Ata Rongga | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 20,000 [1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Indonesia (East Manggarai) | |
| Languages | |
| Rongga, Manggarai, and Indonesian | |
| Religion | |
| Catholicism (majority) Islam and Protestantism (minority) [1] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Manggarai • Rajong • Riung • Ngada |
The Rongga people (Rongga: Ata Rongga) is a mixed ethnic group of Austronesian and Melanesian peoples originating from Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. They mainly reside in East Manggarai Regency, located adjacent to other ethnic groups, such as the Manggarai and the Ngada. They has a traditional dance that is quite well known internationally, namely the vera dance. [2]
The Rongga people are less well known than their more dominant neighboring ethnic groups, namely the Manggarai and Ngada peoples. However, they are also recognized as a separate ethnic group because they have a unique culture that other ethnic groups do not have, although sometimes considered a sub-ethnic group of the Manggarai.
One of the Rongga people's cultures is a traditional dance known as the vera dance. The vera dance is a dance that is generally performed at special events, namely the planting season, and is always performed in the traditional houses of the Rongga people. This dance emerged because of a story from the Rongga people, where in ancient times there were conjoined twins who were born, both are female, where their heads are attached to each other and cannot be separated. [3] As time went by, due to the abnormal physical conditions of birth, one of the twins died of illness. After one of them dies, it becomes difficult for the surviving child because the body parts of the deceased cannot be removed. Finally, at the request of his son, he was buried alive. [3] This dance depicts sadness.
The vera dance will also be performed if there is the birth of twins of different sexes, and also as part of the funeral rituals of important people in the Rongga people, such as tribal leaders, religious leaders, and others. However, in its development, this dance will also be performed to welcome honored guests who come to the Rongga people area in East Manggarai. [4]
This dance is usually performed by a group of adults, consisting of men and women. The female dancers are called daghe and the male dancers are called woghu. [5] This dance is performed in two lines, with female dancers in front and male dancers behind. A leader begins singing a song, followed by the daghe. The dancers will hold hands and walk around until the song verse is finished. The name vera in the Rongga language is believed to originate from the word pera which means 'ancestral will'. Ancestral messages are conveyed in this vera dance, and it is hoped that they can be preserved from generation to generation among the Rongga people. [5]
In 2018, the vera dance was also designated as an National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia. [4] Central Government and Regional Government of East Nusa Tenggara, encourage the preservation of the unique culture of East Nusa Tenggara, including traditional dances, after the name Komodo Island and the tourist destination Komodo National Park became a favorite in the eyes of foreign tourists, and the vera dance as a welcoming dance for guests and tourists, is also an attraction for tourists. [2]
Watu Susu is one of the cultural and historical heritage sites of the Rongga people in East Manggarai. Watu Susu is two fairly large stones with a height of about 15 meters and a width of about 11 meters which stand separately from each other. This stone is named Watu Susu because its shape resembles a woman's breasts (milk; susu in Rongga and Indonesian languages), the name comes from the Rongga language, which literally means 'stone shaped like a woman's milk or breast'. [6]
In local folklore, there's a story about Watu Susu. According to Rongga people tradition, this large stone was taken from a village called Watu Lajar. This stone was brought to be used as a closed entrance to Mount Komba as an effort to anticipate attacks from Kedaluan Todo, the Manggarai people monarchy. [6] It is said that the Rongga people lived on the peak of Mount Komba. At that time, the Rongga people was ruled by two brothers, Nai Pati and Jawa Tu. They sent eight people from the Rongga people to take the stone to Watu Lajar. Each stone is carried by four people and the stone must reach the top of the mountain before sunrise, and should not be distracted if they encounter something that hinders them during their journey. [6]
However, it turned out that there was one person in the group, namely Jou, who violated these provisions. Jou caught a dog on the road, about 50 meters east of Mount Komba. Because they were wasting time, they had not yet reached the Rongga people village, finally the dog roared loudly and the sun rose. They suddenly saw that the rock had become very big and it was very difficult for them to lift it again. [6]
Because the stone did not reach the peak of Mount Komba, Kedaluan Todo easily conquered the Rongga people village at the peak of Mount Komba. The war between the Rongga people and Kedaluan Todo is known as the Komba War. [6] So, Watu Susu is a memorial stone for the Rongga people in the war against Kedaluan Todo in the past.
Apart from the vera dance which is used as a welcoming dance for guests, there is another guest welcoming tradition which is characteristic of the Rongga people, namely the kepok. The kepok is a traditional ritual of the Rongga people to welcome special guests who come to the Rongga people village. [7] The word kepok means 'greeting' in Rongga language. [8] This welcoming of guests is usually done by a male traditional elder, but there is no rule that requires a man. At certain times, women are also sometimes involved in carrying out the kepok ritual. This reception is held at the border of the region leading to the area inhabited by the Rongga people or it can also be at the airport to welcome the arrival of the head of state. [9]
In this ritual, the Rongga people elders will provide a tawu (a place or container for arak made by the traditional elders) and a white rooster. [8] The tawu is a sign that they are very friendly and welcome every guest who comes from far away by providing drinks because the guests will definitely feel thirsty on the journey. Meanwhile, the chicken is a symbol for entertaining guests who come, the meaning is that guests who come must be entertained when they come to visit, but because the guests are adults, it is replaced with a chicken as a symbol only. After that, the guests will line up, the number of rows is adjusted to the number of guests. The traditional elders will be led by a ritual leader, and behind them there will be several other traditional elders. In this tradition, traditional elders sometimes ride horses to welcome guests, but they do not have to use horses. [7]
After the ranks have been arranged, the leader of the kepok ceremony will put a songket cloth around the necks of the female guests and a traditional Rongga hat on the male guests, and will say welcoming words using Rongga language, and will be answered by a representative of one of the guests being welcomed. [7] Next, the tawu containing arak will be given to the guests and they must drink it in turns. After that the rooster will be given to the guests and held and held in turns. [8] Afterwards, a convoy was carried out with the group of guests to the location or place where the guests were staying. The Kepok ritual is becoming increasingly popular in East Manggarai, as a cultural heritage typical of the Rongga people. [7]
Based on data from the Statistics Indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik; BPS) of East Manggarai Regency, specifically in the Rongga ethnic group's concentration area, they are generally Catholicism, some others are Islam and Protestantism. [10] Despite having different beliefs, the Rongga people lives side by side and there has never been any sectarian conflict. This diversity also makes the Rongga people's domicile in East Manggarai an area that upholds religious tolerance. [2]
Most of the Rongga people make a living as livestock breeders and farmers. This can be seen from the large number of Rongga people residents in East Manggarai, especially in the Kota Komba district who raise horses. [7] In some areas, farming is also the main livelihood of the Rongga people, especially growing corn and rice. [10]