Uma Lulik

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Ein Uma Lulik or Lee-teinu in Lospalos (East of East Timor)

The Uma Lulik ( Lee-teinu in Fataluku , Uma Luli in Naueti , Oma Bese in Makasae ) is the supraregional name for the traditional relic houses in the villages of the Southeast Asian island of Timor . One differentiates them from the dormitories and houses ( tetum Uma tidor ). The architectural style used by the Fataluku in the far east of the island serves as a national symbol in the state of East Timor , although they make up only a small part of the population and there are at least two other types of Uma Luliks in the country. The steep roofs of the Fataluku houses also serve as a model for modern buildings, such as the presidential palace , the airport and port of Dili or the Catholic Church of Lospalos .

The oldest Uma Lulik still in existence is in Tineru in the Bobonaro municipality .

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An Uma Lulik on the road between Aileu and Dili (central East Timor)

According to the traditional belief of Timor , like trees, rocks and springs, objects can contain a special natural energy and are therefore considered to be powerful, holy objects (Sasan Lulik) . They are kept in the Uma Lulik ( Tetum for German  Holy House ). The word Lulik describes both this power and the adjective "holy". Despite the numerous and linguistically very different ethnic groups, this concept occurs in all groups indigenous to Timor, as well as other common beliefs. In addition to their importance as a relic house, the Uma Luliks are a symbol of the community and its identity, which is why an Uma Lulik in the style of the Fataluku was also built in the state capital in Dili in 2002 .

The Uma Lulik of the Fataluku has a steep roof, a square floor plan and stands on stilts. The holy houses in the center of East Timor are round buildings with arched roofs, while in the west of the country rectangular stilt houses are again common.

Uma Lulik in Biacou (west of East Timor)

The holy house has a door to the front and one side, is fenced in and adorned with buffalo skulls . One of the two doors is reserved for the Dato-lulik, that of the local priests, while the other is for those who want to ask his advice. In addition to the sacred objects, the ceremonial jewelry of the Dato-Luliks is kept in the Uma Lulik. A round, metal breastplate ( belak ), bracelets and a crown with long buffalo-like horns, the Kaibauk . A curiosity among the sacred objects are Portuguese military uniforms and national flags that are up to 200 years old . If a Liurai entered into an alliance with the colonial power, he was given a military rank in return, according to his status under the rulers of the island, and a Portuguese flag . As a symbol of the power of the Portuguese, they also carried this power in themselves and passed it on to the local ruler.

In the 1920s, missionaries found Catholic items at Uma Luliks in Bobonaro and Cova Lima, including a statue of Mary Queen of the Rosary . In addition, a Portuguese letter from 1790 was discovered that reported about missions in the region that had already been forgotten. In other Uma Luliks, too, there are still crosses and figures of saints from the time of missionary work. The evidence of the missionary attempts were accepted by the Uma Luliks because they could not be treated disrespectfully as sacred objects.

At Uma Lulik in Estado

Every Timorese village used to have two Uma Lulik. When a new village was established, an Uma Lulik was the first building to be erected. The largest of the respective empire stood next to the house of the Liurai , the traditional ruler, but at the latest during the wave of violence in 1999 , before the withdrawal of the Indonesian occupiers, a large part of the Uma Lulik was destroyed. Even before that, Portuguese missionaries had Uma Luliks burned down in their endeavors to Christianize the country. Since the missionary work was never carried out consistently, there was a constant alternation between destruction and reconstruction during the colonial era. Nowadays Uma Luliks are being rebuilt, even if the population describes themselves almost exclusively as Catholic. They are now a sign of new national self-awareness. The material loss of an Uma Lulik is not seen as destruction, because the building only represents the social group behind it. The buildings and the sacred objects they contain can be destroyed or stolen, but can also be recreated and revived. The latter process is called aluli . Even so, the disrespect or destruction of an Uma Lulik is no small matter. This could start a war or, according to belief, lead to the illness and death of family members. The destruction of sacred objects does not separate the spiritual power from the people, but increases their (destructive) potential.

In the Uma Luliks, ceremonies are also carried out to atone for less serious crimes and disputes with neighbors, also because the necessary ritual objects are kept here. Since the judicial system of the country would be overloaded with such small-scale processes, a formal process for reconciliation in the communities (Community Reconciliation Process) was developed from tradition , which was recognized both legally and socially.

The drawing of an Uma Lulik of the Fataluku was also found on the coat of arms and the flag of Timor Timur , East Timor (1975-1999) occupied by Indonesia. Uma Luliks can still be found in various logos today.

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Web links

Commons : Sacred Houses in East Timor  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A preliminary study on the construction systems of house types in Timor-Leste (East Timor) in: Vernacular Heritage and Earthen Architecture, accessed December 27, 2013.
  2. ^ A b Northern Illinois University: Religion: Catholicism and ancestral cults , accessed November 26, 2016.
  3. ↑ a b c d Monika Schlicher: Portugal in East Timor. A critical study of the Portuguese colonial history in East Timor from 1850 to 1912. Abera, Hamburg 1996, ISBN 3-931567-08-7 , (Abera Network Asia-Pacific 4), (also: Heidelberg, Univ., Diss., 1994).
  4. ↑ a b Frédéric B. Durand: History of Timor-Leste, p. 118, ISBN 978-616215124-8 .
  5. ^ A b c Andrea Katalin Molnar: Timor Leste: Politics, History, and Culture (2009)
  6. ^ Geoffrey C. Gunn: History of Timor. ( Memento of the original from March 24, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Technical University of Lisbon (PDF file; 805 kB), accessed on November 26, 2016. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / pascal.iseg.utl.pt
  7. ↑ a b c Judith Bovensiepen, Frederico Delgado Rosa: Transformations of the sacred in East Timor , accessed December 27, 2017.
  8. ↑ Josh Trinidade: An oath for the people of Timor (PDF; 89 kB)
  9. ↑ Monika Schlicher: East Timor faces its past , missio-hilft.de , accessed on January 28, 2019.