Basically, the land of Papua is indeed very diverse when it comes to traditional ceremonies. Almost every tribe in Papua has its own culture and traditions. Starting from the wedding ceremonies, when people get birth when people die, and also during pregnancy. For example, the Morus Tere tradition.
In fact, Morus Tere is one of the traditional ceremonies belonging to the Meybrat Tribe. They are one of the native Papuan tribes who live in West Papua Province. To be precise, they live in Sorong and a small part of Manokwari. Then, what is the meaning and also purpose of this traditional ceremony?
Here is the explanation regarding it!
The Meaning of the Morus Tere Traditional Ceremony
In the local language, the word “Morus” means “release” or “cut”. Then, the word “Tere” in the local language means “bracelet”. However, the meaning of Morus Tere does not mean literally cutting the bracelet. It is a figurative word, which means to release someone from evil spirits.
This is probably one of the traditional ceremonies that the pregnant members of the Meybrat Tribe need to perform. It is because the meaning of the ceremony is to free the pregnant woman and her baby. Usually, it is from the influence of the supernatural powers that surround her.
The reason is that the Meybrat Tribe still believes in supernatural things. They believe that in this world there are various spirits and also supernatural powers that can affect human life.
The Belief of the Meybrat Tribe in Supernatural Things
According to the belief of the Meybrat Tribe, the world was created by a supernatural being who has supernatural power. They call him Suiwa. Suiwa lives in the sky and loves to dance. When he wants to create something, he will dance. Then, all of his wishes will come true after that.
Suiwa has a brother named Mafif. He lives on the earth. Then, he is the one who tells people about everything that is needed in their life. Starting from farming, hunting, making fires, making houses, and fighting. He is also the one who gives the customary rules and procedures for holding ceremonies.
Aside from Suiwa and Mafif, the members of Meybrat Tribe also know many special people that relate to the supernatural. The one who leads traditional ceremonies is Tochmi dan Ra Uon. Then, there is a shaman healer named Bofit. There are also dark shamans, and people call them Bo Mbaw and Swanggi.
Because of that belief, it is not surprising that many traditional ceremonies in the Meybrat Tribe are related to the supernatural. For example, the Morus Tere tradition.
The Process of the Morus Tere Traditional Ceremony
If you are wondering, did the Morus Tere tradition still exist up until today? Then the answer is yes, but it is very rare. However, in the past, every pregnant woman in Meybrat must do this ceremony once during pregnancy. Usually, this ceremony is done after it is clear that the woman is pregnant.
Normally, they would carry out this traditional ceremony in the morning. This is because they believe that the breaking of dawn is a good start to the day. It is the start of the day and the right time to determine the new terms of life.
After that, the elder of the husband’s side will preside over the ceremony. All family members of the husband and the wife will take part in the process of Morus Tere. They will provide all the materials needed for the ceremony. Starting from foods, drinks, and also Timor clothes.
The more Timor clothes available at the ceremony, the better it is. This is because aside from the supernatural belief, there is another meaning of Morus Tere. The aim is to show the social status of the family. So, this ceremony is indeed very important for the Meybrat Tribe.
