Barong wae is an integral part of the penti culture. So that there is no penti without barong wae ceremony. Or barong wae is only done since there is penti in a kampoeng in Manggarai.
Barong wae is done by a group of villagers who are given the responsibility by tu’a gendang, traditional leader in the kampoeng.
There in the well the villagers make the rite of takung naga wae. It is a worship to the “guardian” keeping the well. The ancestors have generated a belief that there is an astral keeper keeping the well named naga wae.
By the use of special magic words named torok, a main actor or a spokesman of the rite express thanks to the naga wae for the protection to the well during the old planting and harvesting season. Then asking the protection for the coming planting season.
Furthermore the actors of barong wae comeback to the kampoeng. In a certain distance from the kampoeng, the conductor gives the signal to stand in the two long and neat lines. Then the song of renggas is sung as the opening song. Renggas is ended by shouting some screech words like warming up words.
Then in the slow steps conductor gives the signal to start walking. A long the way to the yard of the kampoeng named natas, they sang a special song, named roeng.
On the arrival on natas, roeng is stopped. Then the group make a circle formation. Here the song of kelong is sung with the special rhytmic little jumps and movements. And the conductor leads the kelong from the middle position. After it is enough according to the conductor’s consideration, then kelong is stopped.
The group then spontaneusly take a sit on the mat provided on the yard near with the compang in front of the mbaru gendang (traditional house) in the line formation facing to the tu’a gendang who has been ready to welcome the group of barong wae. Then continued by the ceremony of takung naga compang. It is believed that compang is the living place of naga that keeping the kampoeng secured from many disasters or dangers.
Really I was very admired on hearing the songs of renggas, roeng, and kelong regarding with the ceremony of barong wae. How antusiastic are the actors of barong wae in singing those songs. And how interested is the traditional uniform they use. So that barong wae ceremony is always memorable and impresive.
But at the same time my heart and my mind were broken by the appearance of a set of reflective questions as follows. Is there any future for the wells of wae barong? Are the villagers attentive to the condition of the well of wae barong? Are the Manggaraian people sensitive to wells condition?
May be scientific research can give the accurate answer to the questions above. But it is not wrong to answer by showing some real facts that easy to identify.
It is a real fact in my kampoeng and some other neighbors that from time to time, the volume of the water coming out from the well as the wae barong become less. And it is not a mysteri or secret any more.
Another fact also indicates that many wae barong are not protected well, even the area of wae barong become narrower because of some reasons, such as the productive activity by the owner of the land where wae barong locates.
As a citizen of Ruteng town, the city of Manggarai Regency, I noted down a real fact that in the year of 2014, many the wells in Ruteng became dry. That year was well known as the water great crisis in Ruteng.
In my eye, the dryness of some or may be many the wells in Manggarai at that time was an extra-ordinary case. The case surexited my references on the Green Belt and then mobilized the villagers in my village to go down to the wells for planting the conservative trees. That I did also as a trick to attract the government and the public to pay attention seriously to the wells conditition.
It is a pity that from that year until now there is no serious discussion on the wells fate or condition, except complain by complain on the water supply by the government. It seems also that the government is not so sensitive to the fate or the condition of the wells in Manggarai.
So it is difficult to imagine the wells in the future. The future of the wells is bright or dark, it depends on how strong our commitment and will to pay serious attention to the wells at present.
The existing condition of the wells, especially the less of water coming out from the well can be said as the “tears” crying and still long crying. It is a crying of fear from the permanent.
You can not erase the tears of the wells by your handkerchief, but only the real action can do it. Not only once but again and again.
At the end, I enclose this simple writing in these three sentences. First, save our wae barong now. Second, celebrate eco-barong wae ceremony. Third, celebrate the World Water Day with the real action for the sustainablity of the wells.
Baca juga artikel terkait KAMBE MATA WAE atau tulisan menarik Hubert Bogos lainnya.
EDITOR: Redaksi Krebadia.com
Hubert Bogos, Perintis Gerakan Sabuk Hijau Manggarai (The Pioneer of the Manggaraian Green Belt Movement)