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.