Whisper of the Gayo People to Nature

Kompas/Priyombodo

People take part in a bad luck prevention ritual in Gunung Suku village, Lut Tawar district, Aceh Tengah regency, on Sunday. The ritual, which involves asking the Creator for protection from various disasters, is part of the Gayo Coffee Harvest Festival.

There is a close relationship between man and nature in Gayo, Aceh. Due to their persistence in caring for nature, produce is abundant. When the man whispers, nature listens. That\'s when the tulak bele (to get rid of dangers) ritual is held.

Hundreds of residents flocked to a primary school in the village of Mount Suku, Rawe district, Central Aceh regency, on Sunday afternoon in mid-December last year. The heat of the day did not restrain the enthusiasm of the people. The school\'s yard was full. They intended to hold an important event called tulak bele, a ritual specially held to get rid of dangers.

The people put meat in a circle. All prepared for ritual. The atmosphere was suddenly silent.

A religious figure, called a petue, started the ritual. Incense was burned. Prayers were made. The blowing wind covered them with fragrant incense. Prayers became more solemn.

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Various types of ritual materials were arranged, including incense, rice, eggs, bananas, roasted corn kernels, turmeric and water.

The petue picked up roasted rice and roasted corn kernels. While saying the prayers, he began to spread the rice and corn kernels among the residents. The next stage, the most eagerly awaited one, was the sprinkling of tulak bele water.

The petue prepared a bunch of leaves specially taken from farmers’ gardens. After being dipped in a bucket of water taken from a number of springs, the leaves were sprinkled on the residents.

The residents moved forward to get sprinkled on. Mothers took their children into the middle of the crowd in order not to miss out on the ritual. They scrambled forward to receive a sprinkle of water from the petue.

In their mother\'s arms, a number of children and babies cried in shock when exposed to the special cold water taken from the mountains. However, other residents laughed happily. They look relieved and joyous after their faces and clothes were hit by water.

"The water is effective in getting rid of dangers, so we must get splashed," said Maulida, 30, a local resident, while carrying his son, Naufal, 3.

The highlight of the procession was to bind a piece of white cloth to the end of a bamboo pole. The pole was then inserted into the ground to mark the end of the tulek bele ritual this year.

The ritual ended with lunch, with a dish featuring rice with fish and vegetable soup. All of the food was a donation from the residents. They sat together enjoying the dish.

KOMPAS/ PRIYOMBODO

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Maintaining togetherness

The tulak bele means to get rid of dangers. The ritual is a form of human submission to God. The peasants beg God for protection to avoid calamities and disasters. They also plead for nature to be friendly.

Rawe village is located on the shores of Lake Lut Tawar in Central Aceh regency. From Takengon, the capital of the regency, it takes about 20 minutes to reach the village with a population of 118 families. The local residents mostly work as coffee and rice farmers, traders or traditional fishermen.

They believe their lives have been blessed by the grace of nature. Through rituals, the peasants ask for protection, for all plants to be safe from pests and diseases and to have a good harvest.

The ritual is held twice a year, usually in the rice planting season and the coffee harvest time. However, beyond that schedule, the rituals can be held at any time, including when the village is in trouble.

In addition to begging for protection, the procession is believed to be the glue of familial relationships in the village. A traditional leader in Rawe village, Mukti, said, all citizens gathered to take part in a series of processions and eat together.

"The relationship between people is getting stronger," he said.

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Mukti explains the meaning of the use of leaves and procession tools. The leaves used for sprinkling water consist of leaves of dedingin, celala, teguh, ongkal and reringen plants. The red leaves of the celaca plant symbolize courage, while the dedingin leaves reflect coolness.

"We must be brave, but still with a cool head. We should not use our emotions in facing problems," said Mukti.

Another ritual material, roasted corn, is a symbol of residents. Four bananas represent village leaders, such as clerics and traditional leaders. Meanwhile, the egg is the symbol of the king. All the ingredients are placed on a plate with the egg positioned in the middle. "It means that all groups are united in one container. Togetherness and kinship tied everyone up," said Mukti.

Mukti ensures the tradition of holding a tulak bele ritual is not against religion. The prayers are still directed to God, while the items are used for a parable. In the past, before the ritual was held, the traditional leaders always explained the meaning of the use of ritual material so that the people understood and took noble values ​​from it. "If it is not explained, the people will not understand," said Mukti.

The tradition is a cultural heritage passed down from generation to generation. They believe in the culture of the ancestors to pass on values of kindness. One belief is to realize how weak human beings are and how they should put their hopes in their God.

The reje (village chief) of Gunung Rawe village, Mukhtaruddin, said they were determined to pass down the tradition to their grandchildren. The values ​​contained in the ritual have become the glue of the brotherhood of the citizens. In addition, caring for cultural heritage is a form of respect to their ancestors.