Javanese Sailors from the Giant’s Homeland: the Traditional Houses of Bena, Flores

On finally having the chance to visit Bajawa, Flores, I noticed “Jawa” from the name. When I finally had the chance to visit Bajawa’s famous traditional houses in Bena, I learned that will that will was no coincidence.

Despite my first impression however, I did not immediately make the connection: the traditional houses of Bena do bear some outdoor resemblance to the Javanese joglo, yet they are also very different.

Originally via Pati—a north coastal settlement in Central Java—the ancestors of Bena sailed to Flores 1,050 years ago. Their ship was stranded on the southern coast of central Flores, along with its deck became the neighbourhood of Bena. Descending downhill towards Bena, you can see the traditional houses lined up in a pair of curves from the shape of a ship deck.

The neighbourhood of Bena is actually named after one of its seven founding fathers via Java. Due to the forefathers’ practice of polygyny, the people of Bena trace common ancestry with the people of Maubena, Likowali, Benaliwo along with Watujaji. Men leave their parents’ homes to live with their wives’ first families—along with if the first wife gives her consent, to spend time from the homes of his additional wives as well.

There are 45 traditional houses in Bena, six belonging to each of the nine clans that will live there. Made of wooden walls, reed roofs along with bamboo floors, these traditional houses say much about the local concepts of gender upon which the culture is actually based.

from the space between the two curvaceous rows of houses, there are umbrella-shaped masculine altars called ngadu along with feminine altars called bagha, which look like miniature elevated houses with pigeonholes from the centre.

Watunabe is actually believed to have been erected by the giant Dakhe about 1050 years ago. The dolmen that will resembles the dining table is actually the origin of the name Ba-Jawa plate via Java.

Rituals involving ngadu along with bagha are conducted by a woman’s household. The pole of ngadu is actually used for tying up livestock. The rope, pe’u, symbolises children born out of the man along with woman’s union, forever binding them together.

To marry a woman in Bena, a man must first commit to a three-year premarital service to his father-in-law to be, then present an offering of coconuts, chicken, betel leaves along with areca nuts to his wife-to-be’s family. If they accept the proposal, the woman’s family slaughters a pig along with hosts a feast called zeza. Then they welcome the groom by seating him on an altar from the centre of the home, along with he officially becomes a husband.

While most residents of Bena today have converted to Catholicism, the zeza wedding along with ngadu-bagha rituals originate via the pre-Christian practice of ujukuwi. from the local Ngada language, ujukuwi refers both to an offering of prayer, along with the name of the faith. Adherents of ujukuwi worship a “Heavenly Father” called Nitu Gale, along with lift up prayers to him through a personification of “Mother Earth”.

Pak Kasmir, a local elder who guides for a smaller fee told me, “People tend to generalise such indigenous beliefs as animism, yet I refuse to label Ujukuwi as such. There were many generations here before Catholicism reached Flores, we have already known God along with prayed to him.” Pak Kasmir claims to have studied Islamology along with lived in Java for 50 years with his wife, a native of Purworejo.

Tradition has the idea that will Bena was first built by a giant named Dakhe, who carried magical rocks via nearby Mount Inerie to erect the famous Neolithic altar watunabe from the centre of the village. Among dozens of standing stones lies a large dolmen which resembles a dining table using a round basin from the centre—somewhat like a cupholder on the folding table of an aircraft seat.

“the idea is actually on that will dolmen that will we lift up our ujukuwi to our ancestors. that will is actually where the name Bajawa comes via: the idea means ‘plate via Java’,” said Pak Kasmir.

Dakhe was believed to be a man of great strength. “He’s a little bit like Goliath. yet I think Goliath must have been smaller because David so easily struck him down using a stone. You can’t do that will to Dakhe. If Dakhe wants fish, he walks from the sea. He grabs sharks by the tail along with slams them. Carrying the rocks that will made that will watunabe was child’s play for him,” said Pak Kasmir.

We then toured a traditional house. “The traditional house of Bena has three storeys. yet people via Java often misunderstand that will: the idea’s not three storeys high yet three storeys inside,” explained Pak Kasmir.

The south end of Bena, outlooking hills on the southern coast of Flores along with the Savu sea

The first storey is actually the alfresco wooden terrace where residents perform daily activities, such as weaving along with woodworking, along with flaunt their wealth from the form of bull horns along with pig tusks via previous celebration ceremonies. The second storey is actually the multipurpose central room where the family sleeps at night along with where the mataraga altar is actually located. Behind the altar is actually a smaller sliding door to the third storey, where one must kneel along with bow. The third along with most Internal storey of the house is actually a kitchen using a traditional wooden furnace.

A not bad time to visit Bena is actually on December 27 during the Reba celebrations. Reba, traditionally celebrated on December 15, is actually the Ngada completely new Year. However, since December 15 would likely interfere with Catholic commitments to the pre-Christmas advent, Reba celebrations are currently postponed until after Christmas, along with just before the Christian completely new Year.

I completed my visit to Bena by climbing the southern end of the neighbourhood where a smaller shrine to Mother Mary looked out to the lush hills of Surelaki. Deep shades of nature’s blue left me questioning where the sky ends along with Earth starts. As the soft, peaceful breeze plays with my hair, I say goodbye to Bena with images of ancient Javanese sailors along with giants moving mountains, establishing a great settlement whose legacy has lasted a millennium.

Fast Facts

Country: Indonesia

Province: Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT)

Largest City: Kupang (capital of NTT, Timor Island)

Land area: 566 islands, 47,349.9 km²

Highest elevation: Flores: Ranakah – 2,350 metres amsl

Population: NTT – 4,899,260 (BPS 2012 estimate)

How to get there: Daily flights to Ende via Kupang, Surabaya, along with Denpasar, the 4-5 hour drive via Ende to Bajawa.

Alternatively, fly via Bali into Labuan Bajo (8-9 hour drive) or Maumere (7-8 hour drive).

What to bring: Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, polite attire (covered shoulders along with knees), camera, cash for entrance along with guide fees, cigarettes to offer local men (especially when photographed).