The Symbolic Meaning of the Wet-Rice Harvest Ritual Ceremony in Cotamutu Village
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3007/z55gj315Keywords:
Ethnography, cultural values, agricultural rituals, sustainable development, tourism, human–nature relationsAbstract
This study examines the rice-harvest rituals of Kotamutu Village in Timor-Leste through an ethnographic and cultural comparative approach, with Bali’s long-established irrigation and farming tradition serving as a reference model. The research statement focuses on how local harvest rituals function not only as agricultural practices but also as cultural systems that preserve community identity, social cohesion, and ecological knowledge. Using ethnography, the study observes ritual practices, community participation, oral narratives, and symbolic meanings associated with rice harvesting, while cultural analysis is used to compare these findings with Bali’s more structured and resilient traditional agricultural institution.
The results indicate that Kotamutu’s harvest rituals carry strong cultural significance, reinforcing communal solidarity and continuity of ancestral values. However, compared with Bali’s more organized and institutionally sustained system, Kotamutu’s practices appear less formalized and more vulnerable to social and environmental change. The comparison highlights differences in organizational structure, resilience, and the broader cultural functions of ritual in sustaining agriculture.
The study recommends documenting Kotamutu’s ritual knowledge, strengthening community-based cultural preservation, and considering selected elements of Bali’s organized agricultural model as inspiration for local adaptation. Such efforts may help protect cultural heritage while also improving the sustainability of traditional farming practices.
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