Maybrat's Animism

In Papua, the people are better known as swanggi. This is evident in the use of the term bobot, meaning someone who owns a lot of oriental cloth is called bobot, and a bobot usually holds the position of clan/village head. In Indonesia, in particular, and Southeast Asia, people generally did not experience the Copper Age but instead entered the Bronze and Iron Ages.

This is evident from the discovery of carved drinking cups in Sauf village, depicting stars, boats, and depicting elements of life considered important. Two famous epics from ancient India, the theory of Atlantis and Lemuria, is now further strengthened by written evidence such as Plato's dialogues with Solon and ancient Egyptian priests about Atlantis, ancient Hindu manuscripts on the Ramayana and Bharatayudha concerning the ancient Rama dynasty, and archaeological evidence of the Monhenjo Daroo civilization, Easter Island, and the pyramids of Egypt and South America.

As we passed through the Ayamaru district, the cool air of the forest cover greeted us. It is likely that humans entered the nuclear age more than 6,000 years ago. The period before 4000 BC is considered prehistoric, and the Sumerian civilization is considered the oldest civilization in the world.

This epic was written in 1500 BC, and it is estimated that the war broke out around 5,000 years ago. During the Metal Age, people were already able to make tools from metal in addition to stone. Other objects, such as funnel axes, rings, spearheads, and ceremonial axes, had already received attention since the 19th century.

These people received education at a traditional institution called a wion, but this institution was destroyed by the Dutch government in 1967. On Saturday afternoon, we explored several villages inhabited by the Mare tribe. In Maybrat mythology, it is said that nature and all its contents were created by a supernatural being with immense power named Suiwa, who resides in the sky and possesses the characteristics of a dancing tribe.

To protect the community from such dangers, the Maybrat people hold traditional ceremonies to seek protection from the spirits of their ancestors. The footprints represent the steps that will lead a person's soul to the afterlife. This suggests that during that period, the Maybrat, Imian, and Sawiat people already believed in the existence of spirits.

Belief in spirits continued to develop in prehistoric times, as evidenced by the complex ceremonies of reverence, burial, and offerings. This belief in spirits is known as animism. Animism comes from the word "anima," meaning soul/spirit, and "ism," meaning understanding/belief.

Leadership was not chosen haphazardly; the chosen leader had to be someone with the ability to connect with the spirits of ancestors, ensuring the safety of the local village and possessing superior skills. What is particularly prominent during the Bronze Age is the belief in the influence of ancestral spirits on the life journey of humans and their communities. This sense of solidarity is deeply ingrained in each individual, a legacy inherited from their ancestors. 

Belief in the magical powers of the taah plant is part of the animist belief system held by the Maybrat people. Animism is the belief that every object, plant, and animal possesses a spirit or spiritual power. In this context, the taah plant is believed to possess a guardian spirit capable of protecting its owner from evil spirits and attracting positive energy and blessings. 

The planting location is generally chosen in front of people's homes, in the middle of the garden, as a symbol of a center of positive energy that wards off evil spirits. This plant is also believed to bring blessings to the community that grows it. The planting ritual is often accompanied by prayers and offerings to the guardian spirit to protect the garden and its owner.

Besides animism, there are also beliefs in dynamism. Thus, the beliefs of the prehistoric Maybrat, Imian, and Sawiat communities are both animistic and dynamistic.