Bajawa..A ceremony to remember...animism/ traditional village

Bajawa..a ceremony to remember....


We leave early in a shared car, faster and more comfortable than the bus and arrive in Bajawa. It is here that we meet Bene who takes us to the village of Bea. Bea is a traditional village and we have arrived at a very special time. There is a major ceremony taking place for the opening/blessing of a new house. It is a matriarchal village and a new house has been built.

The surrounding villagers have, over some time, been helping to build this house and now is the time to pay them back, not with money but a huge ceremony. Emmanuel is a young man of the village with great English and it is his Aunty’s house that is being celebrated.

The four upright structures that look like small huts/umbrellas denote the four clans who live here. Worship of the ancestors is an integral part of their life. Four clans but fifty families, maybe 200 people. But today, sitting in the ‘courtyard’ are possibly 800 people ...and basically all looking at us!

The atmosphere is charged as many of the surrounding villagers make their way to the ceremony. They all come with their bags/baskets to be filled with rice and some of the sacrificed meat. Just prior to our arrival several beasts have been sacrificed. We are invited into the village but even more, into the ceremonial sacred place, the centre of the new home. This is the centre of all importance. The room has two women sitting on the right, four men on the left. Two bags adorned with horse(?) hair hang on the rear wall. These hold the spirits of their ancestors. Here we sit in a small huddled group. The cooking hearth has been lit for the first time today and after this day the room can be slept in as they have asked permission from the ancestors.

Sat on bamboo poles sliced in half longways, the villagers await as we are part of the ceremony within. We are served rice in baskets with several lumps of buffalo and pig meat. We are to taste this as a symbol, but not eat it as it’s not fully cooked and only symbolic. This is then tipped out and we are served again. This time rice with pig liver and some chillie.

We await while the “very important man”, the shaman, talks over his arak. He asks permission of the ancestors to allow this house to be opened and for the spirits to protect the house and all the people.

The buffalo blood is sacred and so is the pig’s liver. Both these thing are central to the ceremony.

The chosen man to sacrifice the buffalo has been decided by a special bamboo stick which is burned on one end and then forms a type of ‘compass’ which chooses the prospective man to carry out the sacrifice. The sacrifice is performed by a knife slice to head and it is imperative not to get any spurting blood on you or you are whisked away to another ceremony to be cleansed so evil does not come to you. When the beast has fallen, spilt blood is everywhere and no longer an issue with regard to getting it on you.

The blood of the buffalo is collected and is highly sacred. It is smeared all over the ancestral totem poles as a symbol of fertility. These poles are intricately carved and everything here has a meaning and a ceremony attached.

The poles are from a particular tree grown near Labuan Bajo a town at the western end of Flores. A group of men are sent to search for their ancestral pole. When the right tree is located a ceremony takes place to ask the ancestors if it is the correct one. If correct, another ceremony takes place to ask permission to cut the tree. A buffalo sacrifice takes place. The tree is then cut and brought back to the outside of the village. Another ceremony asks permission to the ancestors to bring it into the village, another to carve it. Another to erect it. Once put into place the roof structure is quickly completed to protect the ancestors.

We drink arak (palm spirit similar to kerosene!) given to us by the leaders and then tuak (palm wine much worse) Actually the arak tastes good and everything seems totally surreal, in particular when we step out and there are hundreds of people awaiting .

Once again I wish I had words to describe the humble feelings and unbelievable experience we have partaken in. I feel totally honoured and find myself unable to speak for a long time.

We are encouraged to document the ceremony in aid of keeping the traditions alive and encouraging more tourists. (Here, I must say that my words are from my understanding of the information spoken by Emmanuel, and I am by no means believing i am an expert!!.)


We are introduced to the head of the village and whilst shaking hands pass on a donation. How much do you give for such an experience.??

The two men who have been chosen to sacrifice the beasts are sat on a platform, surrounded now by an enormous mound of cooked meat. One is a young boy of perhaps 13 years. They both wear the sacred neck adornments of their ancestors. These huge shell necklaces frame their exquisite faces and they emanate a position of importance. As the deed of sacrifice in incredibly arduous and dangerous, the young boy just had to gesture the deed and not carry it out completely.

We are told of the incredible importance of this ceremony, it only takes places once in 30 40 50 years. ...The ancestors have allowed us to be part of it.

When we get back home I sit in silence for a long time, tears flow uncontrollably.

Reece’s response is somewhat similar.....”what the F... .just happened to us...how were we chosen to be part of that...?”

We sit and meditate....

....Axx