Back to the Ancients: My Territory And Its Beliefs

Today I will share a story about the early life of the formation of trust in my area. All sources have indeed been embedded in my memory when I learned about the history of the area starting from elementary, middle school and the most effective way I have done is to communicate directly with the elders or cousins ​​in my village, they are very aware of the early story the formation of a life of trust so that the results of the information I received were very satisfying and became a provision in my life for me to share with the next generation.

But today I am determined to share it with all of my friends. I hope you guys can be entertained and can find out a brief history of my area.

Remind: In this article many of the sentences or words used come from languages ​​or loanwords that come from my area, so skip it for sentences that you don't understand

My area comes from the country of Indonesia which is seen on the map next to the Philippines.

Source

Look at the map in red, that's where I live.

The History of Trust

Minahasa ancient Christianity, which is an old belief held by all of the tribal children living in Minahasa, which is a period in which the inhabitants still live modestly or primitively, which the Dutch call it "alifuru".

The religious system in Minahasa Christianity departing from the phenomena of typical cultural expressions that have long roots in the concrete life of the Minahasa community and people in all aspects his life long before the gospel entered the Minahasa.

Starting from the typical Minahasa cultural roots, it can be concluded about style and the way of life of the Minahasa community and people as follows:

The way and the expression of life cannot be separated from connectedness and connection with the Supreme Power, with the ancestors, with family and kinship communities, with society at large, with environment, as a whole and cannot be separated separate and separate, and therefore a harmonious one.

There is reasoning that has not been influenced by science and sophisticated technology and because of that there are still many advantages non-rational/irrational experience, the astonishing, the dazzling, symbolic and intuitive.

Respect, appreciation, recognition of opo-opo as guardians, defender, protector during life and even these functions are still recognized operative even though they have died, and these functions understood, on the one hand, as the functions of the Supreme Power, in On the other hand, those functions are also embodied by the ancestors as statement of active presence, concrete (appearance or statement of power)or from the Supreme Power.

The concept of Minahasa belief, describes the figure of God for everyone it is different. Usually based on personal experience of each and everyone has a different experience.

Hardjana in his book Christian Experience: The Authentic and Not Authentic says that the image of God is relative and depends on source of knowledge about God himself, each person and the culture of the people.

Adherents of the Minahasa tribe believe in to one God whom they understood as possessing supreme power. He believed to be the Creator, the origin of life (long life, health, luck, happiness, wealth), He who gives blessing, help and protection, but can also punish and express His anger to those who do not live in obedience.

Names/greetings that are imposed on Him, among others: opo wailan wangko, wmpung wailan wangko, mattress wangko, renga-rengan clay, this ni me 'tana.

The word opo, comes from the ancient Asian tradition, comes from the Chinese language “po”, which has two meanings, namely: soul and ancestor, in this case Lumimuut is considered the main opo of Minahasa. From here the term opo is a title that is parallel to the words "lord and God". Despite both have the same meaning, but the word "lord" is usually used in ordinary/visible environment, while “God” is sacred, therefore the title opo is applied to the old or the elder, usually has a special social position that represents a symbol of life, authority, authority and experience.

In the Minahasan understanding of opo divided into

1. Opo wailan wangko or opo empung wangko which means God.

2. Ancestors or dotu-dotu such as: opo lumimuut, opo toar, opo karema, opo rengan, and others, which are considered as ancestors.

3. opo-opo from each relative such as: opo sigar, opo chopsticks, opo sigarlaki, opo tololiu, opo rumbayan, opo maringka, and others.

4. Creatures that are considered mountain dwellers including: opo soputan, opo klabat, opo lokon, opo two brothers, and others.

5. Creatures that inhabit rivers such as: opo ranoyapo, opo poigar, opo ranoako, and others.

6. The inhabitants of the springs such as: opo muung, opo kumelembuai, opo tutuasan, opo ranolambut, opo lelendongan, and others.

7. Forest dwellers such as: opo siowkurur.

8. Underground dwellers such as: opo makawalang.

9. Coastal/sea dwellers such as: opo Benteng, opo Pisok, Opo Pulisan, what the hell.

10. Opo Rain (Opo Naharo/Nuran).

Inhabitants of the winds such as: Opo talikuran, opo sendangan, opo tihimu, and opo amian. The way he communicates himself revealed to humans through the masule mattress (God who declare himself a helper), manembo-nembo (observer/guard), malinga-linga (God hears prayers andcomplaints), quality-utu (as the ruler to take purification), kumokomba (messenger of the divine) and rumereret (which records all the sacred decrees of the divine).

In addition to the concept of being a bodyguard and protector, there is also the concept of about the spirits that roam everywhere and bring blessings to man. These spirits are called rorot-rorot. So someone who expects good luck for his life, for example, pray: "kamang-kamang about erorot- rorot” (Give us blessings and good fortune, O Lord). Final is wara (sacred bird). There are two kinds of sacred birds: wara endo (sacred bird during the day) and wara wengi (bird manguni).

The belief of the Minahasa tribe adheres to monotheism.

They believe in a Supreme Power that manifests itself through ancestors. Believe that there is a Supreme Power who blesses, protects, guides, heals in times of sickness, but also punishes in times of deep life disobedience. The center of the Minahasa Christian ritual is at Watu Pinawetengan.

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