A Transcendental Symbol: Metaphysical Dimension of Peo

Jawawawo – An Instrument for the Development of National Unity

Yakobus Ndona

, Johannes Jefria Gultom

, Budi Ali Mukmin

and Arief Wahyudi

Fakultas Ilmu Sosial, Universitas Negeri Medan, Jalan Wilem Iskandar Pasar V Medan Estate, 20221, Medan, North

Sumatera, Indonesia

Fakultas Bahasa dan Seni, Universitas Negeri Medan, Jalan Wilem Iskandar Pasar V Medan Estate, 20221,

edan, North

Sumatera, Indonesia.

Keywords: Transcendental Symbol, Metaphysic Dimension, Peo, National Unity, Ngga’e Mbapo

Abstract: The development of national unity is a never-ending struggle. Various issues which disrupt national unity

should be the trigger to trace an appropriate solution. This article raises the Jawawawo indigenous

community which pivots on the Peo milestone as an inspiration for the development of national unity. Peo is

a transcendental symbol with metaphysical philosophical forces which underlies the solidity of the

Jawawawo indigenous community. Peo symbolism may inspire the government to create transcendental

symbols which unite and bring to life the symbols of unity through the transcendental metaphysical

dimension.

1 INTRODUCTION

National unity is still a problem recently. The

problems of separatism, ethnic and religious

fanaticism, terrorism, and identity politics often

threaten national unity. These problems cannot be

resolved only by the creation of regulations, law

enforcement, social and political reform. The

government should discover a metaphysical

philosophical basis that underlies and spiritualizes

national unity. Many articles discussed these issues

from different perspectives. This article raises the

Jawawawo indigenous community as an inspiration

for developing national unity.

Unity in the Jawawawo indigenous community

has metaphysical dimensions which are

monumented in the Peo milestone. Peo is a

transcendental symbol which underlies the strength

of unity and binds all elements of the Jawawawo

indigenous community. The researcher who research

Peo Jawawawo, funded by the Ministry of Research

and Technology from March to July 2018 attempted

to reveal Peo's transcendental metaphysical

dimension which underlies the robustness of

Jawawawo indigenous community which support the

development of national unity. This article focuses

on three main issues, namely Peo's transcendental

metaphysical dimension; Peo's role in the Jawawawo

indigenous community; and the contribution of Peo's

transcendental metaphysical dimension to the

development of national unity.

2 RESEARCH METHODS

This research was conducted in accordance with

qualitative design since the study of the

metaphysical dimension relating to meaning.

Meaning studies require more hermeneutics and

descriptive depictions, and at the implementation

level it relies more on reflection and heuristics. The

data were collected using observation, interviews,

documenting techniques. Then the data obtained

were condensed and interpreted (hermeneutics);

concluded, reflected heuristically.

314

Ndona, Y., Gultom, J., Mukmin, B. and Wahyudi, A.

A Transcendental Symbol: Metaphysical Dimension of Peo Jawawawo – An Instrument for the Development of National Unity.

DOI: 10.5220/0009494803140318

In Proceedings of the 1st Unimed International Conference on Economics Education and Social Science (UNICEES 2018), pages 314-318

ISBN: 978-989-758-432-9

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1 History of Jawawawo Indigenous

Peoples and Peo

Jawawawo is not only a village in the Kotowuji

Timur, but it is also the main village as the center of

the Jawawawo indigenous community, including

two other villages, namely Ua and Romba

Wawokota. The participation of Ua and Romba

Wawokota in the Jawawawo indigenous community

began with the involvement of the early ancestors of

the Jawawawo villagers, Batu Zebho and Todi Tolo

in the war against Rogo Rabi (Goa, 2017). The Rogo

destruction caused some of the colonies to include

Romba Wawokota and Ua to become part of the

Batu Zebho-Todi Tolo power. Dora and Ari Clans

who inhabited the Wawokota Romba, and the Koka

Nosi clan who inhabited Ua were incarndinated to

the Batu Zebho Todi Tolo Clan (Goa, 2017).

Romba Wawokota and Ua villages have since

become an integral part of the Jawawawo indigenous

community, and Batu Zebho - Todi Tolo has become

a landlord (ine tana ame watu) in both regions (Goa,

2018).

3.2 Peo Jawawawo as the Axis of

Indigenous Communities

Jawawawo's existence as the main village (nua pu'u)

is marked by traditional monuments, namely Peo,

madhu, sa'o en'nda, ia, basa damba and gana. Peo is

the main monument which acts as the axis of the

indigenous community. Peo's existence signifies that

Jawawawo is the center of the indigenous

community. The people of Jawawawo, Ua and

Romba Wawokota, in traditional celebrations always

emphasize their attachment to Peo and the same

en’nda (kami a toko peo, a wewa enda) (Lasarus,

2017).

The Jawawawo main village has two Peos,

namely Peo fai (female Peo), which is commonly

abbreviated as Peo; and Peo aki (male Peo),

commonly called madhu. The Jawawawo

community assume the Peo fai as the main

monument (Gani, 2018). Beside it is located in the

middle of the village, series of rituals of restoration

of Peo fai and madhu was focused more on Peo fai.

In other words, the ritual was less for Madhu. Peo

fai, as shown in the picture, also has more various

symbol features.

The Peo fai pole is made of embu wood (cassia

fistula), with two symmetrical branches resembling

the letter Y (Tule, 2004, p. 110). The shape of the

branches describes a woman's groin (Rangga, 2018).

This symbol is emphasized by a white hole at the

base of the branch that describes the female

genitalia, and earrings (uli wolo) on the East and

West sides of the base branch, which emphasizes the

feminism of Peo fai. On every side of the base of

Peo fai, there are carvings of stars and earthly

creatures (scales, centipedes, lizards and crocodiles).

On the back of both branches, there are carvings of

the palm leaves, and on the top of every branch,

there is a statue of a magpie (koka).

Figure 1: Peo Aki or Madhu. Peo aki has four basic

elemen, namely pu’u Peo or Peo’s base (number 3),

toko Peo or Peo’s pole (number 2), and ana jeo or

the statue of naked man (number 1), with male

genital (number 4).

A Transcendental Symbol: Metaphysical Dimension of Peo Jawawawo – An Instrument for the Development of National Unity

315

Figure 2: Peo Fai. Peo fai has eight basic elemen,

namely pu’u Peo or Peo’s base (number 6), toko Peo

or Peo’s pole (number 5), nda’a Peo or Peo’s branch

(number 2), koka or magpie (number 1), left and

right side: carvings of moli or crocodile, ebe or

lizard, eko teko or scorpion, nipa kua or centipedes

(number 3) and uli wolo or earrings (number 7),

front side: carvings of ndada or star and eagle

(number 4), odo mea ata fai or female genital

(number 8).

The Peo fai branches leads to East and West

resembling the hand of a wife who is stretched to

open herself to her husband. Madhu is on the north

side, one ten’nda (a yard) is higher than Peo fai.

Madhu, like Peo fai is also made of embu wood,

oblong, perpendicular shape, with the base

embedded in the ground and the tip rising to the sky.

On the top of madhu there is a statue of a naked man

sitting staring at Peo fai. Madhu's position is

identical to a husband who keeps looking at his wife.

The structure of Peo and madhu describes the

relation of matrimonial unity between husband and

wife (muri nambu fai aki) (Rangga, 2018), "the wife

is below and the husband is on top" (ta fai rade

wena, ta aki reta wawo). Matrimonial relations of

Peo fai and madhu, symbolically emphasized in the

pala pije pu'u ritual (sacrifice celebration of Peo

establishment).

The buffalo rope which is sacrificed at the pala

pije pu'u ritual is placed in the Peo branch gap and

connected to the base of the madhu. This symbolic

action illustrates the intercourse relations between

the two who reach a climax on the bloodshed of the

victim. For the people of Jawawawo, Peo fai and

madhu are a couple of a mother who has a big womb

(ine mere) and a mighty father (ame dewa), who

became the center and the foundation of the

indigenous community.

3.3 Peo as a Transcendental Symbol

Peo fai and madhu, in the appreciation of the

Jawawawo people, have a transcendental dimension.

These two artifacts represent the elements of divinity

in the traditional faith of the Jawawawo people. This

is an evident in the appreciation of the Peo fai pole

as an ancestral representative. Peo fai and madhu, as

seen in the edicts of the founding of Peo fai and

madhu, are called as ine mbupu (old grandmother)

and ame uwa (gray hair grandfather) (Gani, 2018).

Some parties connect this greeting with their

ancestors. Peo fai represented female ancestors

while madhu represented male ancestors (Tule,

2017). Tule's opinion refers to the general meaning

of Peo fai and madhu in most indigenous

communities in the Keo region. The Jawawawo

indigenous community, referring to the ritual of rain

request (kuda kepa) at the base of madhu,

appreciates madhu as a representative of the powers

of heaven, which controls the rain and natural

cycles. The power of heaven, in the Jawawawo

community appreciation is based on fatherhood,

therefore it is called ame dewa. The statue of a

naked man (ana jeo) at the peak of madhu describes

the power of heaven which is based on men. The

people of Jawawawo, like other communities in

Keo, name the power of heaven with Ngga'e Mbapo,

which means that God is all (Tule, 1998, p. 43).

The association of the highest divinity with the

power of heaven has become a common

phenomenon in traditional communities on the

Flores mainland.

Table 1: The Supreme Beings of Flores People

District Supreme Beings Meaning

Flores

Timur

Lembata

Sikka

Ende/Lio

Bajawa

Manggara

Lera Wulan Tanah

Ekan

Lera Wulan Tanah

Ekan

Ina Niang Tana

Wawa/ Ama Lero

Wulang Reta

Wula Leja Tana Watu

Deva zeta-Nitu zale;

Mori Kraeng,

bergelar: Tana wa

awang eta/ Ine wa

ema eta

Sun-Moon-

Earth

Sun-Moon-

Earth

Earth-Sun-

Moon

Moon-Sun-

Earth

Sky-Earth

Land below,

sky above

Mircea Eliade also found similar phenomena in

primitive tribes in almost all over the world (Eliade,

1987, pp. 119-120).

On the other hand, Peo fai cannot be identified

with female ancestors. The meaning of the Peo pole

as an ancestor who supports the land is an indication

that Peo cannot be interpreted as a female ancestor.

The Jawawawo community adheres to a patrilineal

system, so that land ownership is only owned by a

generation of men from the father's descent. Peo fai

pole is a representativeness of male ancestors who

controlled the land of Jawawawo. The establishment

of Peo fai illustrates the breakthrough and mastery

of the ancestors against the land, which in upward

motion raises the ground up so that it is in an eternal

relationship with the highest divinity, Ngga'e

Mbapo.

The ancestral breach of the land caused the two

lands of Jawawawo, namely the land inherited from

the early ancestors (tana odo watu ebho) and the

land from the spoils of war (tana fai watu ana),

united (sasi dhapi) in ancestral power, symbolized

by two Peo fai branches which rest on the same Peo

pole (Goa, 2018).

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3.4 Peo as the Axis of Indigenous

Peoples

The tenure of ancestors against the land causes the

land to be controlled by divine powers. The

ancestors, in the perspective of the Jawawawo

people are the highest divinity representatives,

Ngga'e Mbapo. The ancestral breakthrough into the

land is an intervention of Ngga'e Mbapo to create a

sacred space, so that it is suitable to be inhabited (tau

ndi'i mera), the breadwinner field (tau kema ghawo)

and live a life safely (weki ri'a do modo). The

ownership of the ancestors against the land is Ngga'e

Mbapo's action to create the cosmos, as painted on

the cosmic boundaries on the declaration of the

establishment of the Peo "my head was propped up

against the mountain, my feet stepped on the sea;

east borders Dhaja, west borders the river ". The

creation of the cosmos means the provision of space

for the community, because it underlies the unity,

structure and role of every element of all elements,

those who inhabit the cosmos and its instruments

(traditions, norms, morality), which will always be

recovered in every restoration of the Peo (Goa,

2012). Peo fai means as a center that unites all

elements of the community (rembu sa kita jogho ena

ke) (Goa, 2017), which is integrated into one large

family and the same origin (ine kami a’mitu mite,

ame kami a’dadu tolo), who inhabit the house and

work on the same plot of fields (sa’o mengha a’di’e,

mbede mengha a toko bhida toko odo). Thus, Peo is

the axis that unites all elements of the community

across generations (the previous generations

<ancestors>, now and will come <descent> and

between regions of the cosmos (heaven <divine>,

world <life> and the underworld <land>) (Rangga,

2018).

3.5 Transcendental Symbols - The Art

of Caring for National Unity

Peo is a transcendental symbol which is the

foundation for indigenous peoples' unity. A

transcendental symbol, called “chiffer” by Karl

Jaspers (Jaspers, 1971, p. 114) represents the

metaphysical entity, namely Transcendence, the

absolute and infinite, which underlies all other

dimensions (Citlot, 1971, p. xiv). The material

object of Peo, by the Jawawawo community was

appointed to the metaphysical level, in order to take

part in the divinity of Ngga'e Mbapo in order to

represent His presence for the community

(Dillistone, 1986, p. 126). Through Peo, the people

of Jawawawo put the godly mercy and the highest

divine will (Nggae bhade modo, Mbapo wenggo

mbe’o) as the source and foundation of unity. This

baseline transforms the Jawawawo indigenous

community unity to the transcendental level, so that

it has a dimension of divinity, sacred power that

gives rise to the realization that the task of

preserving and maintaining community unity is a

part of the divine mandate and dedication to Ngga'e

Mbapo

This underlying pattern can be an inspiration for

the government in caring for and perpetuating

national unity. For religious society, unity of the

nation is sturdy when it gets grounded in divinity.

Unity has a divine dimension, is sacred and eternal if

God is placed as the basis and source of unity. God's

involvement (absolute and unreachable) in national

unity can only be presented through transcendental

symbols. The government, in the preservation and

perpetuation of national unity, can create

transcendental symbols which consecrate and

encourage unity, and revive the symbols of unity

which already exist with the transcendental

dimension.

4 CONCLUSIONS

There are three things that should be concluded from

the discussion above. First, Peo is a transcendental

symbol which presents a metaphysical dimension,

namely the act of divinity over the land, creating the

cosmos and uniting all elements of the community.

Second, Peo as the symbol of divine intervention

and the presence of divinity, is the center of the

union of indigenous communities. The Jawawawo

indigenous people who view the womb and the will

of Ngga'e Mbapo as the basis for the existence of the

community, live Peo as the center or axis of

community unity as well as a paradoxical medium

that connects with the highest divinity, Ngga'e

Mbapo. Third, Peo's symbolism in Jawawawo

indigenous people may inspire the government in

developing and perpetuating unity by creating

transcendental symbols which encourage national

unity, and add meaning to the existing symbols of

unity with the transcendental dimension.

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