Field Preparation Ritual
Author(s)
Title
Field Preparation Ritual
Alternative Title
Ritual lere to'os
Publication Type
Language
tet
Number of Pages
1
Location
Timor-Leste
Keywords
Ritual lere to'os
Relevance to ICH Safeguarding
ICH Genre
Description
Ritual lere to'os (Field Preparation Ritual)- This is a traditional ritual for preparing the field performed annually before the rains arrive. According to the beliefs of the Isni ethnolinguistic people, everything has an owner. The owner of the land, forests, mountains, rivers, trees, etc. It is the spirit of nature. Therefore, when doing something, it is necessary to perform a ritual to ask for permission and authorization. Before going to the fields, they pray in the Isni language to ask for nature’s permission. They inform the owner of the land and the trees to cut down the trees and bushes to prepare the field to avoid any disaster. After the trees and bushes are cut, they are left there for a month or more to dry before burning them. To burn the field, a chicken is brought into the field not to kill it but left tied up to be burned along with the branches and dry grass. The branches left over from the burning will be collected and left on the edges of the field before planting corn and other crops. To plant, another ritual is performed by placing bua (Arece catechu) and malus (Betle piper) together with the cement, killing a chicken, and sprinkling the blood on the seeds before planting them. Today, it is a tradition still practiced by the people of the countryside.
Book/Journal Title
Publisher
Timor-Leste National Comission for UNESCO
Place of Publication
Timor-Leste
Date of Publication
2024
Pages
38
Academic Field
Cultural study (Oral tradition)
Community/Ethnic Group
Community of Manufahi Municipality
Faoholau-Orana
Contributor
Active Contribution
Timor-Leste, FY 2024