The Holy Stone
The Holy Stone (Batu Keramat) lies on top of Mount Kamboi Rama, Kepulauan Yapen Regency, Papua, Indonesia. Once a year, the local people hold a ceremony to worship the holy stone. Why do they sanctify and worship the stone? Who found it first? Find the answer in the story of The Legend of the Holy Stone.
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In the area of East Yapen, Kepulauan Yapen Regency, Papua, Indonesia, there stood a mountain called Kamboi Rama. Upon the mountain were two villages, namely Kamboi Rama which was people’s residence, and Aroempu, which was a plantation of sago palms belonged to a God called Iriwonawani. God Iriwonawai also owned a tifah or magic drum named sikerei or soworoi. When the drum sounded, all the people of Kamboi Rama would gather in Aroempi Village to watch it. However, not all of them could see the unseen drum, except the elderlies who posited supernatural power.
For sustenance, the women of Kamboi Rama took sago from Aroempi, while the men hunted animals in the jungle. Everyday, the women of Kamboi Rama would go to Aroempi in groups. Before cutting off the sago trees, they would first perform an honoring ceremony to God Irowonani so that they could get the good and healthy essence of the sago.
After cutting off a tree, they peeled the stem off to take out the sago. They then pounded the sago using pangkur [1]. Due to the tool used, the process of pounding sago is now known as memangkur (pounding using pangkur). Like what we can still see nowadays, the sago will be pounded until it becomes a soft substance which resembles coconuts. Then, water will be poured to the substance and it will be squeezed in a bamboo container. After the essence of sago precipitates, the water is taken out. The precipitation is shaped round like a tennis ball or long capsule, and kept in a tumang, a basket made of rattan. The women take the sago home by carrying it on their back. Such was the routine of Kamboi Rama women.
Over the time, the sago palms in Aroempu were becoming scarcer. Seeing this, God Iriwonawani was very angry. He moved his plants to other area. And to run away from God Iriwonawani’s wrath, the people of Kamboi Rama migrated to coastal area and set up a new residence named Randuayaivi. There was, however, a couple of husband and wife who insisted on staying upon the mountain with God Irowanawai. The couple was Irimiami and Isoray. For sustenance, they hunted deers in the jungle and planted tubers in their field.
One day, on their way from their field, Irimiami and Isoray took a rest under a shady tree. Irimiami sat on the ground with his back leaning on the tree and Isoray sat on a big stone next to him . All of a sudden, Isoray shouted and jumped off the stone.
“Ouch! The stone burns!” cried Isoray as she was rubbing her buttocks.
“What is happening, my dear?” asked Irimiami.
“I do not know, my husband! The stone suddenly burns,” answered Isoray in panic.
A short time later, a roll of smoke came out of the stone. Curious, Irimiami tried to sit on the stone. But as he touched it, he shouted just like his wife did before. Then he had an idea to measure the stone heat. He took the deer he killed in the jungle and put it on the stone. After a while, the meat produced an exquisite smell, arousing appetite. When it was cooked enough, the couple took it out and tasted the meat.
“What a delicious meat,” Irimiami said to himself after a small nibble on the deer meat.
“My dear! Try this meet!” shouted Irimiami as he handed a slice.
Having tasted a little bit of it, Isoray wanted more. They were hungry after hunting all day long. They ate up the meat eagerly. From then on, they always cooked their meals by putting them on the stone. Day after day, the hot smoke coming out of the stone was increasing in amount. Thus, Irimiami and his wife got more curious of the heat level of the stone.
The couple took a stem of bamboo and rubbed it on the stone. In a wink, the bamboo was broken into two and the rub apparently ignited. They cut off some grasses and dry leaves and put them on the stone. The grasses and leaves were burnt and there was a thick roll of hot smoke.
On a bright day, Irimiami and his wife garnered more grass and leaves and put them on the stone. The grass and leaves were burnt that a very hot fire was coming out of it.
“My husband! What have we done? The place is burning down,” worried Isoray.
Irimiami and his wife tried to put out the fire but in vain. In desperation, they begged God Iriwonawai for help. With a magical power, God Iriwonawai extinguished the fire. But, this time, the couple had not learned a lesson. They kept on testing the stone heat. They came back with more grasses, leaves, and now timbers to put on the stone. As can be predicted, there was bigger smoke and fire on the top of Mount Kamboi Rama combusting for seven days and seven nights. They were now in real panic and fear. They begged God Iriwonawai to help them again.
Randuayaivi people living on the shore were startled by the situation. They thought there was a forest fire on Mount Kamboi Rama. When they heard the sound of saworai drum, they all ran to the mountain to see the situation closer. Upon the mountain, they met Irimiami and Isoray, who later told them about the magical stone. At first, they did not believe in the story. But after the couple told them to have a nibble on the cooked meal, they gave in. Since then, Irimiami and his wife called the stone “Batu Keramat”, the Holy Stone, and gathered the people to hold a traditional feast.
The next morning, the people of Randuayaivi assembled on the top of Mount Kamboi Rama for the party. They carried calladiums, fishes, and other kinds of food. The food were put on the holy stone and the traditional feast lasted for three days and three nights. Irimiami along with his wife and the people danced around the stone, worshipping it. During the feast, the couple told everyone stories about the stone. The people of Papua, particularly those of Yapen Islands, sanctify the fire stone hitherto. They believe that Irimiami and Isoray were the first to found it. Once a year, they worship the holy stone.
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This is the story of the Holy Stone that tells about the origin of the rite of worshipping the holy stone performed by the people of Papua upon Mount Kamboi Rama. Until current times, once a year they always worship the stone by holding a traditional feast which is now used as a gathering event. Such value is also upheld by Malay people. This is very important and must be put before anything else. As what is said in the verse of Malay local wisdom:
Adat hidup bermasyarakat,
Duduk berdiri dalam mufakat
Yang jauh menjadi dekat
Yang renggang menjadi rapat
Yang lupa menjadi ingat
Kasih bertambang sayang melekat
Tolong menolong tiada bersukat
Berbuat baik menjadi sifat
Duduk berdiri dalam mufakat
Yang jauh menjadi dekat
Yang renggang menjadi rapat
Yang lupa menjadi ingat
Kasih bertambang sayang melekat
Tolong menolong tiada bersukat
Berbuat baik menjadi sifat
(living with others,
sit or stand must be in agreement
those who are distant become close
those who are apart become intimate
those who forget will remember
affection increases, love grows stronger
helping each other with no discrimination
being good then becomes nature)
sit or stand must be in agreement
those who are distant become close
those who are apart become intimate
those who forget will remember
affection increases, love grows stronger
helping each other with no discrimination
being good then becomes nature)
 lies on top of Mount Kamboi Rama, Kepulauan Yapen Regency, Papua, Indonesia. Once a year, the ...){kind=link}
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