 |
V. Portraying ancestors In the simplest terms, in Maluku Tenggara a person is regarded as a body in which two elements have merged: a sort of 'vital force' which reveals itself in physical form and is expressed in human beings in the growth and movement of the body; and something which may be termed someone's 'ownness', an element that is less bound to the physical body and which is related to the identity of that person. The presence of the 'vital force' in man is particularly expressed in breathing and the beating of the heart. This element is also strongly associated with blood. 'Ownness', which is difficult to define, was compared by the earlier missionaries to the 'soul' or 'spirit'. The nature of 'ownness', however, differs considerably from the notion of 'soul' as it exists in the western world. Shadow image In practice two important aspects adhere to the notion of 'ownness'. Firstly, it refers to personal characteristics and is thus associated with someone's name and, for example, facial features, voice, the bodily shape and its shadow or reflection. People speak of someone's 'shadow image'. But much more weight is given to the fact that 'ownness' concerns the social identity of the person. The 'shadow image' is very closely linked to reputation, to the image a person has in society. Immortal An important difference between the two elements is that someone's 'shadow image', in contrast to his vital force, is immortal. After death it continues to exist in society, while the vital force ebbs away as the body decays. Until half way through the 20th century the point of contact for the deceased person was a small carved statue. The 'shadow image' could take up residence in this statue so that communication with the dead person could continue. On most islands these statues were made by someone skilled in woodcarving. Kayu kenawa wood (Moluccan Malay for Cordia subcordata Lamk.) was often used. Usually the figures were not more than about 40 centimetres in height. Larger statues were made only for very special ancestors, and they often had a deviant form. This category is the first to be discussed. | |
