The Mummy of Commander Agatmamente, Guardian of the Tribe and the Generation

KOMPAS/IRMA TAMBUNAN

A mummy named Agatmamente Mabel is on display in Silo Sukarno Doga district, Baliem Valley, Jayawijaya regency, Papua. The Dani tribal people respect their ancestors through mummification. Only warlords and tribal chiefs are considered important enough to mummify.

A mummy in Wamena, Papua, is believed to be among the oldest in the region. Preserving mummies is a form of respect for charismatic ancestors.

The wiki wooden poles stood tall, intertwining with one another. Construction of the honai pilamo, a traditional form of housing for the Dani tribe, is expected to finish soon. A stone-burning ceremony was held to mark the plan of moving the mummy of a celebrated tribal warlord to its new home.

Despite being more than 200 years old, the mummy’s body was well preserved. Mabel clan head Eligius Mabel, 50, carefully tended to the mummy of Agatmamente Mabel.

The mummy is periodically daubed with lard oil to ensure its preservation. The mummy preservation ritual included a sacrifice of 10 to 20 pigs and was started with the stone-burning ceremony. It was carried out in Silo Sukarno Doga district in Baliem Valley, Jayawijaya regency, Papua.

The ritual was also filled with prayers by the extended family for the prosperity and long life of the village’s youths.

Agatmamente’s mummy is currently housed in a dilapidated honila (general kitchen). To better preserve the mummy, Eligius imposed a full ban on bringing water or lighting fires in the kitchen. Water may dampen the kitchen and fires pose a hazard.

At first, Kompas did not expect to see firsthand a mummy in the village. Eligius, the 13^th generation of tribe leader, has the mummy enclosed in a wooden box that is always kept closed to protect it from winds. Camphor and silica gel are put inside the box to help preserve the mummy and to protect it from humid air that can attract mildew and bacteria.

Any contact with humans may further damage the mummy. Furthermore, it should not be carelessly displayed.

All visitors are welcome to the village but only a select few can see the tribal warlord’s mummy.

Any violation to such rules may bring forth nature’s wrath. Strong winds or other natural phenomenon are believed as signs of nature’s disapproval.

KOMPAS/IRMA TAMBUNAN

A mummy named Agatmamente Mabel is on display in Silo Sukarno Doga district, Baliem Valley, Jayawijaya regency, Papua.

When Kompas’ Nusantara Coffee Adventure team visited the village, the sun was shining brightly and a soft breeze was blowing. A group of singing children, accompanied with guitars, greeted us. Afterwards, Eligius brought us into the honila.

Once the mummy box was opened, we saw that the mummy was in a sitting position with its legs folded underneath its thighs and in its arms. It was the tribal warlord, Agatmamente. Eligius also showed us the stone axe stored alongside the mummy. The 30-centimeter-long axe is heavy and still sharp.

Respecting ancestors

The Dani tribe, or the Hubula, as the tribe calls itself in its local tongue, believes in another world beyond the physical realm. They believe of an invisible realm imperceptible by the five human senses. Such a realm is the home of entities that rule over rivers, trees, lands, caves, mountains, animals and sacred objects.

Papuan mummy researcher and anthropologist Enrico Kondologit said that preserving mummies was a form of respecting ancestors. It is an important part of traditional beliefs held by many Papuan ethnicities.

Other than preserving mummies, the belief is also symbolized by the presence of the Mbis statue in Asmat culture, the Karwar status in Byak culture and the Mbitoro statue in Kamoro culture. Locals believe that statues are the abode of ancestral spirits. The Khafu statue in Skou culture symbolizes fertility and protection from disasters.

“Locals believe that their belief in mummies, called hun or roh, bring protection and prosperity for the younger generations,” said Enrico, who is also a curator in the Papuan State Museum. He said that respecting ancestors was in line with locals’ belief of ensuring a balanced life between man and nature.

Enrico said that not all deceased people were mummified. “Only certain charismatic figures are given the treatment,” he said. Preserving bodies is a form of continued respect for the deceased charismatic figures, including tribal heads and warlords.

In his studies, he found that there were only seven mummies in districts in Baliem Valley. Of these seven, only four can still be viewed. Agatmamente’s mummy is among the few that cannot be displayed at random to outsiders. The mummy is said to be the oldest in the region.

There are also the Aloka Hubi mummy in Asologaima district, the Wim Motok mummy in Kurulu district and the Werupak Elusak mummy in Pisugi district. The other mummies cannot be displayed as locals believe that the mummies’ power will disappear if they are viewed by outsiders.

Enrico said that the mummy culture was first discovered by outsiders in Baliem Valley in 1938, during an expedition led by Richard Archbold from the American Museum of Natural History. It was found at the time that the tradition of mummifying ancestors’ deceased bodies only existed in Papua and East Nusa Tenggara in all of the Indonesian archipelago. The tradition is similar to those in Egypt and China.

Regeneration

There have been at least 13 generations since warlord Agatmamente died. Throughout that time, his body has remained intact due to continued loyalty of his descendants. Eligius said that the mummy should not be recklessly touched. Extra care should be used in preserving it. Eligius’ father had also devoted his life to taking care of the mummy. Before he died, he passed the job to Eligius.

Now, Eligius is more than 50 years old. He has four children, two of whom reside outside of Wamena. He has yet to decide who will take his job after him. “I am waiting for a sign from nature,” he said.