Ternate - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

TERNATE 49 TOPOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL DESCRIPTIONS
ritual usually involves women who, in a state of trance, reveal the nature of the sickness
and its cure. It is well known that the conversion to Islam has had little effect on these
rituals, although no one has yet examined the extent to which this is true and if there are
any differences in this regard compared with the superstitions of the Ternatese. I mention
one example: rituals which Campen restricts to the Alfurus of Halmahera are practiced on
a much larger scale than is generally assumed. Even the rulers and their relatives have
every confidence in these practices and, as with spells, do not dare to oppose them since
they use them in their own families when other means do not have the desired results.
This is true even though outwardly these rulers follow rather faithfully their Moslem
religious duties, required of them as head of the clergy. The descendants of the freed slaves
(puha) are content with a subordinate role within the native society. 12
The language has never been studied. There is a clear connection between
Ternatese and Tidorese, but whether this is also true for the forms is still unknown. 13
[p. 75]
12 [p. 74, n. 1] Bokemeijer (1888, p. xii) incorrectly assumes that there was a return to
dependence and oppression for them.
13 [p. 74, n. 2] Robidé van der Aa, at the end of his work Reizen naar Nederlandsch Nieuw-Guinea
(Travels to Dutch New Guinea), 1879, gives a Tidorese glossary; the following corrections show how
little trustworthy it is:
Meaning Robidé Correct Term
sun wanyi wange or wange ma-lau
cloud
kamo kamo-kamo; lobi,
[note continues,
which also means
p. 75 bottom]
“thundercloud”
lightning bella bella bela-bela
river ake melau ake; ake ma-lau is “source”
reef karon nyare; karo is “coral shell”
north kore mienyi kore minye
east kore wanyi manyini kore wange ma-nyonyine
west kore wangi mesoru kore wange ma-sosoru
mountain buku kie or kiye; buku is “hill”
branch hate mejaga hate ma-jaga
leaf hate merau hate ma-rau
bark hate mahi hate ma-ahi
guard masofo hate ma-sofo
warm susahu sosahu
dry rienga hotu and ringa;
the added tolole is Ternatese
eye laan lau
ear ngaan ngau
finger gia meraga gia ma-raga-raga
instep johu ma-saku this is “heel-joint”
rod akan ako
to sleep antu otu;
the added hotu is Ternatese
to urinate isi osi; isi is “urine”
to sting topo tofo
to bang tutu this is “to punch”
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES DIGITAL EDITION