Myths and Self-Image among the Kapunduk People of Sumba

88 p la c e s n e a r Kapunduk (th u s p ro v id in g a l in k w ith and a p o t e n t i a l c la im on t h a t l o c a l i t y ) o r m eetings w ith o th e r P r i e s t D e i t i e s , nam ely , th e g r e a t Marapu o f two o th e r d i s t r i c t s in E a s t Sumba, Rende and Lewa, w ith whom th e Kapunduk kingdom p r e s e n t ly has s i g n i f i c a n t t i e s . More d e t a i l i s g iven co n ce rn in g fo u r s i t e s on th e b o rd e rs o f Kapunduk, t h a t i s , Kalamba, Hambuang, W anggakoli and Mboro Mbaku; a l l have some meaning today f o r th e Kapunduk community, th e f i r s t two as s a t e l l i t e v i l l a g e s , th e l a t e r two h a llo w ed as s i t e s o f a n c ie n t s e t t le m e n ts l in k e d w ith o th e r e a r ly P r i e s t D e i t i e s . Once th e D e i t ie s reach t h e i r p r e s e n t lo c a t io n in Kapunduk, th e re i s a c l e a r s ta te m e n t o f th e b a s is f o r each M arapu 's p re se n c e in th e c a p i t a l community, u s u a l ly in term s o f one o r more o f th e main fu n c tio n s f o r which h is house i s re sp o n s i b l e . The myth o f th e P r ie s t D e i ty s t a t e s : Ka ku ngandi ta u nding-tvu , ta u mandidungu Ka ku ngandi ana ngguku3 ana manu I w i l l b r in g th e human f ig u r e s b o th s ta n d in g and s i t t i n g I w i l l b r in g th e f ig u re s o f th e ch icken and th e dove. These images r e f e r to th e c a rv in g s on top o f th e P r i e s t D e i t y 's tem p le -h o u se and by im p lic a t io n to th e p a r t i c u l a r s t y l e o f r e l ig io u s s e r v ic e s fo llo w ed by t h a t P r i e s t . A f te r th i s s e c t io n , th e c o n te n t o f th e n a r r a t i o n changes to a s ta te m e n t o f th e s a c r i f i c e s and o f f e r in gs to be made f o r c e r t a in lo c a t io n s , such as p a s tu r e l a n d s , and fo r p e rso n s im p o rta n t to th e c lan and o f th e b e n e f i t s to be re q u e s te d . The Spokesman i s in f a c t t r a n s m i t t in g th e message r e c e iv e d from th e D e ity to a l e s s e r fu n c t io n a ry , s e a te d o p p o s ite him and c a l le d sim ply " th e one who p ra y s" (S: ma hamagangu; In d : gang sem bahgang). The l a t t e r thus knows th e is s u e s a t hand , th e s p o n so rs , th e n a tu re and pu rpo se o f each s a c r i f i c e , and, a f t e r th e Spokesman i s f in i s h e d , t h i s fu n c tio n a ry b e g in s to p ra y . H is p ra y e r i s a b r i e f s te r e o ty p e d s ta te m e n t co n ce rn in g th e s a c r i f i c e s and r e q u e s ts , a long w ith form ulae to fen d o f f harm and to o b ta in fa v o ra b le o ra c le s ig n s from th e s a c r i f i c e s . I f , on th e o th e r hand , th e myth o f th e w a r r io r house i s b e in g to ld , th en th e c la n D e ity i s in v i t e d by th e P r ie s t D e i ty to e n te r th e community in th e fo llo w in g te rm s: Ka ku ndgara moninggamu Ka ku manu wotunggamu T his can be t r a n s l a t e d a s : I w i l l make you my ch a rg in g h o r s e , my crow ing cock . I n d iv id u a l n a r r a t io n s may a lso m ention th e c l a n 's t r a d i t i o n a l enem ies o r s p e c if y p a r tn e r s in m arriag e a rrangem en ts and r e l ig io u s r i t u a l . H aving h e a rd th e n a r r a t io n s many tim e s , most p eo p le have th e p h ra se s deep ly e tc h e d on t h e i r m inds, b u t th ey w i l l fo rm a lly deny i t . Not p o s s e s s in g th e r i g h t to u t t e r th e t e x t , th ey f e a r th e p e n a l ty o f " e a r ly d ea th " which w i l l b e f a l l th o se who v io l a t e o r e r r in th e p ro c e d u re s o f th e R atu F e s t i v a l . In o rd e r to u n d e rs ta n d th e p u rp o se and i n t e n t o f t h i s myth, one must exam ine th e r o le o f th e Royal P r i e s t w ith whom i t i s i d e n t i f i e d . The myth i s a h ig h p o in t in a f e s t i v a l w hich in i t s e n t i r e t y i s con s id e r e d a P r ie s t D e i ty o c c a s io n , and a long w ith s p e c ia l songs and r i t u a l p ro c e d u re s p e c u l i a r to th e ce rem o n ie s , i t i s th e fo rm al p o s s e s s io n o f th e P r ie s t D e i ty h o u se . For exam ple, th e songs re s e rv e d f o r t h i s o c c a s io n m ust be fo rm a lly re q u e s te d from th e Royal P r i e s t by th e o th e r m ajor houses and a f t e r use a re r i t u a l l y r e tu rn e d to him . I f 89 one views th e community as a s h ip , b r i s t l i n g w ith w a r r io r s on deck and manned by row ers below , th en th e P r i e s t i s th e C a p ta in . The w a r r io r s and th e row ers know t h e i r own ta s k s , b u t th e C ap ta in i s r e s p o n s ib le f o r th e w ho le . He knows how to b u i ld such a s h ip , how to " re a d " th e s t a r s and w inds f o r n a v ig a t io n , and, above a l l , he knows th e p a th th ro u g h th e t r a c k l e s s waves and th e names o f th e landm arks a long th e way. He knows th e r ig h t s and d u t ie s o f every member o f th e s h ip , and can j u s t i f y o r deny th o se r ig h t s becau se he knows how and w hat must be p e rfo rm ed w ith in th e s h ip . He u n d e r s ta n d s th e s h ip in i t s e n t i r e t y i t s form , c o n te n t , pathw ay and s u rro u n d in g s , in s h o r t , i t s u n iv e r s e a n d he i s a t one w ith i t . I f he m is c a lc u la te s th e n a tu re o f t h i s u n iv e r s e , an a c c id e n t w i l l o c c u r. The Sumbanese do n o t in f a c t c a l l th e Royal P r i e s t "C a p ta in " (as do th e p e o p le s o f some n e ig h b o r in g i s l a n d c u l tu r e s ) n o r a re th ey a s e a -g o in g p e o p le , b u t th e sh ip s t i l l p ro v id e s th e most a p p ro p r ia te image w ith in th e c o n te x t . The n a r r a t i o n p i c tu r e s th e Royal P r i e s t as th e le a d e r o f th e s e a voyage from th e heavens to Sumba, and in a d d i t io n , th re e im p o rta n t d iv is io n s o f th e c a p i t a l v i l l a g e c a l l e d th e bow, th e c e n te r , th e s t e r n c o r r e s p o n d to th e term s f o r th e s a c re d b o a t u sed in th e voyage; J u s t o u ts id e the c a p i t a l v i l l a g e , an a l t a r (pahomba) marks th e rem a in s , " th e shadow ," o f t h a t s h ip , and r e p re s e n ts a l l th in g s o u ts id e th e c a p i t a l v i l la g e , th u s b r in g in g them under th e c o n tr o l o f th e P r i e s t and h i s r i t u a l . The tem p le -h o u se o f th e Royal P r i e s t i s r i t u a l l y l ik e n e d to th e sh ip in w hich th e P r ie s t D e i ty and h i s companions reach ed Sumba; in th e ceremony o f opening th e tem p le , men clim b to i t s peak and c a l l o u t th e p la c e s s ig h te d d u rin g th e voyage from the he a v e n s . T r a n s la te d to dry la n d , th e h a r v e s t becomes th e goa l o f th e " sh ip community" and th e "C a p ta in " g u id es th e p l a n t in g c y c le . For t h i s , he " re a d s " th e heavens and th e w inds and com m unicates w ith th e i n v i s i b l e fo rc e s o f th e u n iv e rs e th rou gh p r a y e r s , s a c r i f i c e s and o r a c le s . Crop f a i l u r e s a re a t t r i b u t e d to e r r o r s in h i s r i t u a l . The opening o f th e p l a n t in g se a so n , th e o c ca s io n o f th e g r e a t R atu F e s t i v a l , i s l i k e th e lau n c h in g o f h i s s h ip . He must g ive an e x c e p t io n a l pe rfo rm ance and win th e co n fid en ce o f h i s crew , by p r e s e n t in g h i s d e t a i l e d knowledge o f th e way, and an a l l encom p a s s in g view o f th e u n iv e rs e in w hich th e sh ip t r a v e l s and o f e v e ry o n e 's r i g h t f u l p la c e in i t . H is m aste ry o f t h i s q u a l i f i e s him as th e C a p ta in /P r ie s t . The Royal P r i e s t p r e s e n ts an e s s e n t i a l l y s t a t i c p i c t u r e , showing th e s o c i a l e n t i t y l ik e a sh ip in p e r f e c t e q u i l ib r iu m , i t s p r e s e n t con d i t i o n . The n a r r a t i v e moves n o t th ro u g h e x p re s s io n s o f tim e , b u t o f p l a c e , and i t can be r e p re s e n te d s c h e m a tic a l ly as a r ig h t a n g le d t r i a n g l e . The cosm ic m a tr ix ( th e h eav en ly com m unities, th e sky w ith i t s h e av en ly b o d ie s ) i s a t th e to p , d i r e c t l y above th e Kapunduk p a ra in g , th e ce rem o n ia l c e n te r . The Sumbanese e x p re ss t h i s r e l a t i o n sh ip in th e g e n e ra l p h ra s e , "heavens t h a t look down, land t h a t looks up" [awangu mangadu, tana m atangara ] , m eaning " th e w o rld we l iv e i n . " In th e R atu m yth, th e D e i t ie s s t a r t from th e cosm ic c e n te r , descend th ro u g h s e v e r a l le v e ls o f h eav en ly v i l l a g e s u n t i l th ey lan d on e a r th p r e c i s e ly a t Mecca, c o n s id e re d as th e most d i s t a n t p o in t on e a r th from S u m b a--its d is ta n c e and sa c re d n e ss s ta n d in g in d i r e c t r a t i o to one a n o th e r :