Burning Stones

 

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Burning stones is a tradition that is carried out as an expression of gratitude for the blessings of agriculture given by God. Even though the name is burning batu, not only stones are burned but also various tubers to be eaten together.

The tradition of burning stones is a hereditary tradition of various tribes in the Papuan mountains, including the residents of the Dani tribe of Wosilimo village in the Baliem Valley (Baliem Valley) Papua. The naming of this stone burning ceremony varies. In the Lani tribe, this stone burning event is called lago lakwi.

In Wamena village, local people call it kit ova isago. Residents of several other Papuan tribes, including the Dani tribe, they call it Barapen.

Quoted from "Ethnopedagogy of the Burning Stone Philosophy in Papua" written by Dinn Wahyudin and Dr. Agus Sumule, the stone burning ceremony is a ritual ceremony by means of cooking together, which aims to express gratitude to the giver of life for the gift that has been given.

Burning stones is also a tool of friendship and a place to strengthen friendship between ethnic groups in Papua. This ceremony is usually done to welcome special religious events such as Christmas and Eid, or happy news about what has been experienced.

In the past, this stone-burning ceremony was carried out to gather tribal members to fight or perform ritual parties, as an expression of joy after carrying out inter-tribal warfare tasks.

Burning stones is also a ceremony of joy for reaching an agreement and there has been peace between groups who are in dispute or are involved in conflict.

Quoted from the Indonesia.go.id page, this cooking ritual ceremony uses stone media that is burned until it burns. When the stones have smoldered on the burning wood, the stones are inserted into a hole about 50 cm deep that has been prepared with a grass mat.

On the stone, grass or vegetables are added, followed by meat, betatas, hypere (yam), bananas are also added. If all is entered, then covered again with vegetables and grass. To tie it, they put stones on top of the pile until it is cooked.

In the tradition of burning stones, there is a deep meaning, namely as an expression of gratitude to God and a symbol of strong solidarity. Burning stones is a joint cooking ritual that aims to express gratitude to the giver of life.

The stone burning ceremony is also a symbol of the simplicity of the Papuan people. The estuary is equality of rights, justice, togetherness, cohesiveness, honesty, sincerity, and sincerity that lead to peace.

Even in the Papuan Muslim community, for example, in the Walesi Jayawijaya area and other Papuan Muslim communities, in welcoming Ramadan, they also burn stones. However, the media that was burned was replaced with chicken.[]

Source: Akurat.co