Polish and Indonesian Traditions of Remembering the Dead
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Desember 12, 2017 |
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The desire to remember the dead has been part of our life and culture for countless generations. These special days, dedicated to the remembrance and honoring those who have come before us, was established by the church in the early days of Christianity. The first day was the Feast of All Saints celebrated on Nov. 1st that venerated all the martyrs and saints of the church. Almost 100 years later in 998, St. Odillo, a Benedictine monk at Cluny ordered the commemoration of all the faithful departed to be held annually in the monasteries of his congregation. The celebration of All Souls Day on Nov. 2 spread among the Benedictines, to other religious houses and adopted throughout the Christian world, including Poland and Indonesia.
In this paper I shall give an observation on how Polish people celebrate this All Soul's Day and compare it with the Indonesian custom and tradition. Notice that Catholicism is dominant in Poland but Islam is dominant in Indonesia, I will give also how this tradition of honoring the dead can be found in Christians as long as in Muslims in Indonesia. Than, I conclude that this celebration has a pagan root but it has become more and more into religion significance.
1. Polish Tradition
In Polish tradition, especially the folk one, both these holidays, All Saints’ Day in particular, are devoted to praying for the souls of the dead. In this sense they are a continuation of the ceremonies for the dead performed by our ancestors.
On All Saints’ Day all Polish cemeteries are visited by great numbers of people who come to pray over the graves for their close relatives. Candles are lit on every grave and flowers are put on them. The custom requires to burn candles, lay flowers on evergreen branches also on old, unattended and forgotten graves, visited by no one.
It was believed in Poland that on the night from November 1st to 2nd shadows of the dead walk from cemetery to church to the night service celebrated for them by the ghost of the dead provost.
On those days church beggars who prayed under the church and churchyard wall were given lavish hands-outs, for it was thought a deceased ancestor might take the shape of a beggar. Till the early 20 th century on All Saints’ Eve bread was baked, broad beans were cooked and in the eastern territories a funeral dish called kutia was prepared. All that along with vodka was left on the table for the night for the guests from other world.
On cemeteries and at the crossroads great fires were lit, especially on the graves of those who committed suicide, once buried outside cemeteries.
Today all these practices and offerings have been replaced by church services and prayers, “callings” by name of the dead in whose intentions the prayers are made, candles and flowers. However, the old and the present ceremonies to the dead souls have one motivation in common: they express lasting memory of all the deceased as well as gratitude and respect for them.
All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are also days of national remembrance. Candles burn on the Tomb of Unknown Soldier, graves and insurgents, at military quarters of cemeteries, on countless anonymous soldiers’ graves all over fields and forests in Poland, on execution sites and commemorative tablets to soldiers killed at the fronts of all wars as well as on graves of civilians executed during those wars.
Candles burn also on graves of people of special merits for Poland and its culture. In all these sites of martyrdom and national memories guards of honor are set up.
They signify not only the imperishable memory but also the conviction that not everything dies in us.
2. Indonesian Tradition
Before the coming of Christianity, there is Sadranan and Ruwahan in the ancient Indonesian people. The essence of the ceremony or activities of Sadranan and / or Ruwahan involves cleaning the tombs, fixing them, sending prayers to the ancestral spirits, sowing flowers, and also with the festivities.
Ruwahan in Javanese culture is often likened to Nyadran or Sadranan. Sadran himself allegedly derived from the term "sradda", which is a pilgrimage ceremony grave commonly done by Hindus in the past. Such is the meaning of the term sradda in Sanskrit. The term sradda has a similar meaning in the Kawi language which means the anniversary of the death of a person. Sradda itself is implemented in two stages of ritual, namely the form of chanting prayers and pujian-praise that accompanied by musical instrument.
Ancient Javanese believed that ancestors who had died, actually still exist and affect the lives of children or grandchildren or descendants. Therefore, they are very concerned about the time or time, date and date of the death of the ancestors. In those times, those who are still alive are required to make offerings in the form of cakes, drinks, or deceased favorites. Furthermore, the offerings were placed on the table, neatly arranged, given caman flowers, and lighting the form of lights
'Sradha' is a tradition initiated by Queen Tribuana Tunggadewi, the third king of Majapahit. At that time Kanjeng Ratu wanted to pray to the mother of Queen Gayatri, and the spirit of her ancestors who had been taboo in Jabo Temple. For that purpose prepared a variety of serving to be donated to the gods. After the death of Queen Tribuana Tunggadewi, this tradition was continued also by King Hayam Wuruk.
During the spreading of Islam by Wali Songo, the tradition was then adopted into a nyadran ceremony as it aims to pray for parents in the afterlife. Therefore, it is the duty of children and grandchildren to always pray for the spirits of their deceased ancestors.
3. Christian Influence
The practice of praying in one's tomb on the one hand contains popular religious features because such a practice is rooted in the Javanese tradition of "nyekar". But on the other hand the practice is loaded with forms of devotion taught by the Catholic Church. The influence of the Javanese tradition in Indonesia is not so prominent, since the people's understanding of the Catholic Church's teachings about the dead is quite strong.
The Catholic Church teaches that those who have died still need the prayers of the living, because after they die may still be in the washing fire. The prayers of the living can help those who have died to facilitate their journey towards heaven.
In addition, the Catholic Church also teaches that the dead are still a fellowship of the Church. The motivation of people praying in the grave of the deceased, is diverse: seek the help of the deceased person because the person is holy, the place is silent, praying for the dead.
The practice of praying for the dead explains that there is a connection between devotion and liturgy, especially the Eucharistic Celebration. Devotion to the saints, is an opportunity to live the faith in God more emotionally and warmly without the raw and rigid demands. This emotional and warm devotion will further encourage the faithful to be more litigious. This emotional and warm devotion is encouraged and encouraged by the liturgy, especially the living Eucharistic Celebration. With the power gained from the holy Eucharist, the people is encouraged to deepen it in devotion, inter alia with then dead who is believed to be a saint.
Finally, the general thesis I would like to say is that "this nyekar ritual practice is one proof of the richness of Indonesian tradition, which is a fusion of Indonesian local religions and cultures, which contains the depth of pure taste, the reflection of the hearts of people who always long for the state of peace. Through the chanting of prayer as a form of mutual solidarity between the living and the dead. "The concept of the relationship with God is understood closely through the expression of prayer in the heart that has pure sense and solidarity.
In this paper I shall give an observation on how Polish people celebrate this All Soul's Day and compare it with the Indonesian custom and tradition. Notice that Catholicism is dominant in Poland but Islam is dominant in Indonesia, I will give also how this tradition of honoring the dead can be found in Christians as long as in Muslims in Indonesia. Than, I conclude that this celebration has a pagan root but it has become more and more into religion significance.
1. Polish Tradition
In Polish tradition, especially the folk one, both these holidays, All Saints’ Day in particular, are devoted to praying for the souls of the dead. In this sense they are a continuation of the ceremonies for the dead performed by our ancestors.
On All Saints’ Day all Polish cemeteries are visited by great numbers of people who come to pray over the graves for their close relatives. Candles are lit on every grave and flowers are put on them. The custom requires to burn candles, lay flowers on evergreen branches also on old, unattended and forgotten graves, visited by no one.
It was believed in Poland that on the night from November 1st to 2nd shadows of the dead walk from cemetery to church to the night service celebrated for them by the ghost of the dead provost.
On those days church beggars who prayed under the church and churchyard wall were given lavish hands-outs, for it was thought a deceased ancestor might take the shape of a beggar. Till the early 20 th century on All Saints’ Eve bread was baked, broad beans were cooked and in the eastern territories a funeral dish called kutia was prepared. All that along with vodka was left on the table for the night for the guests from other world.
On cemeteries and at the crossroads great fires were lit, especially on the graves of those who committed suicide, once buried outside cemeteries.
Today all these practices and offerings have been replaced by church services and prayers, “callings” by name of the dead in whose intentions the prayers are made, candles and flowers. However, the old and the present ceremonies to the dead souls have one motivation in common: they express lasting memory of all the deceased as well as gratitude and respect for them.
All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are also days of national remembrance. Candles burn on the Tomb of Unknown Soldier, graves and insurgents, at military quarters of cemeteries, on countless anonymous soldiers’ graves all over fields and forests in Poland, on execution sites and commemorative tablets to soldiers killed at the fronts of all wars as well as on graves of civilians executed during those wars.
Candles burn also on graves of people of special merits for Poland and its culture. In all these sites of martyrdom and national memories guards of honor are set up.
They signify not only the imperishable memory but also the conviction that not everything dies in us.
2. Indonesian Tradition
Before the coming of Christianity, there is Sadranan and Ruwahan in the ancient Indonesian people. The essence of the ceremony or activities of Sadranan and / or Ruwahan involves cleaning the tombs, fixing them, sending prayers to the ancestral spirits, sowing flowers, and also with the festivities.
Ruwahan in Javanese culture is often likened to Nyadran or Sadranan. Sadran himself allegedly derived from the term "sradda", which is a pilgrimage ceremony grave commonly done by Hindus in the past. Such is the meaning of the term sradda in Sanskrit. The term sradda has a similar meaning in the Kawi language which means the anniversary of the death of a person. Sradda itself is implemented in two stages of ritual, namely the form of chanting prayers and pujian-praise that accompanied by musical instrument.
Ancient Javanese believed that ancestors who had died, actually still exist and affect the lives of children or grandchildren or descendants. Therefore, they are very concerned about the time or time, date and date of the death of the ancestors. In those times, those who are still alive are required to make offerings in the form of cakes, drinks, or deceased favorites. Furthermore, the offerings were placed on the table, neatly arranged, given caman flowers, and lighting the form of lights
'Sradha' is a tradition initiated by Queen Tribuana Tunggadewi, the third king of Majapahit. At that time Kanjeng Ratu wanted to pray to the mother of Queen Gayatri, and the spirit of her ancestors who had been taboo in Jabo Temple. For that purpose prepared a variety of serving to be donated to the gods. After the death of Queen Tribuana Tunggadewi, this tradition was continued also by King Hayam Wuruk.
During the spreading of Islam by Wali Songo, the tradition was then adopted into a nyadran ceremony as it aims to pray for parents in the afterlife. Therefore, it is the duty of children and grandchildren to always pray for the spirits of their deceased ancestors.
3. Christian Influence
The practice of praying in one's tomb on the one hand contains popular religious features because such a practice is rooted in the Javanese tradition of "nyekar". But on the other hand the practice is loaded with forms of devotion taught by the Catholic Church. The influence of the Javanese tradition in Indonesia is not so prominent, since the people's understanding of the Catholic Church's teachings about the dead is quite strong.
The Catholic Church teaches that those who have died still need the prayers of the living, because after they die may still be in the washing fire. The prayers of the living can help those who have died to facilitate their journey towards heaven.
In addition, the Catholic Church also teaches that the dead are still a fellowship of the Church. The motivation of people praying in the grave of the deceased, is diverse: seek the help of the deceased person because the person is holy, the place is silent, praying for the dead.
The practice of praying for the dead explains that there is a connection between devotion and liturgy, especially the Eucharistic Celebration. Devotion to the saints, is an opportunity to live the faith in God more emotionally and warmly without the raw and rigid demands. This emotional and warm devotion will further encourage the faithful to be more litigious. This emotional and warm devotion is encouraged and encouraged by the liturgy, especially the living Eucharistic Celebration. With the power gained from the holy Eucharist, the people is encouraged to deepen it in devotion, inter alia with then dead who is believed to be a saint.
Finally, the general thesis I would like to say is that "this nyekar ritual practice is one proof of the richness of Indonesian tradition, which is a fusion of Indonesian local religions and cultures, which contains the depth of pure taste, the reflection of the hearts of people who always long for the state of peace. Through the chanting of prayer as a form of mutual solidarity between the living and the dead. "The concept of the relationship with God is understood closely through the expression of prayer in the heart that has pure sense and solidarity.
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