TRADITIONAL HOUSE

RUMAH HONAI

Rumah Honai is an usual calling for adult men's house. This house in 100% constructed and made from pure material from nature. There are 3 types of this house. The first one is the house for men (called Honai), the second one is the house for women (called Ebei), and the last one is the unique one, this house is made for animal enclosures, usually pigs (called Wamai). These three kind of Papua's traditional house look exactly same, except the men's one is usually higher than the others. This house they use to survive in Papua's cold climate.

The Structure

This kind of house has a floor that made from soil. There are two floors in this house. So, cool right?! The first floor normally used for a family gather, discussion place, or for night activities. Usually, atthe center of the first floor, there is a wood burning place (to make bonfire) and it is useful to make a warm condition in that house.  The second floor is paved with boards. This one is the place for sleep. To connect the first floor and the second one, Papuan usually use stairs that made from wood.

This house is really small. The height is just about 3-4 meters and the diameter is about 5-6 meters. Even though the house is narrow, there are 5-10 person that live in the house. It is caused to keep the warm temperature. And there is no windows in this house, there is just one door at the front of the house. It is caused the same thing, to maintain the temperature. 

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The Philosphy of The House

For Papua people, this house not just a house to live. There are some meanings from this kind of house. For them, this house is a life teaching place. Honai for men is a place to teach the men how to survive in life and to be gentle men that have responsibility for the life groups. Ebei, the women's one is a place to teach the women and girls about how to take a good care for the household and how to be the real women in the future life, afther they marry and have some kids. 

           

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TRADITIONAL DANCES

1. Sajojo Dance

                         www.ragamseni.com

Sajojo once made to show  how easy papua people to get along with some people. 

All genders can dance this dance, all the kids or even the old ones. All may do this dance.

Some says, this dance has already created in 1990 era. Because of the happy moves, this dance became more famous and almost all of Papuan people at least know this kind of dance. 

This dance named Sajojo, because the soundtrack to accompany the dance is Sajojo. 

For the history, this dance tells about a beautiful girl in a village. All people loved and liked her. The moves of this dance are unique, because of that this dance is still preserved. 

2. Selamat Datang Dance

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In English, 'Selamat Datang' is 'Welcome'.

This dance named Selamat Datang, because this dance is used to welcome the honored guests in Papua. The dancers must not the men, the woman can be the dancers too. 

Papuan people are really proud of this dance, because this dance has some energetic moves and  there are some aesthetic values in this dance. 

The costum for this dance is traditional clothes, sometimes with traditional weapons or another atributes. They use tifa as the music.

 3. Perang Dance 

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Perang in english is 'war'

This dance in one of traditional dances in Papua. This dance has the meaning of Papua people's heroism. 

The dancers in this dance are the men with weapons for a war as atribute to show that Papua has some mighty men that ready to war.

This dance appeared, because at the past, there were some wars beetwen Sentani tribe with another tribes in Papua. So, the ancestry gave this dance to give some encouragement to the fighters in the war. 

This dance usually played by 7 or more people. Kerang, tifa and gendang are the music to accompany this dance. The moves are energetic and show some war skills such as archery, jump, peek the enemies and many others. 

4. Musyoh Dance

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This dance is one of sacred dances in Papua. This dance will be held when there is a member of family or even neighbors that get a death accident and estimated the spirit couldn't calm and quiet.

If we can see from the moves, it shows the energetic people of Papua. The dancers are usulally men. 

By the culture, this dance can be beneficial to expel spirit roaming. 

The costume for this dance is traditional clothes of Papua consist of koteka, rumbai skirt, and war equipment such as shield and spear. Sometimes, tifa can be the music for this dance. 

AND MANY OTHERS

TRADITIONAL CLOTHES

MOST POPULAR FOLK SONGS

1. YAMKO RAMBE YAMKO

Yamko Rambe Yamko is one of the most popular songs in Papua. As you all can hear describes something about happiness or joy or unpleasant impression by the rythms. But, the truth, this song contains sadness of war, strife, and resistance mainly Indonesian people against the invanders that occured before the year of 1945.

2. SAJOJO

So many people in Indonesia that have already known and heard this beautiful song. This song talks about a woman in a village. Her parents really loved her. She was very beautiful so all the men in that village had the same dream to have some talks with this woman.
Sometimes, people use this song to accompany gymnastics as the sound track in Papua or even in another inslands of Indonesia.

3. APUSE

This one i took from soundcloud and it has the new arrangement of music. If you want to hear the original one, please go to youtube and find by yourself.
Okay, this song talks about a grandchild that has a wish to got to another place. This grandchild has to wander away and leaving his/her grandparents. With sadness the grandparents let this grandchild leave them. I know it is maybe not really matters and important. But is there something wrong by knowing something new?