The Death Ceremony of Orang Barok (Riau Islands - Indonesia)

1. Origin

The word “Barok” is taken from the name of tree, bebarok, growing in the forest nearby the villager‘s settlement in Lipan Island. According to their legend, a long time ago there was an old man who attempted to cut down the bebarok tree to be used as a small boat. Seven days has gone but the old man was incapable of felling the tree. In the eighth day he was very happy when it finally could be felled. But his happiness turned into amazement when he saw the tree stood sturdily as before, and a handsome young man came out from it then told him, “this is my house, please do not cut it down”. The old man was surprised and scared. He backed home quickly with a trembling body and then told the unbelievable event he has just faced to his neighbors. In a short story, the handsome young man was later crowned as a king titled Raja Barok; while the local resident were called as Orang Barok (Barok people).          

Another version mentioned that Orang Barok who settle in Lipan Island are originally from Sungai Buluh, the village laid on the north side of Singkep Island. From Lipan Island, one needs 45 minutes to reach Sungai Buluh by motor boat, or spends one hour and half by rowboat. Before 1953, nobody settled in Lipan Island, but the local government, after 1953, issued a new policy that suggested equipping the residents of Sungai Buluh with household tools to migrate to that vacant island. Since that year it was attended and settled by the people. Orang Barok mentioned in this paper are those who settle in Lipan Island, in Panuba village, Lingga district, in the province of Kepulauan Riau.

2. Death in the View of Orang Barok

Orang Barok believe that death is not the end of life, but rather as a journey in which a dead person moves from the real world into an eternal world. The eternal world, as described by them, laid in the western direction; it is the eternal world where human being will experience the real comfort and peaceful in eternity. When the spirit of body goes to the eternal world, it must be kept from all kinds of digression in order to be able to gather with the spirit of ancestors. The spirit may go astray if the deceased‘s family did not seriously take care of him. Therefore, the family should conduct a ceremony whereby the dead person may eat sesajen (offering for spirit). If the ceremony is not conducted, the spirit will back to the real world and scare his family and many other innocent people. This may cause the death of one of his families, or cause some diseases among them. Orang Barok are really scared upon such angry spirit.   

If the angry spirit scares them, they will call a shaman or a religious leader to persuade it to back to its place and to apologize for their wrong deeds. The shaman, as a representation of the family, promises that they will not break their promise of taking care of him. This belief pushes Orang Barok to conduct a ceremony called beri ruah whereby the family gives an honor to the dead person, and the spirit has its meal. Beri ruah ceremony is usually conducted once in a year. And for the live people, they have to practice good deeds and to obey the norms upheld by the community.

3. Treating the Dead Body

For Orang Barok, the spirit is related tightly to the body. It is believed that the body must be buried perfectly to accompany the spirit to the eternal place safely. In treating the dead body, Orang Barok divides two kinds of death: the common death and the death by assassination. Each kind of the death is treated differently. This portal specifically reveals the treating of the common death that is divided into four phases:

a. Before washing the dead body

This first phase is called menuggu mayat (protecting the dead body). The family should watch continuously the body at day and night without sleeping to keep it far from bad spirits surrounding them. This phase also aims to allow the deceased‘s relatives seeing him for the last time, and to allow the guests giving greet to the family as they arrive. The deceased‘s house is always taken as a place where such ceremony is held, whether he died in the sea, forest or other places.

The ceremony is always led by a shaman or a religious leader. If the dead person is man, the ceremony is also led by man and vice versa. This first phase is considered as an important moment in which the family pays a serious attention toward the body until it not too hard to be washed.

As for the perfection of the ceremony, some following equipments are prepared:

• A plaited mat and a pillow
• A long cloth
• Pedupaan (type of substance producing a fragrant smell when burning)
• Kemenyan (type of aromatic resin of tree)
• A length of rope
• A piece of gaharu wood
• A small knife

The procession during the ceremony:

When one is going to die, his family should put his head on one of his families‘ thigh by directing his face to the western direction. His family should cry by avoiding his tear of touching the body of the person who is going to die. On the passing away of the dead, his /her families arrange the deceased‘s hand, covered his/her eye with cotton or cloth and close his/her mouth until it does not appear too frightening.

The dead body is then covered with plaited mad or cloth except his/her face to be easily seen by the guests who come to visit him/her. A piece of gaharu wood is put on the deceased‘s head to announce to both the family and the spirit of ancestor that one of their relatives has just died and will join with them soon. Meanwhile a small knife is put on the deceased‘s stomach to keep him/her from bad energies. Afterward, his family announces to the villagers that one of their members has passed away. All guests express their condolence to the deceased‘s family. Their condolence is as a sad expression to remember that the dead person is really a good man or innocent baby that his/her death causes many people in sadness.  The people usually stop their activities and express their solidarity as soon as they hear the sad news by attending the deceased‘s house. The women bring everything needed in the death ceremony that will be held by the family. Usually they come with sago, coconut oil, kerosene and any other food stuffs. Meanwhile, the men handle all tasks of treating of the dead, from the first initial treating until the last burial ceremony.

As soon as the villagers gather in the house of the dead person, the tasks are arranged and organized by all of them. Several of them dig a grave hole, and others wash the dead and prepare a bier.

b. Washing the Dead

Before a burial ceremony, the dead must be washed in order to clean it from all kinds of dirt. This phase also aims to release the dead person from all sins done in the past during his lifetime.

Usually, this phase is held at afternoon to make this task easier. But sometimes it is held in the morning or evening, but clearly it is prohibited to be held at night. The procession is always conducted on sanded seashore. The dead is covered by a long cloth to avoid many people of seeing it during the process of washing.

During the procession of treating the dead

Before this procession is begun, several persons prepare a place on the sanded seashore. If the place is ready, the dead is then brought carefully from his house to the seashore. Afterward, the body is lain on the sand by facing his face to the western direction. All cloths that cover the dead are opened except that covers the deceased‘s genitalia. The religious leader begins to read chant verses such as, “biar selamat engkau berjalan, jangan sampai sesat. Jangan teringat pada kami yang tinggal”, (to be save in your journey, please do not go astray. Do not remember us who still live). He then takes some water from the sea and pours it for several times to the dead, beginning from the head until the feet. He then takes a coconut fiber to brush the body. This phase, as has been mentioned before, aims to clean all dirt. In this phase, all people are permitted to see the procession with a quiet attitude. And later, the dead is wiped by a soft cloth and whitewashed by a powder made of rice mixed with turmeric. These ingredients are used to eliminate the bad aroma of the body.

The next step is that the dead is wholly covered with two plaited mats made from pandanus or mengkuang leaves. One of which is used as a shirt, while another is as a cover of the whole body except the deceased‘s face. The initial steps before this procession are placing the deceased‘s hand on the chest, closing the mouth, and arranging the feet closer. Afterward, the dead is covered with the two plaited mats. The deceased‘s head, chest, waist, and the top of feet are tied with ropes. During this phase, the religious leader does not stop reading the chant verses. His mouth does not stop moving, and sometimes he gushes to left and right, back and front. After having been washed perfectly, the body is placed on a bier to be brought to the house for waiting for the next phase, funeral ceremony.

c. Funeral Ceremony

The funeral ceremony is always conducted in afternoon in a certain place chosen by Orang Barok. This phase has many aims: (1) to allow the spirit taking a journey to the western direction where the spirits of ancestor are gathering peacefully; (2) to avoid bad spirits of disturbing this new spirit that may bring it going astray; (3) and to give an honor to the dead for the last time.

As for the perfection of the ceremony, the deceased‘s family make some preparations such as providing several cleavers, hoes, seven pieces of small woods, one box of cigarette, a large earthenware jar filled with a chanted water of roses, and a pair of tombstone.

During the ceremony

In the process of washing the dead, several persons dig a grave hole nearby the seashore or the villagers‘ settlement. Therefore, they prohibit all members of the community to practice bad deeds or to throw some rubbish surrounding the grave. And as soon as the grave hole is ready, the dead is brought from the house. The bier, where the dead body is placed, is carried on four persons‘ shoulders to the grave. All relatives, friends and neighbors are permitted to see the funeral ceremony.

As soon as the caravan arrives to the grave, the bier is put carefully on the edge of the grave hole. The family, until this phase, has provided some requirements such as a plate of food, one box of cigarette, and a jar of chanted water of rose.

When all relatives come, the shaman or the religious leader who represents the family gives a signal that the ceremony will be started soon. He begins to read the chant verses, and then asks several men to put the dead into the grave hole. The body is placed carefully with a slanting position covered by seven pieces of small woods in order to strengthen its position. These men then come out from the grave hole and slowly pile up the sand into the grave hole, and later plant a pair of tombstone as a sign that the grave is belonged to the dead person. The deceased‘s families put a plate of food, a box of cigarette and a jar of water rose on the grave. To Orang Barok, the provided supplies will be brought as a stock by the dead during the journey. The supplies should not be eaten by the live people. If one challenges such a prohibition, he may trap in disaster, but unfortunately there is no further explanation about the kind of disaster. Putting the food on the grave is as a sign that the funeral ceremony ends, and all people may go back to their home.

Usually, the people who involve into the procession of the funeral ceremony, beginning from the treating of the dead until the end of burial process, are invited to eat and drink together. This ceremony is conducted as a gratefulness of the family upon their sincere help.

c. Kenduri (feast especially on religious occupation)

Kenduri aims to (1) pray for the safety of the spirit during the journey; (2) address a lot of thanks to those villagers who have helped the funeral ceremony from the first until the last phase. Kenduri also aims to entertain the deceased‘s family.

Kenduri is always conducted at night, after the end of the funeral ceremony. But sometimes it is also conducted in the evening; it is dependent on the will of the family. Kenduri may not be conducted at the deceased‘s house.

Kenduri is always led by a shaman and the family. The family prepares everything needed during kenduri. Although all villagers are not invited formally to attend to the ceremony, they will come to give the last honor to the dead via their prayers.

When the ceremony is begun, the shaman reads chant verses, while the audiences keep quiet hearing these verses. As soon as the ceremony ends, the audiences are permitted to taste some drinks and foods. Kenduri indicates that the long death ceremony has been completed by the family.   

Sources:

1. Depdikbud Proyek Inventarisasi dan Dokumentasi Kebudayaan Daerah, Upacara Traditional (Upacara Kematian) Daerah Riau, Jakarta, 1985.
2. http://www.batampos.co.id           

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