along the time until the ceremony take placed. The space between date of ceremony and the first sequence can spend years, even decade. It depends on decision families deal with and of course to their finance scale for buffaloes sacrifice. The family invites the elders in this next or second sequence, and the other prominent figures to join the next meeting. The purpose was to talk about the Tomakula’ and discussing about everything’s necessary to held the funeral ceremony including every paraphernalia.
Third is called Rebongan Didi (palm leaf rib). One rib means one buffalo. In this step, each relative from whole family were coming to took part. As a symbol of the high social rank funeral ceremony, lot of buffaloes need to sacrificed. It may takes hundred for some family in other noble funeral ceremony. For RIP Paulus Palamba, 75 are quite shocking us. Every family, relatives and friends took the rib of buffaloes they will sacrifice for Paulus Palamba. The ribs were going around the circle of relatives until they can see clearly how many buffaloes would be sacrificed at the day. The amount of collected ribs explains how many shelters will build at the Aluk Rante (location of the funeral ceremony) for the families and relatives during ceremony which took one week. They built shelters and decorated the Aluk Rante together which finally turned to a colorful spot. People came from aside villages helping, explains how solid they are. People gathered round, watching every details, especially in Tomanurung or Tana Bulawan (highest social rank) funeral ceremony, seems many extraordinary stuff could raise questions.
These decoration took more than a week, before the ceremony began named Ma’tanda Allo (picking the date/day). In this sequence, families were discussing about time, the time to start and the time to end the ceremony. A lot of additional preparations were also in progress while waiting the day. The shelters almost done in the Aluk Rante.
The Aluk Rante and whole preparations were ready, people began the rituals. It would be very hard to expose every steps, but whole probably includes in these following passage. Some rituals are including into the funeral ceremony. For instance,
Ma’aluk Pia (declaration) or announce the people in the village regarding to the great of this funeral ceremony. As an owner of high social rank, this funeral ceremony call Rapasan_a funeral ceremony for the high social-ranked or the descent of Tomanurung_. Rapasan normally takes placed twice. First is called Ma’aluk Pia, which is take place in the dead person,s house. Second is the ceremony in the field called aluk rante_a wide space field for the ceremony_. The time space between both could takes various time distance. Some took few months, years even a decade. It depends on the families and relations agreement. For RIP Paulus P. it took only one month.
Ma’aluk Pia, there are numerous kinds of procedure to be done. First day, Mangisi Lantang. every families and relations settle on their own shelter in the field of aluk rante. Day two, so-called Makkaru’ Dusan, the process of declaring the Tomakula’ (the dead body) as truly a dead person. It is considered important to know that, before the ritual of Makkaru’ Dusan was take placed, all these people, especially for the hardline Aluk Todolo (animism of Toraja) assumed that the body of the dead person is alive_Paribek, 2012. One buffalo was sacrificed in this ritual to signed up the process of sick person turn into the dead person. Day three, people did the ritual of Ma’batang (sacrificed two buffaloes for the elders of custom). Day four, there was again another ritual named Mangroya (sacrificed three buffaloes as a gift to the people from each villages/ tondok).
Aluk Rante, is the completion ritual after Ma’aluk Pia. The real ceremony, where the crowd is centered. Surrounded by the shelters with numerous meaningful color of Toraja custom. Aluk Rante stands as the main part of funeral ceremony. Some of sub-rituals along the Aluk Rante also being recorded, such as Ma’Tundan_first step_is the act of waking up the dead body. They sacrifced one buffalo for it. Ma’balun_second step_ is to covered the dead body using particular material normally decorated with some beads. it requires one buffalo to sacrificed. Ma’ pasurruk _third step_is to brought all prepared buffaloes to the field of Aluk Rante where the ceremony going to celebrated . Ma’pasa’ Tedong,_fourth step_a.k.a (buffaloes market). People were talk about the buffaloes. All things regarding the buffloes because having 75 are not an ordinary situation. It means that the buffaloes allocation and distributes to several need people or place as a gift and contribution. Showing kindness through charity is one of the goodness of this too-much-sacrificed animal ceremony. Ma’popellau Alang_fifth step_is the phase of the dead body carried out to alang/lumbung (the place which is look like a small Tongkonan/traditional house of Toraja used to save the crops/rice barn). “In the rice barn, the coffin was wrapped with the red material called Dibulaanni (bulaan=gold) or covered with gold.” (Paribek:2012). One buffalo was sacrificed in this ritual. Therefore, people were doing Manombon (prepared all things necessary in the Rante (field or place of the top of funeral ceremony). Mangriu’ Batu/ Batu Simbuang, is the ritual to set a gigantic rock in that place of ceremony/rante. This stone is the symbol of eternality. It reveals the high class or social rank people/Tomanurung funeral ceremony has been took place in the site. Meanwhile, along the process of placing the eternal stone, some looked together try building the Bala’ Kayan (kind of tightened bamboo tower as a stand of another ritual, so-called Massali’ Padang).
Here is another rituals from so many term listed, Ma’pasonglo- the ritual to carry the dead body from Tongkonan (Traditional house of Torajan/ the house of dead ) to Rante (field of ceremony). This ritual would begun when the sun start fading. Before begin the ritual, families and relatives recited prayer by the elder. A prayer of salvation for the dead. The dead was carried in a little lifting house on shoulders of many, supported with the bamboo from Alang/rice barn to Rante/field of ceremony. All families and relatives went to the occasion, following the carried dead body, with a long red Lamba’-Lamba’ cover their head forming a long march. Along the way to Rante, those who carried the dead person, shacking it with a particular local shout to raise the spirit. Entering the Field/Rante, the Dead placed at the Lakkian- a non-wall cottage in the middle of the field for the dead until ritual end. During Ma'pasonglo, there was a sub-ritual_speech of the elder Tominaa_about the life of the dead. With a specific declaim, he stand with passionate reciting the story at the Lakkian. People remain calm, try to inspired and showing respect to the ritual. The Vernacular used in the whole recitation_only understood by some Torajanese/ considered "High Language" in Ferguson's diglossia_ turned the ritual to an extra-sacred momentum. He shouted out, yelling in his speech, telling the greatness of the ceremony, warned people not to make any trouble or curst would come to them. It took half an hour. At the end of it, two buffaloes went to their end, sacrified.
Ma’tombi Padang, also includes into this rituals pack. It is to set numbers of colorful ripped-materials with rod of bamboo_only for the ceremony of the high bloodline_ in order to emphasized public the honor of the ceremony. The amount of ripped-material symbolizes the many buffaloes would be sacrificed. For Ma'tombi Padang , three buffaloes were sacrificed. Further, the meat were used for Massali’ padang _Tominaa/elders stand on the Bala’kayan "the bamboo tower" while throwing out the flesh to the ground_ mentioned every single sort of hystoric and symbolic name of villages and rulers.
Karampoan_ the ritual of serving the guests of the ceremony. The relatives from both entire and out of Toraja. These relatives were well-served in certain way since they all belong to the noble class in social-rank. Along their way to the house of Karampoan a.k.a Lantang Karampoan, they walked around the Lakkian _the place where the dead person was being placed_ with a group of three men wearing traditional clothes with shield and spear. The three men leading the way, doing Ma’randin the war dance of Torajan with their certain spiritual yelling), because the dead person was a man. It would be called Ma’katia (a dance by twelve women with a certain song) if the dead person is a woman. While being served at the Lantang Karampoan, then Massinggi’ was performed_speech of Tominaa/elder to honor the guests based on their village, ancient even belief_. There were two sequences in serving the guests; Ma’pairu and Ma’ Papangan. Ma’papangan, is a group of relatives of the dead serving the guest in Lantang Karampoan with some traditional cuisines and ciggaretes for the men. Ma’papangan were led by To Ma’doloanan _another group leading the march while reciting a kind of condolence so-called Ma’marakka _a woman as the singer and a man as the bamboo flute player/Pa’suling).
There was a day-break during the ceremony. It is called Allo Torrona. No activity or ritual was done because the whole relatives again gathered, talked about the where, how, and to whom the flesh of 75 buffaloes to distributes before Mantunu _the ritual of sacrificing all the left buffaloes after several of them fulfilled their job_. Allo Datunna is the day the people designed a box, kind of cover for the corpse into the grave before the last sequence of the whole ceremony, Meaa. It is the finishing of all rituals in the ceremony which also one of the shocking moment of all. People brought the corpse to the wall of a gigantic rock, then safely placed it into the space that have been worked for many days before, a.k.a stone grave. Until todays, this remarkable funeral ceremony along with a lot of ritual within remains performed in every single year, probably month. It takes thousands both domestic and foreign tourist scatter away around Toraja to watch themselves drowning into the realm of the spiritful rituals of this people. Furthermore, the views in Toraja offer such a promising great time to enjoy the tropical breeze of South Sulawesi, to feel the harmony of the highland, and catching the flute's liric from nowhere in somewhere while capturing terraces of the ricefield.
A great apologize, if this post contains such mistakes..thanks for reading.
" save the culture"
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