MANGGARAI SONGKE

A Meaningful Portrait of Life

 Manggarai weaving (songke) motives is meaningful of human life from time to time.

 

The Manggarai have the work of art form woven crafts, the form of cloth gloves called Songke and scarf or shawl. Cain Songke is ordinary wear men as well as women in all day life of Manggarai people, in the officially as well as unofficially events.

The work of Songke art woven is laden with the value and symbols. The basis of black color of Songke is symbolizes a sense of the greatness and the surrender of people of Manggarai that all men finally to God’s lap.

Whereas, the miscellaneous interesting weaving motives is containing many meanings according motives itself. Wela Kaweng motives (flower of Kaweng tree) its mean intertwined relations and human dependence to the nature. Ranggong (spider) motives is symbolizes honesty, tenacity, and hard work that become habits and traditions of Manggarai people in hereditary.

As we know, Manggarai people are known as the diligent workers, tough and firm. Spider is also symbol of the spririt of unity and concord of the Manggarai people.

Su’i (contours) motives is epitomize the end of everything, that everything has own limits ending. Ntala (stars) is relating with hope or ideal frequently blown in Manggarai people pray (tudak), “porong langkas haeng ntala” (everlasting grow up to reach high stars), it means everlasting healthy, to grow, thriving and domicile of the high as well as influential in the community, and reach like the stars in space.

Bela Ketupat motive is epitomises the prosperity and simpleness Manggarai people life’s. Wela Runus motives is symbolizing humble attitude and innocence, or ethos Manggarai people is like floret that gives the beauty and life in the transientness.

Jok conical motives resembling the Manggarai roofs on the top and the bottom cloth Songke is symbolizing unity and concord of Manggarai people, both with God, environments and as human being.

Kolekta Tengko, the owner a boutiques in Borong to JN Guide early last July, said that in Ngendeng, Golo Munga Village, District of Lambaleda, Region of East Manggarai is also produces songke known as

Songke Lipa Lambaleda. However, he thinks in motives there is no difference to other Manggarai songke. Kolekta reasoned, between Manggarai and East Manggarai before expansion is one territory, so that is no difference at all.

Still, he added, Rojong woven in District of Elar, East Manggarai have yellow color characterizes and mixed with modified scarf (shawl) in maroons, greens and blues.

There are also woven used for a suits and women shirts colored creams, maroons and blue. “For Manggarai women customary clothing is usually accessories with headband called Bali Belo or Retu, once usually made from red colored band given ribbon. However recently, the raw is made of brass”, he said.

Whereas men customary clothing is usually composed of headband with white long arm shirts, and also white pants and songke (half) in below. He told us, the customary cloths is often used on an customs occations as well as the wedding.**Sapto  Adiwiloso (sources: Office Cultural and Tourism Region of East Manggarai).