Savu people
Raja of Liae with his tribe, 1900s.
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (135,000) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Sawu Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia | |
| Languages | |
| Savu language, Indonesian | |
| Religion | |
| Protestant Christian (predominantly), Jingi Tiu (traditional religion) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Sumba people |
The Savu (also known as Sabu, Sawu or Hawu) people are the people of Savu and smaller neighbouring Raijua in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
Savu had little to interest traders from Europe, or neighbouring kingdoms, and it remained largely insular until the late-20th century.
Savu originally had six independent domains, Teriwu, Liae, Dimu, Menia, Seba and Mesara. Menia was defeated by Seba in the 19th century, while Teriwu disappeared much earlier.
A raja and fetor of each domain were appointed by the Dutch during colonial times.
After independence Savu was split into two kecamatan, East Savu (Liae and Dimu) and West Savu (Seba and Mesara plus Raijua).
In the 2000s, the political structure of Savu has been reorganised to more closely reflect traditional lines, which retained local significance over and above the arbitrary divisions imposed by the Indonesian government. The kecamatan now are Hawu Mehara, West Savu, Central Savu, East Savu, Liae, and Raijua.
The Savu people practise bilateral descent, with descendants of one the udu (patrilineal groups) termed kerogo, as well as a matrilineal descendance that is traced to in Savu mythology to one of two sisters. The moiety of the two sisters is termed hubi; the hubi are divided into wini.
Marriage is between a man and a woman of the same wini as his mother, or at a minimum within the same hubi. There is non-reciprocal gift-giving from the groom's family to that of the bride. Wini and hubu play a role in ceremonies such as weddings, funerals and baptisms.
Savu ikat (traditional weaving) reflect many aspects of Savu genealogy, including specific motifs and colours representing the weaver's hubu and wini.
Savu people place importance on genealogy, tracking both hubi and kerogo back through many generations.
The Savu measure time in units that range from six to 49 years, depending on the domain.
Savu people place great importance on their genealogy, with names chosen to avoid repetition, and genealogies recited during ritual performances such as at funerals, where the connection of the departed to his or her ancestors is memorialised. The memorising of genealogies has also been observed in neighbouring cultures, in Roti and Kedang.
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Wikipedia