 |
| Silver Fern NZ , Taipan & Tweed AU |
With the crews from Silver Fern, Martha and Bryce and Tweed, Jon and Pam we hired a small van and a driver and guide to take us to the north of the island into an area known as Tana Toraja. We set of from Maccasa leaving Huck who wasn't so well, to take care of the three boats which were left rafted together on the navy dock.
 |
| Rice harvest is a dusty noisy business. |
On the long day drive along cliff hugging mountainous roads to Rantepao stopping at silk weaving workhouses and rice farms eating local food we occasionally had to reverse to a passing spot to allow an oncoming vehicle to pass, as the road was so narrow,
 |
| Erotic Mountain. |
Our primary destination was the great stone tombs and hanging graves in limestone karst formations in use for centuries. Torajan carbon dating has concluded that the practice dates back to at least the 9th century. Torajans are mainly Christian as they were converted by the Dutch missionaries long time past, however there are many Moslem and now the Indonesian government has recognised their animistic belief as Aluk To Dolo ("Way of the Ancestors").
 |
| Tongkonan |
Tana Toraja region is a community of predominantly Bugginese decent and their funeral ceremonies are not at all ghoulish or sad events. Quite the contrary they are huge family social gatherings with Torajans returning from all corners of the globe. The families live together in Tongkonan, vast compounds, with numbers of the buildings going back centuries. Highly decorated with carving and motifs of the area, they made from timber with elaborate boat shaped roofs constructed using bamboo and covered in thatch. The front pole will often have a huge display of buffalo horns arranged up it and these are from sacrifices made at previous ceremonies
 |
| Decorated front on Tongkonan. |
There is a season for the various lavish Ceremonies which falls between July and the end of October so as not to coincide with the wet monsoon season. When someone dies the family set about embalming the body with formaldehyde and storing it in the of the house telling everyone that they have a headache! They are greeted, provided with meals, visited by friends and relatives during this period. Considered not to be dead, but merely passing over. (This may be for years)
 |
| The Funeral ground with Buffalo being presented. |
When the family can afford the funeral and all the preparations have been made, the Funeral is conducted. Sometimes lasting for a week or more.
 |
| Preparing temporary buildings for the Funeral in September |
Everyone gets together and pitches in to build elaborately decorated temporary houses from bamboo and timber, Family and friends stay here during the funeral ceremony. Temporary houses may take several months to build and involve many hundreds of volunteer workers We saw one under construction since June and the funeral will be held in Mid September. Costing many thousands of dollars to build, just in materials, the owner also feeds all the workers everyday. A buffalo had been slaughtered for lunch!. Last year a temporary house cost one family 1Billion RP (even at 6.5Rp to the Ausie dollar that is an impressive sum).
 |
| We were greeted and seated in one of the temporary pavilions |
We were lucky enough to attend a Funeral Ceremony. Firstly we were introduced to one of the family and presented a gift (carton of cigarettes). We were then shown to one of the temporary houses and supplied with sweet strong coffee and an assortment of nibbles. Soon 11 of the large buffalo were lead into the grounds (which are about the size of 2 basketball courts,) and paraded for the master of ceremonies, one of the family heads. The ground is surrounded on all sides by houses and rice barns or temporary houses and this one has 7 barns and 2 houses. The colour is predominantly red with beading and flags flying everywhere. The buffalo are presented to the family by friends and relations according to a very old custom.
 |
| The blow was struck. |
Buffalo in this country do no work at all. They are raised purely for ceremonies and are the most pampered animals imaginable. They wallow in mud during the day then they are bathed, scrubbed, feet washed, teeth cleaned and lead off home to sleep under the house! The most valuable one sold here for 100K Aussie Dollars. It was a rare white one with black spots. None at this funeral were white but they were nevertheless imposing creatures and very docile.
The Torajan people believe the buffalo carry the spirit of the dead to their god and as the journey is long and arduous they need big strong healthy animals.The master of ceremonies then read out the fate of these creatures. One was auctioned on the spot for around A$1400 and the money went to the church from the family. Several were gifted to relations. One was donated to the Mosque (and remember these people are Christian) in the interests of “peace and cooperation”. Several were lead away for future sacrifice. Two beasts remained. With very little preamble the first was tied by one front leg to a stake in the ground. I though the animal was very obliging considering all the blood on the ground around the stake from previous sacrifices of both buffalo and pigs. Then like lightening a
 |
| The decorative motifs are applied liberally on both homes and rice barns. |
The huge quantity of meat is either cooked and distributed to guests or portioned and gifted to the assembled. All these deals including volunteer helpers are meticulously recorded for future payback by the dead persons family.
