Sumba, a Dynamic Mystery
Story and Photos by Ferry R. Tan
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ARCHITECTURE AND BELIEF
The island of Sumba consists of various cultural and language communities; however, having visited a significant number of traditional villages in different parts of Sumba, I learned that they all share a common architectural heritage. The general architecture strongly reflects the spiritual influence of the Marapu, an animistic belief which dominates the society of the island. It includes worshiping the spirits of the dead, holy places and sacred objects and instruments as a means of communication with the spiritual world.
Nowadays, less than a fifth of the population lives in and around one of the two main cities of Waingapu in the east, and Waikabubak in the western part of Sumba. The majority resides in rural settlements. The location of the villages was traditionally determined by the need for defense. They were therefore preferably situated on hilltops and were surrounded by dense vegetation, thorny hedges, fences and stone walls. Scattered over the countryside, one still find villages on hills with clan houses grouped around megalithic tombs.
A traditional village is usually located at elevated locations, with houses (Uma) that form two or more rows on either side of a central square. The central square is aligned from north to south and contains megalithic tombs and other sacred objects so that the houses mix with the graves.
Many settlements have remained at their original location. Since the need for defense has declined, many families have moved closer to their fields, water sources, and roads. The island's structure has remained well preserved. Since the island is non-volcanic, it physically seems nothing like the islands of Indonesia in the north.
TYPE OF HOUSES AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE
Uma Mbatangu means peaked house and refers to the vernacular architecture in Sumba. It's characterized by a rectangular layout and high grass-covered roof made of alang-alang and is somewhat similar to the roof of a Javanese Joglo-house, although much higher peaked. Like the main house, it is used for rituals relating to the clan unity as well as for weddings and funerals. It is also the permanent residence of the oldest person in the village.
Sumbanese houses are built based on Marapu cosmology and have three levels. The space below the house is the space where the animals are kept and the central part, the most important one, is for the human being. The tall roof is for the gods and ancestral spirits and often where holy artifacts are stored. The higher peaked the roof is, the closer one is to God. Only elderly male are granted access to this further empty part of the building, and even that is only allowed on rare occasions. The roof itself is a representation of the female/male duality, the peak being male, and the outer shape, a skirt, female. This male/female balance is reflected in symbols and sculptures like turtles (female) and crocodiles (male).
The largest peaked house is known as Uma Bungguru meaning house of the fellowship. Another type, Uma Kamadungu, meaning the bald house is also known as Uma Maringu meaning cool house. It has no central peak and therefore not hot thus considered suitable for rituals and for several smaller or larger families.
Access is provided by two entrances which are positioned to the left and right of the house. The house has no windows. Transverse ventilation occurs through small openings. Walls are made of braided Areca palm and buffalo skin for the very rich. Buffalo horns often enhance the walls to remind of past sacrifices.
A clan-house is mainly built of timber and bamboo. Bamboo is being more used on the western side of Sumba than on the east. Tree trunks constitute the four principal pillars of the house. For the construction of the Uma Marapu, a house solely dedicated to the ancestral spirits, only certain types of hardwood are being applied. Whole bamboo culms constitute the floors. The roof is made of a dense thatch of alang - alang grass, tied with coconut leaf to battens made from saplings.
DESIGN AND USE
Seen from the front the interior is divided into two sections. The right is considered masculine, while the left is female. The side on the right is the main floor (Kaheli Bokulu) and mainly reserved for rituals and other public affairs conducted by men only. The left side is called Kaheli Maringu meaning the cool house floor and is designated for female domestic activities, like preparing meals and as a dining space.
Sleeping areas are divided according to one’s relationship to the pillars. The house is divided into a female and male section, with separate external platforms at either side. Decorations of buffalo horns display wealth and status. Building a new house or replacing a roof is always accompanied by ceremonies and requires sacrifices.
In the Sumbanese society, women are considered owners of the house (mangu umangu) because they spend more time at home than men. On the other hand, men are associated with the exterior and with an external relation among clans as well as communication with spiritual beings. Similarly, the door at the front right is reserved for male access, while the one on the left rear is reserved for female access, each leading to a slightly lower verandah and to the exterior.
PRECEPT OF THE FOUR MAIN PILLARS
The interior is essentially square-shaped with four pillars inside and as small as 5 x 5 meters or as large as 15 x 15 meters, each decorated and steeped in mystical symbolism and crowned with a ringed plateau, a place for offerings and an image of the female and the male. Each pillar, usually carved with ornaments, represents the cardinal directions and its own ancestral spirit. At the center is the cooking fire.
The precept of right and left, and front and back are further reflected in these four main pillars. These pillars support the peak of the roof. A hearth is located at the center of these four pillars. During the construction, the front right-hand pole is given priority, followed by the right-rear pole, then by the left rear and left front.
The front-right pillar is called the "augury post" (kambaniru uratungu ) and relates to rituals dedicated to the Marapu wherein a priest or Rato inquires what the Marapu spirits desire and conveys the answer by sticking a spear into the front-right post. The front-right area is also where the Sumbanese keep the bundled mummified corpses. The corpses are placed in a sitting position and facing towards the main (right front) post in the same way as a Rato is engaged in ritual performances.
The front-left pillar is named "the pillar that scoops the rice" (kambaniru mataku) because this is where women prepare rice before passing it through a special opening to the Rato who formally offers the food to Marapu in the right front part of the house. The back-right pillar is known as "the pillar that divides" (kambaniru mapaberingu) since this is where the men butcher and divide the meat of sacrificed animals. The left-hand pillar is called "the pillar that feeds the chicken and pigs" and forms a link with space for the care of sacrificial animals to the Marapu spirits.
Mai La Humba!
Photography is my work
And travel is my game
They are the reason why I survive
In my Body and in my Mind
My work brings the food to my table
...and pays for my game
And my game brings the food for my soul
Therefore, I am my work and my game
Ferry R. Tan – 2020
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