Asmat Folklore

Folklore

--On the Rumpun Bismam of Asmat Community--

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Asmat ‘s lives are full of spirits, so that the non living creature can influens the life of community. Animism happens in every element in this peoplle’s live. Myths tells about how the non living creature change to the form of human beings and animals, such as human being that can be animals or birds, or animals’ spirits give power ti humn beings. The spirit are not only living around them but also in rivr, in heaven or underworld. The relationships between them are rciprocal relatonship –s well as the relationship among people (Scheebaum, 1985: 9)that spirit then showed s central character in folklore, myth, or legends are eternally life in Asmat people’s lives, after many time until comes this day.

Myths that rooted in Asmat’s lives in Fumiripits, the creator that fells lonley in this house in a forest. It is true that Asmat enviroment is rounded by forest that is flowed by streams. Asmat people are very depending on the forest and the animals that live there, inlcuding tao --sago caterpillar—toaut –cassowrry—karaka –craps—and many others are the fact. However, the story that Fumiripits creates a statue, make a tifa –traditional music tool—and play it, so the statue is dancing and turns to be a human beng and then become the ancestor of people there is wonderfull.

Living creatures come from other living creature or come from egg. However, magic is an eternal thing, that extremely believed by all  Asmat people. Linggasari said that, for Asmat people, myth about Fumiripits and his creature are the answera of their question about “who are our ancrstors?’ the myth proves that Asmat people with their simplicity have an agreement to keep their identity.

Asmat people give us a rare opportunity to learn about culture development from the beginning until this modernization era just in some generation, a process that is usually done in along time. Before contact with modern world change their way of life, Asmat people principally is a community that is bound in mengayau ritual, that is ritual to cut off their enemy’s head as a symbol of maturity and bravery. Man head and the meat have a big function in barter; it also can be give to reunite a separated family or a bride price of girl. Folklore which still exis are Halilintar, Usirmbikin, Wanet, Hikayat  Surum Fish, directly show those function.

Beautiful girl are always called Teweraut, and handesome boy are called Beorpit or Biwiripit. A written folklore tells us implicitly that culture become a chain that ties woman’s life in this community as well as woman in Java and woman from other community long time ago, so that the Teweraut, the beatutiful girls became commodition in barter. Marriage is not norm, it just an agreement, when both of them, the man and woman are agree to life together, because o their love and their plan for the future. However the girls family must pay back the men’s kindness, although the men are already in marriage.

Polygamy is legal, and this tradition still exists until this day. It is a big deal in gender equality. Gender equality is in contras with their myth about their origin that place woman as mother earth that is very sacred and full of respect. We can see that there must be a brige which is lost and should be found to deal with this problem.

Globalization era an influence the life of Asmat people, Mansoben said that chronologically, asmat people have a contact with modern world since 1904. That contct happens because of the expedition handled by Eropean people who wantt to explore Pacific. The next expedition happen in 1907, 1909-1910 and 1912-1913. The first and second expedition are handle by  Lorentz nd the last by Franssen Herdeschee. The two next expeditions happen in 1922 and 1923. Those expeditions are done for a research. There is also a visit by Netherlands’s goverment in 1904, and finaly they build a Netherlands,s goverment agency in Agats at 1954. Besides that Catholic Crurch also visit Asmat in order to spread that religion around 1912. The first churc in Asmat is opened in February 1953 by Pastor Zegward and Pastor Welling.

At October 1st 1962 Netherlands’s goverment gives the authority of Papua to United Nation and then gives it to Indonesia in May 1st 1963. Automatically, Asmat belong to Indonesia, it is devided in to 7 districts, 40 years later, exactly in 12 April 2003, Asmat’s regent is instated. Asmat becomes a regency within 7 district, there are agats, Akat, Sawa erma, Atsy, Suator, Fayit, and Pantai Kasuari. There are 139 villages within that regency, all them are located near rivers, boat and motorboat are important vehicles there.

Many change happed, so that  Asmat people change their way of life into food producing. Missionaries there build some church, school, and health center. The goverment then continue that development and expanse the development although the process faced so many barriers. Asmat children, who are only familiar with the forest before, become socialized with school. Succed students can cut off  the the problems chain. They may become a teacher, midwife, nurse, paramedics, priest, and community’s head.

This is Asmat fourth anniversary in the form of regency. The opportunities for Asmat generations to become govermemt  officer or politician are widely opened. They are legally to be goverment officer, as well s in the political world. The top of position there is handled by Asmat people.

Pre histori culture is not 100 years left already. However, Asmat people pass thousand years to join in political world now. And the win that, beyond every victiry, so that their folklore and muths become a part of this country’s resource that are still believed and documented together. Folklore nd myths in every community are always including mystical things which are so far away reality and cannot be poved.

However, the xistence of myths is no be proved, because the natter here is not about the reality but about answering question, “why those myth exis in communities and continued until so long time?” A myth can be an indicator of a community’s way of life. Almost every society in this world has their own myths that have implicit meaning which are only understood by those , society. At glance, common people just see that a myth is just a non sensed tales. However, some expert think that myth is a way to reach their dream to deal with the contrudiction between dream and reality. Many contradictions happen within every society, this problem may confuse them, and they believe in myth to help them. So the myth can help them to life more peacefully. So that they can life in this contradiction with the same perception. It is amazing that Asmat folklore have a straight structure that is believed by the people there. It is a sign that this tale is not a just a created tale.

For their young generation, myth or tales in their community is a sacred thing –cannot be told to other people –they will be sick. Many tales there seems as glue that can tie them to be together. Asmat is always full of secreet and mystery. In that mysterious life, unity is very important. Besides that function, myth also consists o etichal behavior to separated the good and the bad. Morality is a basic for maturity.

Without the existence of Asmat’s folklore may be the similar folklore will be lost. For the reassons, this book entitled Folklore on the Rumpun Bisman of Asmat Community is released. That kind if thing should be documented so that the next generation can learn from that. The story can also become a lullaby from parent to their children.

Dewi Linggasari