LOVE BLOWS FROM REUNION
Episode 227: MITONI
Rini's age has reached seven months. Like customs or traditions in the village, when the first pregnancy of a woman reaches the age of seven months, then held a traditional ceremony called "mitoni". Mitoni is a salvation that is carried out when the gestational age has entered seven months. Selamatan in this mitoni event is intended so that pregnant women are given health, the baby in the womb is also healthy, and facilitated during childbirth later.
But for residents of Nirwana Village, this mitoni event is a ritual ceremony that is carried out with various activities. There is a very strong myth among the community, that this mitoni is very influential on the survival of the family of people who will have children, including the mother and father. Likewise, the baby will be born by the mother.
Yudi complied with what was asked by Simbok and the neighbors who messih hold firmly the custom of this mitoni tradition. Even Yudi invited his friends Jogja artists, to watch the event mitoni. The artists also came to meet Yudi's invitation. And it turns out, who came to watch the event mitoni pregnancy Rini, not only friends of artists Jogja, but also tourists from Europe came to see the ritual, the ritual, which of course will be immortalized as the value of tradition that they have seen when visiting Jogja. Of course on Saturday Legi is home Yudi crowded by foreign tourists, Jogja artists and guests from various regions who deliberately want to witness the tradition of mitoni.
At seven o'clock in the morning, Rini's pregnancy mitoni event began. In the pendopo yard of Yudi's house, on the right corner side, has been fitted with a barrel, which is a crock of water made of soil or pottery. But the earthenware barrel installed in the corner of the yard is not an ordinary pottery, but a barrel ordered from Kasongan pottery craftsmen. There are carvings that adorn the barrel, and the finishing is granular with natural colors.
Behind the barrel attached to the wall of the fence, decorated with woven bleketepe. It is woven from janur or young coconut leaves. The matting looks good. Including the top of the barrel, also given the woven janur leaves, so it looks like in a beautiful hut. And of course in that place also given ornaments from January.
In bleketepe hanging two young ivory coconuts or so-called ivory cloves. The ivory clove has yellow skin like ivory color, carved images of Kamajaya and Dewi Ratih. Kamajaya and Dewi Ratih is a symbol of a god who is very handsome and beautiful. It is expected that later, if the baby is born, if the male face is very handsome, if the woman looks very beautiful like Kamajaya and Dewi Ratih.
The barrel in the corner of the yard was filled with water. The water comes from seven springs that are believed to have enormous blessings. So Yudi who was assisted by Bagas, looking for water sources from the relics of the Guardians and Kings in Java. Inside there is a setaman flower, which is a seven-figure flower selected with the most fragrant floral smell. There are roses, jasmine flowers, ylang ylang, cantile flowers and other fragrant and fragrant flowers. According to Javanese beliefs, the flowers that will be used to bathe Rini are allowed so that the baby conceived by Rini, will be able to scent the name of parents, nation and state and religion.
On top of the barrel there is siwur, which is a dipper made of coconut shells with handles of wood. This shivur is made of ivory coconut. Later, this whistle will be used to take water from the barrel, when bathing Rini.
To the left of the barrel there is a typical Jepara carved wooden chair. Later Rini will sit in the chair to be bathed by her family. While in front of the barrel is quite advanced, there are two carving chairs that are the same as those that will be used for bathing. Simbok and Mr. Yudi's parents were already sitting there, wearing traditional clothes. Simbok wearing a pullcloth and a kemben shirt, her hair is carried. While the Father wore a rags and black beskap and wore a blangkon.
The first mitoni event began. A baby shaman is ready to organize his show. The baby shaman is old. Of course, there is a lot of experience to care for pregnant women and babies.
"Monggo .., we're going to start sungkeman ..." said the baby shaman.
Sungkeman is the first event in the ritual of mitoni. Sungkeman is done by the prospective mother to the prospective father of the baby who is still in the womb. Rini who had been dressed in kemben, did a bow to Yudi who was sitting on a chair. Rini squatted in front of Yudi who was sitting on the chair, she kissed Yudi's feet. The meaning of the pregnant mother's silence to the future father of the baby is to teach respect to his father later.
European tourists have been busy photographing and filming the event. The neighbors are also watching. Moreover, the event was attended by quite a lot of tourists. People actually want to see foreign tourists watching the event mitoni.
After that, Rini and Yudi made a condolence to both her parents. They crouched, sungkem or worshiped to Simbok and the Father who had sat on a carved chair near the bathhouse. Sungkeman is done to ask for the blessing prayer so that Rini's pregnancy remains healthy, and the baby conceived is also healthy and tomorrow can come out smoothly.
After the sungkeman, the peak event is a flush or bathing Rini. The watering is the stage where
Rini, who is seven months pregnant, was bathed by her family. The watering is a symbol of self-cleaning, well
physical and soul, with the intention of course to cleanse the body and soul of Rini, so that later the child they contain becomes a child who is clean of all things and good at heart and always upholds the values of truth. The baths numbered seven from close relatives or family, who were chosen from the elderly.
Simbok who was given the first opportunity to bathe Rini's body. Simbok sprayed seven times the water flush from the whiwur used to take water from the barrel. Furthermore, Father, also poured water on Rini's body, starting from the end of the rambaut, the water flowed all over Rini's body. Then Yudi, who of course splashed water with intimacy. Next there are the brothers of the Father and Simbok who deliberately came from Magelang, to help give a flush to Rini.
Yes, after doing the flush, the next event is the tradition of breaking eggs. The baby shaman has prepared his pear. The tourists and friends of Yudi and the neighbors who participated in the spectacle immediately swarmed.
Rini who was still sitting in the bathroom chair earlier, by the baby shaman the jarit cloth worn by Rini opened her bond. Then the baby shaman put a chicken egg in the stomach of Rini who was wearing a rag that was not tight anymore. Next, Rini dropped the egg stuck to her stomach, loosened the rag, and dropped the egg that had been stuck in her stomach.
"Pyeok .... Pyar ..." the egg that fell from Rini's stomach flashed across the rag, instantly breaking.
"Women ..." cried the mothers of Yudi's neighbors.
"Lhoh ..., what ...?!" Rini was certainly confused by the guesses of the neighbors.
"Yes .., if the egg that came out immediately broke, a sign tomorrow the child will be born female. If the egg that falls doesn't break, it's a boy. Lha, this egg that fell from Rini's stomach instantly broke .... Then tomorrow the baby if born must be a girl" said the neighbors.
That is the village belief. True or not, that's an omnipotent explanation.
The next event is breaking the coconut. Where at the event of breaking the coconut, Yudi's vision was closed or tied with a scarf, so he could not see. Furthermore, with his eyes closed, Yudi chose one of the ivory coconuts that had been attracted by Kamajaya and Dewi Ratih. Then Yudi split the coconut into two parts. And it turns out, Yudi took and broke the ivory coconut pictured Dewi Ratih.
"Well ..., right .... The ivory clove that Yudi broke was also Dewi Ratih" said the mothers.
"Oo .., yes ... means Rini's son is a woman tomorrow. It must be beautiful like her mother." said the other mothers.
Next is the dressing ceremony, which is to replace the rags worn by Rini when bathed. This tradition is done changing rags seven times. Tarik cloth used to change clothes also uses seven types of batik, namely sidomukti batik which symbolizes happiness, sidoluhur batik which symbolizes glory, rama batik which symbolizes the eternity of love, batik udan riris symbolizes the presence of a pleasant baby, batik chicken claws symbolizing independence, batik truntum which symbolizes affection for others, and, as well as batik sekar jagad which symbolizes the charm of beauty that is very charming.
The last event of this traditional rankai mitoni is selling ice condol and rujak. Rini and Yudi sell ice cendol and rujak. In the pendopo house Yudi has been provided pikulan crockery where ice cendol, as well as soft baskets where rujak. Rini and Yudi sold the ice cendol and rujak to all the guests there. Of course only by wearing toy money from clay coins that have been provided. Very crowded. The people who were there were tiled to drink ice cendol and rujak.
The meaning of selling ice cendol and rujak is to symbolize that the child will get abundant sustenance when trying or working.
The tradition of mitoni in Rini's pregnancy was closed with a meal together. Mothers who have prepared cooking in the kitchen, immediately issued at the pendopo table. Of course Bagas and the neighbors are busy arranging the food. All guests were asked to eat together. Including the artists of his friend Yudi from Jogja, as well as the tourists who watched the event mitoni.
Bagas tunes Javanese gending classical music. The atmosphere of eating together looks guyub, delicious and fun. Even the bule tourists were directly chatting with the people in the pendopo. That's what makes the atmosphere familiar.
Yudi and Rini smiled happily. Happy to welcome all the guests who came, yeng certainly prayed for safety to Yudi and Rini, praying for the health and ease of birth of her baby. May the Almighty always protect Rini and her baby.