|
Ngaben:
Cremation Ceremony
Ngaben or the Cremation Ceremony is the ritual performed
to send the dead through the transition to his next life.
The village Kul Kul, hanging in the tower of the village temple,
will sound a certain beat to announce the departure of the
deceased. The body of the deceased will be placed at Bale
Delod, as if he were sleeping, and the family will continue
to treat him as if he were still alive yet sleeping. No tears
are shed, for he is only gone temporarily and he will reincarnate
into the family.
The Priest consults the Dewasa to determine the proper day
for the ceremony. On the day of the ceremony, the body of
the deceased is placed inside a coffin which is then placed
inside a sarcophagus in the form of a buffalo (called Lembu)
or a temple structure called Wadah made of paper and light
wood. The Wadah will be carried to the village cremation site
in a procession.
The climax of Ngaben is the burning of the Wadah, using fire
originating from a holy source. The deceased is sent to his
afterlife, to be reincarnated in the future.
|
