JAKARTA - Traditional weapons are one of the cultural heritage of the archipelago that must be preserved and studied for their historical value. East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is one of the provinces in Indonesia which has a wealth of culture and arts.
One of the cultural heritages of NTT that is still being preserved by the people in the art of making traditional weapons.
Based on the archives of the Ministry of Education and Culture, VOI detailed several NTT traditional weapons that are still being produced and used by NTT residents.
Various kinds of traditional NTT weapons
1. Weapons to attack
There are several weapons mentioned in East Flores Regency. The first weapons to attack include machetes, spears, and arrows.
Meanwhile, Belu Regency has several traditional weapons including panahan, kelewang, and sumpit that are used to attack.
2. Weapons survive
In addition to weapons for attack, there are weapons for self-defense or defense from attacks, namely in the form of shields.
3. Automatic weapons
Automatic weapons for the people of NTT means weapons that move, including automatic weapons for the people of East Flores such as witu, notu munak, belawat tutung, and belebet.
Also, the people of the Belu Regency have weapons that move on their own like fetic, dia tete, and dia sura.
The use of a Flores machete for the people of the Lamaholot Tribe of NTT
Machete/Parang is a weapon commonly used by the people of NTT. The Lamaholot tribe, East Flores Regency has used machetes from generation to generation and they used to call it peda or kenube.
However, making parang to fight for the people of NTT should not be done carelessly, only selected people can make them. Then the raw material for making ordinary parang from steel or scrap metal comes from workshops that have better quality because they have the highest steel content.
Parang Flores through the old process
Similar to keris in Java, the making of a Flores machete goes through the gilding stage or is referred to as "Hewok". The purpose of gilding parang is to get the motif and make it durable and not easily dull or break.
After going through the gilding process, the parang is declared complete and ready for use. Especially for weapons of war, Parang Flores has two types, namely "Peda Titi Taran" and "Kenube Darupa".
The difference between the East Flores parang can be seen from the rings on the handle. The Peda Witi Taran is marked with a machete handle that all wears a goat horn ring — this type is quite expensive.
Meanwhile, the kenube darupa has a ring of machetes made of iron and the other part of the hilt is made of layers of goat horns. These machetes have a cheaper price.
Rama Moruk, poison dart from NTT
Apart from parang, the use of poison arrows is still very common in rural communities on Timor Island, especially Kateri Village, Belu District, NTT. One of the popular arrows is Rama Moruk.
Rama Moruk is a poisonous arrow that is small and light. Usually, these traditional weapons are used to hunt apes and often for war.
Rama Moruk's strength is in the poisonous substance located in the arrowhead. Also, the power of these weapons is believed to come from the incantations given in traditional ceremonies.
The people of NTT believe that incantations in traditional ceremonies can facilitate hunting or war. Rama Moruk who has been given a special incantation will usually quickly find the target and poison the target.
The series of traditional ceremonies after the owner of Rama Moruk received poison is to perform a "Tate Pos" ceremony or rice offering which is held at a sacred place. The ceremony aims to inform the spirits about the purpose of using Rama Moruk.
Spear/Tombak for the Lamaholot Tribe and religious ritual weapons
Tombak is a traditional weapon of the Lamaholot community in East Flores Regency, NTT, which has various purposes for use. Apart from hunting, tombak was always used before fighting.
However, there are certain rituals or traditional ceremonies that are devoted to making tombak effective during war. The purpose of the ceremony is to beg the ancestors so that the users will be safe on the battlefield.
In addition to war, the spears for the Lamaholot Tribe of NTT are also used for hunting and guarding fields against wild boar or deer.
Utilization of traditional archery weapons for the people of NTT
Meanwhile, the use of archery and bow weapons in NTT varies from hunting forest animals, protecting gardens or fields from forest animal disturbance, to war.
War is usually carried out when there is a danger that threatens the indigenous population or when there is a dispute over land issues. Archery weapons usually go through a ceremonial ritual before being used on the battlefield. The purpose of the ceremony is so that the user is immune and the weapon becomes effective in attacking the enemy.
The traditional ceremony place for the NTT people
The people of NTT usually carry out traditional ceremonies especially aimed at strengthening weapons in Koke, which is a menhir (single large stone in the shape of a monument).
Koke is also commonly referred to as "Nubanara Beliwan Laran", which means "Nubanara" (stone of worship), "Beliwan" (war), and "Laran" (road). Menhir is considered a symbol of the God of War.
The people of Lewokeluok Village believe that in Koke there is a God of War who is the center of power for their village. The local people refer to it as “Ike Kewaat Lewo”.
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