- Name: Mauratung
- Archive Type: Ritual
- People: Marapu people, Sumba.
- Form: Official status
- Available File(s): Photos
- Keywords: Marapu Indigenous religion, spiritual leader, Indigenous education, Mauratung.
- Link: –
Mauratung is an important official figure in Sumba. Its name is also commonly abbreviated as Ratu (referred to as rato in West Sumba). This position serves as a spiritual intermediary between the physical and metaphysical realms. In the Marapu tradition, mauratung is usually responsible for leading ritual ceremonies or hamayang (Wielenga, 1928). In addition to their spiritual role, mauratung also assists Marapu followers in organizing social and economic affairs in daily life.
Umbu Yanus (January 05, 1986) is one of the many Marapu people who hold the role of mauratung. To maintain the existence of the Marapu community, in 2018, he established Sekolah Adat Kamanggih, a traditional school where Marapu children learn various artistic traditions, rituals, agricultural practices, and animal husbandry. In 2023, the National Ministry of Culture and Education recognized Sekolah Adat Kamanggih as an “Object of Cultural Advancement” to appreciate Umbu Yanus’ contribution to preserving and promoting Marapu cultural heritage (MOEC, 2023; SIDSumba, 2023).
Photo(s)
Source(s)
- Halaqah Damai. “Halaqah Damai ke 109: Pendidikan Masyarakat Marapu.” Youtube Video, May 13, 2024, https://youtu.be/YuLRqTXzlL0?si=oKPVt-5xYFTOclG.
- O. H. Kapita, Masyarakat Sumba dan Adat Istiadatnya (Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia, 1976).
- Kemendikbud, “Sekolah Adat untuk Keberlanjutan Pelestarian Objek Pemajuan Kebudayaan,” 2023, https://www.kemdikbud.go.id/main/blog/2023/09/Sekolah-Adat-Untuk-Keberlanjutan-Pelestarian-Objek-Pemajuan-Kebudayaan.
- Sidsumba, “Sekolah Adat, Sebuah Harapan Baru Pelestarian Budaya Sumba Timur,” 2023, https://sidsumba.org/Sekolah-Adat-Sebuah-Harapan-Baru-Pelestarian-Budaya-Sumba-Timur/.
- K. Umbu Deta, “Marapu Resisting the Corporation to Protect the Land,” Satya Widya: Jurnal Studi Agama 4, no. 2 (2021): 50–66.
Curated by Jear Nenohai (December 1, 2024); Edited by Abel K. Aruan (January 30, 2025).