Sudu attraction: JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung

One man fought against another in an arena, but they later embraced to symbolize friendship and fraternity.

Then together, watched by hundreds of spectators, they drank arak served in coconut shells before eating pork and lontong rice cake off a besek, a plaited bamboo basket.

The two fighters then danced together while playing with machetes with their friends.

The fight and dance marked the opening of the traditional Reba thanksgiving ritual held recently by the Ngada community from central Flores in East Nusa Tenggara at the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah theme park in East Jakarta.

'€œWe hold this ritual to show the symbol of life and the identity of the Ngada people. We also want to introduce our rich culture,'€ said the head of the event'€™s organizing committee, Siprianus Bate Soro.

He said the Reba ritual '€” held once a year either in December, January, or February '€” is considered to be their New Year celebration. It also aims to keep and strengthen the connections between the Ngada people living in Jakarta and their cultural roots back in Flores.

He said the fight and the dance were locally known as the sudu and dero, respectively. The two attractions aim to show the majesty of the soul and human dignity.

During the ritual, all participants were clad in traditional attire, consisting of boku (head cloth), sapu (black long dress), keru (belt), degho (bracelet), lega lua rongo (bag) and sau (machete).

After the sudu and dero, the Ngada people held the so-called Inculturation Mass, which toward the end told the migration story of the Ngada forefathers from Yunnan (China), Sri Lanka, Java and West Nusa Tenggara to Flores.

By the afternoon, six pairs of men performed the Reto Api traditional martial arts during which they fought against each other using sticks that had previously been prepared in fire, sending sparks flying.

'€œReto Api is performed to show off man'€™s masculinity,'€ Siprianus said, adding that locals believed fire was a bridge between war and peace. '€œIf there is flame, there is a better life. People can use it to increase the degree of their lives.'€     

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After Reto Api, a ceremony called Soka Uwi was held to praise uwi, or sweet potato '€” a symbol of life and welfare, as its seed, despite being cut into the small pieces, will still grow in soil.

Siprianus said according to the Ngada'€™s mythology, uwi was believed to be a woman sent by God to sacrifice herself as food for humanity, he said.

After praying, some of the ritual participants performed the O Uwi dance and they later colored their faces with charcoal in a ceremony called Mia Kuse, held to remind people to get back to work after the ritual ended.

In the evening, they all enjoyed the feast together in a ceremony called Too Maki Reba.  

Siprianus said the ritual was important, especially to help the young, since many of them were no longer born in central Flores, to understand the noble values of their ancestors.

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