The word comes from the Bugis language Toraja, to Riaja, which means "one who dwells in the land above". The Dutch colonial government named the Toraja tribe in 1909. Toraja is famous for funeral rites, customs house tongkonan and carving wood. Toraja funeral rites are important social events, usually attended by hundreds of people and lasting for several days.
Before the 20th century, the Toraja lived in autonomous villages. They still adhered to animism and untouched by the outside world. In the early 1900s, Dutch missionaries came and spread Christianity. After more open to the outside world in the 1970s, Tana Toraja district became a symbol of Indonesian tourism. Tana Toraja exploited by tourism developers and studied by anthropologists. Toraja society since the 1990s transformed the culture, from traditional belief and agrarian society, became predominantly Christian society and relying on the growing tourism sector.
Ethnic identity.
Toraja clearly have little idea about themselves as an ethnic group before the 20th century. Before Dutch colonization and Christianization period, Toraja tribe, who live in upland areas, recognizable by their villages, and are not considered as the same group. Although the rituals create a relationship between the villages, there is a lot of diversity in dialects, social hierarchy, and ritual practices in the Sulawesi highland region. "Toraja" (from the coast to the language, which means people, and Riaja, plateau) was first used as the designation of the lowland inhabitants to the highlands population. As a result, at first "Toraja" more trade ties with outsiders-such as the Bugis, Makassar tribe, tribal Mandar and mostly inhabiting the lowland of Sulawesi-than with other tribes in the highlands. Dutch missionary presence in the highlands gave rise to the Toraja ethnic consciousness Sa'dan Toraja Toraja region, and this shared identity grew with the rise of tourism in Tana Toraja. Since then, South Sulawesi has four main ethnic groups-the Bugis (including shipbuilders and seafarers), Makassar tribe (merchants and sailors), tribal Mandar (merchants, shipbuilders and seafarers), and the Toraja (highland farmers).History.
There used to be thought that the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam lies between the northern and southern China, is the place of origin of the Toraja. Actually, only one of the Toraja people Austronesian-speaking peoples. Initially, the immigrants living in the coastal areas of Sulawesi, but eventually moved to the highlands.Since the 17th century, the Dutch began making trade and political power in Sulawesi through Oost-Indische Vereenigde Compagnie (VOC). For two centuries, they ignored the central plateau region of Sulawesi (Toraja place to stay) because it is difficult to achieve and only have little productive land. At the end of the 19th century, the Dutch began to worry about the rapid spread of Islam in South Sulawesi, especially between Makassar and Bugis tribes. Dutch look Toraja tribe who embraced animism as a potential target for Christianized. In the 1920s, the mission of the spread of Christianity began to run with the help of the Dutch colonial government. In addition to spreading the religion, the Dutch abolished slavery and local taxes apply. A line drawn around the area and called Tana Toraja Sa'dan. Tana Toraja was originally a subdivision of the kingdom Luwu which claim the region. [8] In 1946, the Netherlands gave Tana Toraja Regentschap status, and Indonesia recognize as a district in 1957.
Dutch missionaries newly arrived got strong resistance from the Toraja due to removal of lucrative trade routes Toraja. Some people Toraja has been moved to the lowlands by the Dutch forced to be more easily regulated. Tax is set at a high level, with the aim of eroding the wealth of the elite of society. However, these efforts do not damage the Dutch culture Toraja, Toraja and only a few people who was a Christian. In 1950, only 10% of the Toraja who turned to Christianity.
Muslim population in low-lying attacking Toraja in 1930. As a result, many Toraja people who want to ally with the Dutch converts to Christianity to gain political protection, and in order to form a resistance movement against the Bugis and Makassar Muslim. Between 1951 and 1965 after the independence of Indonesia, South Sulawesi experienced the carnage of the Darul Islam rebellion launched, which aims to establish an Islamic state in Sulawesi. Guerrilla war that lasted for 15 years, contributing to more and more people converted to Christianity Toraja.
In 1965, a presidential decree requires that the entire population of Indonesia to adopt one of the five recognized religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Original belief Toraja (aluk) is not legally recognized, and the Toraja attempt against the decree. To make aluk accordance with the law, he should be accepted as part of one of the official religions. In 1969, Aluk To Dolo legalized as part of Hinduism Dharma.
Society.
Family.
The family is the primary social and political groups in the Toraja. Each village is a large family. Each tongkonan has a name which is used as the name of the village. Family Friendly maintain village unity. Marriage with distant cousins (fourth cousins and beyond) is a common practice that strengthens kinship. Toraja prohibits marriage with close cousins (up to a third cousin) except for nobles, to prevent the spread of wealth.
Ongoing kinship reciprocity, in the sense that large families helping each other in agriculture, share buffalo rituals, and pay another debt.
Everyone is a member of the family of his mother and father. Children, therefore, inherit many things from her mother and father, including land and even family debts. The child's name is given on the basis of kinship, and are usually chosen based on the name of a relative who had died. Name aunt, uncle and cousins are commonly referred to in the name of mother, father and siblings.
Prior to the official government Tana Toraja regency government, each village doing his own government. In certain situations, when one Toraja family could not handle their own problems, some villages usually form groups; sometimes, some villages would unite against other villages. The relationship between family expressed through blood, marriage, and shared ancestral houses (tongkonan), is practically characterized by the exchange of buffalo and pigs on ritual. The exchange is not only to build a political and cultural ties between families but also put each person in a social hierarchy: who poured palm wine, who wrapped up the corpse and prepared offerings, where each person may or may not sit, what dishes should be used or avoided, and even pieces of meat are allowed for each person.
Social class.
In early Toraja society, close family relationships related to social class. There are three levels of social classes: nobles, common people, and slaves (slavery was abolished in 1909 by the Dutch government). Passed down through the mother's social class. Not allowed to marry women of the lower classes but allowed to marry women of a higher class. It aims to improve the status of the next descent. Condescending attitude toward the commoners of Duke still maintained today for reasons of family prestige.Nobility, which is believed to be descended from heaven, lived in tongkonan, while the masses live in a more modest home (bamboo hut banua). Slaves lived in small huts built near tongkonan belong to their masters. Rabble may marry anyone but the nobility usually do weddings in the family to maintain the purity of their status. Commoners and slaves forbidden to hold a celebration of death. Although based on kinship and descent status, there are also some social movement that can affect a person's status, such as marriage or change in the amount of wealth. Wealth is calculated based on the number of buffalo owned.
Slaves in Toraja society is a family-owned property. Sometimes people become slaves because Toraja in debt and pay for it by way of being a slave. Slaves could be taken during wars, and slave trading common. Slaves could buy their freedom, but their children still inherited slave status. Slaves were not allowed to wear bronze or gold, eating from the same plate with their masters, or having sex with free women. The penalty for the offense is punishable by death.
Religion.
Toraja traditional belief system is polytheistic animism called aluk, or "way" (sometimes translated as "law"). In the Toraja myth, the ancestors of the Toraja came from heaven using stairs which is then used by the Toraja as a way of dealing with Puang Matua, the creator god. The universe, according to aluk, divided into upper world (heaven) the human world (earth), and the underworld. At first, heaven and earth to get married and produce darkness, separation, and then comes the light. Animals live in the underworld is represented with a rectangular shape bounded by four pillars, the earth is a place for humanity, and the paradise is located on top, covered with a saddle-shaped roof. Other Toraja gods is Pong Banggai in Chain (god of Earth), Indo 'Ongon-Ongon (goddess of earthquakes), Pong Lalondong (god of death), Indo' Belo tumbles (goddess of medicine), and others.Power on earth that the words and actions must be held either in agriculture or in the life of the funeral ceremony, referred to Minaa (a pastor aluk). Aluk not just a belief system, but also a combination of law, religion, and habits. Aluk regulate social life, agricultural practices, and religious rituals. Aluk ordinances can vary from one village to another. The common law is the rule that death and life rituals be separated. Toraja believe that the rituals of death will destroy the corpses if combined with life rituals implementation.
Both are equally important ritual. When there are missionaries from the Netherlands, Christian Toraja are not allowed to attend or perform ritual life, but allowed to perform death rituals. As a result, the death ritual is often performed to date, but the ritual has begun life rarely implemented.
Culture.
Tongkonan.
Tongkonan is a traditional Toraja house that stood on a pile of wood and decorated with carvings of red, black, and yellow. The word "tongkonan" is derived from the Toraja tongkon ("sit").
Tongkonan is the center of social life of the Toraja. Rituals associated with tongkonan very important in the spiritual life of the Toraja therefore all family members are required to participate because Tongkonan symbolize their relationship with their fathers. According to folklore Toraja, tongkonan first constructed in heaven by four poles. When the ancestors of the Toraja down to earth, he imitated the house and held a big ceremony.
Tongkonan development is tiring work and is usually done with the help of a large family. There are three types of tongkonan. Tongkonan Layuk is the supreme power, which is used as the central "government". Tongkonan pekamberan are owned by a family member who has a certain authority in local customs and traditions while living in an ordinary family member tongkonan stone. Exclusivity upper nobility tongkonan diminishing as the number of ordinary people who are looking for lucrative jobs in other parts of Indonesia. Having earned enough money, ordinary people were able to build large tongkonan.
Wood carving.
Toraja wood carving: each panel symbolizes goodwill.
Toraja language is only spoken and not have a writing system. To demonstrate the concept of religious and social, ethnic Toraja wood carving and make a call Pa'ssura (or "writing"). Therefore, woodcarving embodies the culture of Toraja.Every carving has a special name. His motives are usually animals and plants symbolizing virtue, for example, water plants such as water weeds and animals such as crabs and tadpoles which symbolizes fertility. The left image shows an example of Toraja wood carving, consisting of 15 square panels. Bottom center panel symbolizes the buffalo or wealth, as the expectation that a family gained a lot of buffalo. Knot symbolizes middle panel and box, an expectation that all descendants of the family will be happy and live in peace, as the items stored in a box. Box top left and top right of the animal symbolizing water, indicating the need to move quickly and work hard, like an animal that moves on the surface of the water. It's also indicate the need for specific expertise to produce good results.
Regularity and order are common features in Toraja wood carving (see table design below), in addition to the Toraja wood carving too abstract and geometric. Nature is often used as the basis of Toraja ornaments, because nature is full of abstractions and regular geometry. Ornaments Toraja ethnomatematika studied with the aim of uncovering the mathematical structure despite the Toraja make this carving is only based on their own estimates. Toraja tribes use bamboo to make geometric ornaments.
Some motifs carved Toraja.
pa'tedong
(Buffalo)
pa'barre allo
(Sun)
pa're'po 'sanguba
(Dancing)
ne'limbongan
(The legendary designer)
Funeral service.
Carved Toraja burial place.
In Toraja society, the funeral ritual is the most important and costly. The more rich and powerful person, the funeral costs will be more expensive. In religion aluk, only royal families are entitled to hold a large funeral party. Feast of the funeral of a nobleman is usually attended by hundreds of people and lasting for several days. A place called Rante funeral procession usually prepared in a vast meadow, other than as mourners in attendance, as well as a granary, and a variety of other devices made by the funeral the bereaved family. Flute music, singing, song and poetry, weeping and wailing grief is an expression made by the Toraja but it does not apply to the burial of children, the poor, and the lower class.The funeral service was held sometime recently after weeks, months, even years since death is concerned, with the goal of keeping the family left behind to gather enough money to cover funeral expenses. Toraja believe that death is not something that comes with a sudden but a gradual process toward Puya (the spirit world, or the afterlife). In the waiting period, the body is wrapped with a few strands of cloth and kept under tongkonan. Spirits of the dead is believed to remain in the village until the funeral ceremony is completed, after which the ghost will travel to Puya.
A tomb.
Another part of the cemetery is the slaughter of buffalo. The more power a person, the more buffalo are slaughtered. Slaughter carried out by using a machete. Buffalo carcass, including the head, lined up on the field, waiting for its owner, who was in "sleeping period". Toraja people believe that spirits need to make the journey and buffalo will be faster until at Puya if there are a lot of buffalo. Slaughtering tens of buffaloes and pigs is the culmination of hundreds of funeral accompaniment of music and dance that captures the youths spurting blood with a long bamboo. Most of the meat is given to the guests and noted because it would be considered a debt to the family of the deceased.
There are three ways of funeral: coffin can be stored in a cave, or in a tomb carved stone, or hung on a cliff. The rich are sometimes buried in the tomb of carved stone. The tomb is usually costly and time around a few months of manufacture. In some areas, a stone cave used to save the bodies of the entire family. Wood sculpture called tau tau are usually placed in the cave and facing outward. Coffin babies or children hung by a rope on the side of a cliff. The rope usually last for a year before making his casket rot and fall.
Music and dance.
Toraja perform dances on several occasions, mostly in the burial ceremony. They dance to show grief, and to honor the spirits of the deceased as well as encourage the spirits will undergo a long journey to the afterlife. First of all, a group of men formed a circle and sang all night in honor of the deceased (the ritual called Ma'badong). The ritual is regarded as the most important component in the funeral ceremony. On the second day of the funeral, warrior dances Ma'randing shown to praise the courage of the deceased during his lifetime. Some men do dance with swords, big prisai from buffalo leather, buffalo horn helmets, and various other ornaments. Ma'randing dance procession began when the bodies were taken from the granary to the Rante, where the funeral service. During the ceremony, the adult females do Ma'katia dance while singing and wearing a feathered dress costumes. Ma'akatia dance aims to remind the audience on the generosity and loyalty of the deceased. After the buffalo and pig slaughter, a group of boys and girls clap while performing a cheerful dance called Ma'dondan.
Manganda dance 'is displayed on Ma'Bua ritual'.
As in other agricultural societies, the Toraja singing and dancing during the harvest season. Ma'bugi dance performed to celebrate Thanksgiving and dance Ma'gandangi displayed when the Toraja was pounding rice.There are several war dances, for example Manimbong dance performed by men and then followed by a dance Ma'dandan by women. Religion Aluk regulate when and how the Toraja dance. A dance called Ma'bua 12 years can only be done once. Toraja ceremony Ma'bua is important when religious leaders wearing buffalo head and dance around the sacred tree.
Toraja traditional musical instrument is a bamboo flute called Pa'suling. This six hollow flute played on many dances, such as the dance Ma'bondensan, when the instrument is played with a group of men who dance with no shirt and a long-nailed finger. Toraja also have other musical instruments, for example Pa'pelle made from palm fronds and played at harvest time and when the opening ceremony.
Language.
Toraja language is the dominant language in Tana Toraja, the Toraja Sa'dan as the main dialect. Indonesian as the national language is the official language and is used by the public, but also the Toraja language is taught in all the elementary schools in Tana Toraja.Variety of languages in Toraja, among others Kalumpang, Mamasa, Tae ', Talondo', Toala ', and Toraja-Sa'dan, and included in the Malayo-Polynesian language of the Austronesian. At first, the geographical nature of Tana Toraja formed many dialects in isolated Toraja languages themselves. Following the official government in Tana Toraja, some Toraja dialects be influenced by other languages through the transmigration process, which was introduced since the colonial period. It is a major cause of diversity in Toraja language.
Toraja language Diversity
Denomination ISO 639-3 Population (in years) DialectKalumpang cli 12,000 (1991) Karataun, Mablei, Mangki (E'da), Bone Hau (Ta'da).
Mamasa mqj 100,000 (1991) North Mamasa, Mamasa middle, Pattae '(South Mamasa, Patta' Binuang, Binuang, Tae ', Binuang-Paki-Batetanga-Anteapi)
Rob Ta'e 250,000 (1992) Rongkong, Luwu Northeast, South Luwu, Bua.
Talondo 'TLN 500 (1986)
Toala 'TLZ 30,000 (1983) Toala', palili '.
Torajan-Sa'dan sda 500,000 (1990) Makale (Tallulembangna), Rantepao (Kesu '), West Toraja (Toraja West, Mappa-Pana).
Prominent features in Toraja language is the notion of mourning death. The importance of death ceremony in Toraja have made their language to express feelings of grief and mourning process in some complicated levels. Toraja language has many terms to show sadness, longing, depression, and mental stress. It is a catharsis for the Toraja if it can be clearly demonstrated the effect of losing one's events; sometimes it is also intended to reduce the pain of grief itself.
Economy.
Before the New Order period, Toraja economy depends on agriculture with the terracing on the slopes of the mountain and groceries supporters are cassava and corn. Much time and effort is spent to raise the Toraja buffalo, pigs, and chickens are needed especially for the sacrifice and as food. The only agricultural industry in Toraja is a Japanese coffee factory, Kopi Toraja.With the start of the New Order in 1965, Indonesia's economy began to grow and open up to foreign investment. Many multinational oil and mining companies opened new businesses in Indonesia. Toraja people, especially young people, many who move to work in a foreign company. They went to Borneo for timber and oil, to Papua to mine, and to the cities in Sulawesi and Java. This displacement occurs until 1985.
Toraja economy gradually shifted to tourism beginning in 1984. Between 1984 and 1997, the Toraja people earn income by working at the hotel, a tour guide, or selling souvenirs. The emergence of political and economic instability Indonesia in the late 1990s (including religious conflicts in Sulawesi) has led to dramatically decreased Toraja tourism. Toraja then known from the place of origin of Indonesian coffee. Arabica coffee is mainly run by small entrepreneurs.
Commercialization.
Tomb of the Toraja in a high rocky cliff is one of the tourist attractions in Tana Toraja.
Before the 1970s, Toraja was virtually unknown to western tourists. In 1971, about 50 Europeans visited Tana Toraja. In 1972, at least 400 people attended the funeral Puang tourists from Sangalla, the highest nobility and aristocracy in Tana Toraja Toraja last thoroughbred. These events are documented by National Geographic and broadcast in several European countries. In 1976, about 12,000 tourists visited in 1981 and Toraja, Toraja sculpture exhibited in many museums in North America. "Land of heavenly kings in Toraja", as written in the exhibition brochure, has attracted interest outside world ..
In 1984, the Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia declared the district as the prima donna of South Sulawesi Toraja. Tana Toraja is promoted as "the second stop after Bali". Tourism is greatly improved: by the year 1985, there were 150,000 foreign tourists visiting Tana Toraja (in addition to 80,000 domestic tourists), and the annual number of foreign visitors, there were 40,000 people in 1989. Souvenirs sold at Rantepao, Toraja culture, many hotels and tourist restaurants that opened, but it made a new airfield in 1981.
The developers made Toraja tourism as an exotic adventure area, has a rich culture and secluded. Western tourists are encouraged to visit the village and cemetery of ancient stone age. Toraja is for tourists who have visited Bali and would like to see the other islands are wild and "untouched". But the Toraja feel that tongkonan and various other rituals have been used as a means Toraja profits, and complained that it is too commercialized. This resulted in several clashes between the people of Toraja and developer of tourism, which is regarded as an outsider by the Toraja.
Clashes between local leaders and the Toraja South Sulawesi provincial government (as a tourist developer) occurred in 1985. Government makes 18 Toraja villages and burial sites as traditional "attraction". As a result, some restrictions apply to these areas, for example, people are prohibited from changing tongkonan Toraja and their burial place. This was opposed by some community leaders Toraja, because they feel that they have rituals and traditions prescribed by outsiders. As a result, in 1987 the village Kete Kesu and several other villages designated as an "attraction" to close their doors traveler. But this closure only lasted a few days because the villagers find it difficult to survive without the revenue from the sale of souvenirs.
Tourism were also changed the Toraja people. Formerly there was a ritual that allows common people to marry nobility (Puang), and thus their children will get a peerage. However, the image of the Toraja people are created for the tourists has eroded its traditional strict hierarchy, so that the status of honor no longer seen as before. Many ordinary men can only assert themselves and their children as aristocrats, by gaining enough wealth and nobility married women.
Tau philosophy.
Consciously or unconsciously, Toraja people live and grow up in a society that adheres to the philosophy of tau. Philosophy as a handle and needed to know the direction of being human (human = "tau" in Toraja) in the context of the real Toraja society. Tau philosophy has four main pillars which requires each community to reach Toraja, among others: - Sugi '(Rich) - Barani (Dare) - Manarang (Smart) - Kinawa (have noble values, religious, wise) over the four pillars be construed liberally because it has a deeper meaning than the understanding of the word freely. A Toraja be truly human when he has had and lived as Tau. So, thank you for reading this article.Written and posted by Bambang Sunarno. sunarnobambang86@gmail.com
author:
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name: Bambang Sunarno.
http://primadonablog.blogspot.com/2014/02/did-you-know-about-toraja-tribe.html
DatePublished: February 11, 2014 at 11:06
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Tag ; Did You Know About Toraja tribe, toraja tribe
