RI'O RENGKA.

@Tuak Curu.

Ri'o rengka is one component of the Manggaraian culture. That is an ending of a certain ceremonial. Firstly, be named as curu.

Curu is an activity, acceptance of guest. They will do it, when receive the honored guests. Usually, the host will accept them with tuak robo and manuk lalong bakok. That is mentioned as a tuak baro cai.

Tuak is a water derived from palm, baro or to tell, and cai is coming. By then, tuak baro cai is an acceptance tuak. Tuak saved in robo. Robo is a jug that derived from vegetations like a vegetable marrow. Robo, in Indonesia language is often named as a kendi. Kendi is made from vegetation.

Tuak cure often be done at a gate or a certain place that be shown by people. There are four holy things when doing in that ceremony. They are jug, tuak, white cock, shawl and hat. Before they give those jug and white cock, they will make kepok. Kepok is a culture language expression as a sign of acceptance. The guest shall answers theirs kepok and say: toem celan - that's right, thanks. At the time, tuak robo and white cock has been being hold by the guest.

After kepok be done, then give those things are tuak robo and white cock and the guest says: toem celan), a waiter or an attendant shall put a shawl and hat to a honored guest. Usually, putting the shawl and hat be done by a girls together her friend.

Not only until there, the guest shall be delivered to a honored place which is prepared by a host or steering commitee. Usually, on the grandstand. Perhaps, at the time, the guest shall be given a chance to express something, yeah about that activity. If the guest want to go back, he/she must to make a ceremony. They can't go back without make permission.

When the guest is being delivered to grandstand, he/she must be herded with folk dances. Sometimes, a dancer hold a chopper as a symbol of to make far from evilness where maybe the guest is walking with a black spirit who disturb, with the chopper, the black spirit doesn't come near again. You can notice, how the folk dances will entertaint you and make calm your soul and body.

Ri'o Rengka.

You of course will come back from there. You will hold a jug and tell them, you will go back. If you are comer, don't understand with the Manggaraian culture, you will used a spokesperson. He shall make simple ceremony that be named as ri'o rengka. It purposed that, you will abondened that place and no one a spirit who join your step toward your home. And, God and totem - wura agu ceki will shelter you until arriving in your home. Not only that, you will be getting a mercy from God included your family.

Simple explanation:

Ri'o rengka is two different word, or not same word but be different.  Ri'o is an activity - how to cut some branches of dry woods. Yeah, an action to cut something - to cut a stone, small tree. But here, ti'or is not be done by a chopper, axe, knife or sword but with hand fingers or by foot when our hand must to hold those branches and our foot has to press with foot. Ti'or can be done by tooths.

Pesot.

         [These small dry woods are rengka]

[This is a jug that be hold by a spokesperson. In Manggarai language is a ROBO and in Indonesia language is a kendi]

[Besides of this clove trees is a rengka. If do you want to cut down with your hands this dry wood, that is named as a ti'or rengka activity].

Ending word after doing the ti'or rengka, the guest shall say: Pesot di Ite - Sorry, we are going to home, now. Goodbye! But, pesot can be pronounced by a friend/s, neighbour who doesn't make an acceptance ceremony prior. Pesot is an usual farewell, and can be done by our guest. And maybe, our friend want to back home or they have personal activities. Indeed,  Manggaraian often to respect with morality and ethics. Therefore, they have an ethic code daily included how to they come into their neighbour house.

And then, rengka is a dry wood from tree, bamboo and others trees. Rengka is a branch, branches of dry wood. But rengka is small dry wood. Some of dry woods are senduduk tree, tekelan tree and the others trees. Yeah, the point is a small dry wood branch.

In Manggarai, when they want to look for some of dry wood, often be named as a kawe rengka. Kawe is look for, exploration. Kawe rengka is a form soft/smooth mention of kawe. They often said that as an activity that be named as kawe haju. As we know, wood is kayu, in Indonesia language.

A sentence: We want to looking for some of dry woods in forest, now!

This sentence above want to say that: They will want to go, go out, come to their cottage. This is a form of attention, to tell others. This context want to explains that, ri'o rengka is a form of farewell, make permission. Actually, they don't, want to look for some of dry woods in forest but they want to go back to their house.

For example: Ngo kawe rengka di ami ite - We are looking for some of small dry woods, now! At the time, tuak robo is used as a communication media, a bridge. Guest will give a something to host, like a envelope. The envelope as an instead of some of things. That is just a fruit of hand or souvenir.

When the guest want to go back, they have to say something, while hold a jug and money as a souvenir. Usually, they will use a spokesperson who can say in Manggarai language, a culture language. As we know, their guest is a regent of others who has a certain occupation, honored persons.

[Ngo kawe rengka de ami ite, ai bom toe lutur lewe. Nggerce'e paran awo mai, nggerawo paran ce'e mai - That is an expression if the guest want to go back. And, they will say: Bom woleng wongka, leleng para le. It means that, they are not different, still live together and work together because this world is a home though they are different village or house. But they have united, sit together, feel a meeting therefore can't be destroyed again].

Jug is a symbol of unity, brotherhood. Tuak as a life symbol, existention and as a beginning of life and whiteness of brotherhood. Tuak is a sign that between host and guest where with the tuak they become a family because they are derived from one father, one water like a tuak, God. In addition, they were derived from tuak, white water. Tuak is a symbol of sperm and with the things, they can drink together. In Manggaraian say: ca gantang inung cama-cama, ca Nawa bantang cama, reje lele, ce Jari nai ca yanggit agu tuka ca leleng. Drink together, not difference voice and united. It means, they were derived from same God, God Father.

                   [They are holding two white cocks, when they accept the honored guest].                                                    

And then...

White cock is a symbol of holiness, that receiver as a host with white heart suitable with the color of the cock, they accept the guest.

As we know, after doing the tuak curu, they will doing a dance. It purposed that to shelter those guests from evilness maybe. A dancer shall hold a chopper and make cut down up. Then, they will deliver the guest again.

Notes:

Tuak kapu curu as a sign or simbolize as a smoothness heart of acceptor. Acceptor as a host, of course can't to carry all the guests on their back and waist one by one if the guest more. They just to carry them with the ceremony. When the guest is/are arriving in home or grandstand, that host can't be able to putting them on their thighs because the guest body is weigh. In Manggarai saying: kapu one pa'a. Curu is a symbol in order to the guest shall not falling on the soil floor when they are being carried on the thighs by host or acceptor. That is more and less like that, the purposed ceremony of the tuak kapu curu in Manggarai. 

That is art of Manggarai culture since ancestors and be continued by their generation in Manggarai. That is an uniqueness and characteristic of Manggaraian culture. They can't forget it and will be being done by them forever.

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Written on Wednesday by: @Melky Pantur, May 3th, 2017.  And, all of those photos above have taken by a writer. Not plagiarism. 

[Thanks, you have visited this blog. I need your thinking to make complete this writing above].