Lunar Eclipse Ritual

Religious Ceremonies on the Island

Lunar Eclipse Ceremony

June 6^th, 2019, 21:00. The shore in front of the village.
Hannah Ashley

Description of Activity

            A lunar eclipse is when the sun is hidden and the moon is extremely bright and visible in the night sky. It only occurs a few times a year and is a very important event to the Oktip people, who base much of their religious practices on the moon. The night actually begins during the day, when the people take rest after their work day. The eclipse is an all-night event so the people sleep the afternoon before to make sure they can stay awake for their religious ceremony. 

            My guide, Rahli, leads me to the beach before the ceremony begins. It would be disrespectful to arrive with the others, she explains while she shows me where I will be allowed to stand and watch the ceremony. Night falls late here, so it has not been dark for long when the Oktip start walking to the shoreline. Most of the are wearing dark clothes so they blend in with the night. The religious leader, known as the Chunatha, is more visible, with white paint on their hands and face. The group approaches the beach and stop right before the water touches the sand. The Chunatha walk to the front of the crowd and address the group.

            From my position at the back of the crowd it is difficult to hear all that the Chunatha says, but I can hear the words moon, or Matfunoktipa, ocean (Funja), and Oktip (the people of the island) many times. The Chunatha walks into the sea until they are covered to their waist and calls, “anmi o”, which causes the rest of the group to walk in the sea until they are all gathered there together. 

            I can hear the Chunatha speaking again but the words completely escape me because of the distance. At some unseen signal, all the people put their heads underwater and stay there. I begin to become concerned about how long they have been under when they rise from the water again. 

            The crowd walk out of the ocean and back towards their village and houses. I see Rahli walking towards me, hopefully to explain. Her hair and dress is soaked but she looks the most at peace I have seen her. 

            “Did you enjoy the ceremony?” she asks. “It was very interesting,” I answer, “but I wondered if you could explain some things to me?”

            “Of course,” she answers, “Tonight is a night for Matfunoktipa and I would be happy to talk about her.”

            She explains that the Oktip people wear dark clothing so they do not notice each other and can focus on the moon’s light. The Chunatha wears paint so they can be seen by the moon as they lead the ceremony and honor it. The ceremony is held at the water because the ocean was created when the moon cried over her children fighting. This was when she decided to split the groups of the Oktip up and why she now shows herself fully only on certain nights. 

            The ceremony tonight was to thank the moon for all that she has done for the isenja and the Oktip. That is what the Chunatha was explaining at the water’s edge and that is why they all stepped into the water. 

            “We enter the water,” Rahli explains, “ so Matfunoktipa knows that we recognize what she has given up for us and to show her that we thank her.” 

Reflections

            This ritual seems to be deeply important to the Oktip people. I was not allowed closer to observe because it would cause disrespect to their deity. The word for ‘moon’ can be loosely translated as “mother of the water people”, which reveals some interesting questions about their origin mythology. Rahli seemed eager to explain the ceremony to me after the ritual but I was not able to talk to the Chunatha. ‘Chunatha’ is also an interesting word as it translates to ‘Sun-fearing’. Perhaps the religion centers around the moon. 

            It was interesting to note that all the Oktip, even the children, entered the water to the level of the Chunatha’s chest. Some of the shorter members and children appeared to be treading water before they all dived below. The waves were not particularly rough but I would still be concerned about the age of some of the children that were swimming and how they would fare against the sea. 

Questions

1.     How are the Oktip able to predict a lunar eclipse accurately enough to create a religious ceremony around it?

2.     What are their religious myths and how do they involve the sun and moon?

3.     Would it be possible for me to meet with the Chunatha and talk to them about their religion?

4.     Why was entering the water significant and why were they under it for so long?