Shackled by the Myths of Sifon
In the remote land east of Nusa Tenggara, among the people of Atoni Meto, circumcision is a ritual loaded with preconditions. One of them is that before being circumcised, a male must have had sexual intercourse. Even after the circumcision, before the incision has healed, he is again obliged to perform the same act. They call this tradition sifon, meaning to dispose of heat. Shrouded in myth and superstition, this custom seems difficult to eliminate. Unless it is practised, in their belief, a catastrophe will happen. The man ignoring sifon will be impotent. However, if the tradition is carried on, it is an affront to women's dignity, while also contributing to spreading disease. On the following pages is a report by TEMPO's Rian Suryalibrata, who visited the western part of Timor Island some time ago.
June 18, 2002
To the youth of the Atoni Meto ethnic group, a corn harvest is a beautiful and thrilling time. Not merely an occasion for reaping the fruit of their toil in the fields, February to May is also the right time for circumcision. Not surprisingly, the youngsters of this community get very busy. They start sending for circumcision experts, and seeking deserted farmland huts, to hide away in after the event.
Why? Because after circumcision, he mu
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