In West Papua, besides the Arfak tribe, the Biak-Numfor is also one of the largest tribes. It has its customs that are still preserved wherever the society of the Biak-Numfor exists. One of its most famous traditional ceremonies is Wor.
As well as in a wedding ceremony, Wor is used by the Biak Numfor community. In a traditional wedding ceremony, Wor is started by making up the bride-to-be, taking her to her husband-to-be’s house honourably, and the last, doing the wedding procession.
Preparing the Bride-to-be in Wor Tradition
In the custom of the Biak Numfor tribe, a woman is well prepared by her family before she is carried out to her husband-to-be family. There are some preparation made, namely :
- Putting Asigsong or head crown on the hair of the bride-to-be
- Decorate the bride’s wedding dress by pinning a few bills on a cloth that is put on around the neck to the chest and some more in the hair as asigsong. The goal is to show the groom-to-be that his bride comes from a respectable family, whose social status can be relied on in the family.
- Provide the bride-to-be provisions with kitchen utensils such as plates, glasses, pans, and others. The woman is also given a sum of money that both families have agreed upon, usually one-third or one-fourth of the dowry value.
The Engagement Ceremony (ARAREM)
Ararem is a process of bringing a dowry to the bride-to-be. Being quoted from the JUBI page, Ararem is a sacral process. This process should be done because the dowry must be given to the bride-to-be who will become a wife in the family of Keret or Clan.
The engagement procession in the Biak Numfor tribe is a symbol of the honour and dignity of the male family so that the groom can bring his wife to live in a household to continue the inheritance for certain family clans.
The Process of Bringing The Bride-To-Be To The Groom-To-Be’s House
The procession that takes the bride-to-be to the groom’s house is known as WOR YAKER. In this process, the woman is paraded to the man’s house. Before being paraded, various equipment such as tipa, machete, shield, asigsong, leather loincloth, shawl, betel and many others have been prepared.
In this procession, the woman walks with her brother’s aunt/mebin/wife and is accompanied by her uncle. The parade line is divided into two groups. The first group is the clan representatives. The woman gets the treasure from the dowry and Fanfan or food items given by Keret, the husband-to-be.
Then, this group enters the husband-to-be’s house. The Keret/Klan put the things that the women’s side had been prepared.
Next, the husband-to-be takes them from the door into the house. Then this group gives Sanfar or money and plates to the husband-to-be. Then the wife-to-be is brought into the house and invited to sit on a mat that has been prepared.
The woman sits with two women that accompany her. Anigsong, the Sanfar/money that is attached to the wife-to-be’s body is removed by roefebin.
The Biak Numfor Traditional Wedding Procession
In this procession, the Wor tradition is carried out, namely Wor Wahwofer, which is formed from the word Wahwofer which means to strengthen because this procession is the process of confirming the woman and the man as husband and wife.
The husband-to-be and the wife-to-be shake hands tightly, which means that they have been approved, and the bond cannot be separated until death do them part.
Then the ceremonial leader takes tobacco that has been burned, smoked and the smoke is stored in the oral cavity. Then the tobacco is alternately smoked by the groom and bride’s families.
Then the ceremonial leader approaches the two brides who shake hands with each other, hold both hands tightly, bend down and exhale tobacco smoke over the two hands that were shaking. And they are declared husband and wife legally.
Such is every process of the traditional marriage ceremony of the Biak Numfor tribe. Each operation is unique and very different from other ethnic groups in Indonesia.
