Religious Values in the Rowa Traditional Ceremony in Manggarai Communities in Flores

Abstract

This study aims to investigate religious values in the traditional Rowa ceremony or funeral ceremony for the Manggarai community in Flores. The Rowa traditional ceremony is a series of ceremonies for the death of a person starting from the ceremony of bathing the body, fixing the coffin, releasing and burial of the body. The utterances at the Rowa traditional ceremony are a means of presenting themselves to the Manggarai people before each other, their ancestors and God. The traditional speech in the Rowa traditional ceremony is in the form of a poem called torok tae. As a poem, torok tae has a variety of traditional languages, connotative word choices and has a special semantic meaning. This study used qualitative research methods. Data was collected using the listening and speaking method and perfected by the observing and speaking technique involving speaking, taking notes and recording the entire series of Rowa traditional ceremonies. The results of the study prove that the utterances in the Rowa traditional ceremony have religious values which include the values of trust, reconciliation and safety. The value of belief states belief in the Highest Being (God) in cultural terms addressed Mori, Mori Dewa, Dewa Mori Ngaran Jari, Jari Dewa Mori Ngaran, Mori Ngaran and anthropomorphic greeting Ende Wa. Belief in the existence of wakar souls, ase kae which revive humans and the existence of life after death. The value of reconciliation states the restoration of the vertical relationship between God the Creator and humans as His creations. The value of salvation is a form of recognition by the Manggarai people for God's holiness, God's protection and new life after death.