Honai
Honaiis a traditional house of the people of theCentral PapuaandHighland Papua,particularly theDani.[1]Honai has a simple, round-shaped structure with small doors and no windows. There are also rectangular-shaped houses known asEbe'ai(Female Honai). The height of the house is about 2.5 meters, and is divided into two parts: the lower floor and the upper floor. The lower floor is usually used for sleeping, while the upper floor is used for daily activities such as eating, rela xing, and crafting. In the middle of the lower floor, there is ahipere(hearth) used for cooking or warming the body.[2]
Honai has a small structure that intends to provide warmth and ease its owners to move around. There are three types of honai: honai (for males),ebai(for females), andwamai(for animals).[2]These three names originate from the base word "ai," which means house. Honai comes from the combination of the words "hun/hon," meaning male,ebaicomes from the wordebemeaning female, andwamaicomes from the wordwam,meaning pig.[3]
History
[edit]In the past, Dani people did not live in residential houses but sought shelter under large trees. However, seeking shelter under large trees made them cold when it rained, especially if there was strong wind. One day, the Dani tribe observed birds making nests. These birds gathered branches and dry grasses and shaped them into a round form. From this observation, the Dani tribe was inspired to constructhonaifor their house.[4]
Functions and philosophy
[edit]Apart from being a residence,honaihas several functions and philosophies. Firstly,honaiserves as a place to store weapons and ancestral equipment. Additionally, in thehonai,young boys are taught about war strategies. Secondly, thehonaihouse is used as a storage space for tubers and agricultural produce. There are alsohonaisdesignated for smoking mummies, which can be found in the Aikima in theBaliem Valley.[5]
The philosophies contained within thehonaiare as follows:
- Teaching strong unity and solidarity values among tribal members and preserving the cultural heritage inherited from ancestors.[5]
- By living in ahonai,the inhabitants will have one heart, one mind, and one purpose in finishing tasks. It is reflected from the inception of thehonaiwhen someone wants to build it, they will call their family to help build the house and then have a meal together.[5]
Materials
[edit]Here are the materials needed to make ahonai:
- Chopped boards. Those are boards that have pointed ends like spears. These pointed ends facilitate the process of nailing the boards into the ground. Later, these boards become the walls of thehonai.
- Wooden beams. It serves as the main pillars supporting the roof of thehonai.
- Fruitwood is used as the roof covering for the honai.
- Lokap/pinde,a small bamboo, is used for the floor.
- Cogongrassforhonai'sroof.
- Rattan rope or tree roots are used as bindings.
In the past,honaidid not use nails, but now some houses do. Some changes have also occurred inhonaihouses. For example,honainow uses windows to improve air circulation. Furthermore, there are honai houses that use zinc for the roof.[4]
Gallery
[edit]-
Honai (left) dan longhouse (right) -
Honai complex from a distance. -
Two tourists taking a selfie in front of ahonai.
References
[edit]- ^Giyarto, Giyarto (2018).Selayang Pandang Papua.Klaten: Intan Perwira. pp. 41–42.ISBN978-979-28-2501-5.
- ^abUtami, Rizky (2021).Ensiklopedia Rumah-Rumah Adat Nusantara.Bandung: CV. Angkasa. p. 133.ISBN978-623-340-133-3.
- ^"SUKU BANGSA DANI".Manfasramdi.2023-01-08.Retrieved2024-02-05.
- ^abTrifena, Fangnania (2018).Rumah Bundar.Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa. pp. 3–5.ISBN978-602-437-217-0.
- ^abc"Rumah Honai Kekayaan Arsitektur Hijau dari Papua".indonesia.go.id.Retrieved2022-06-14.