The Burial Ceremony of The Placenta @ Temuni (in Bahasa Minang).
It wasn't as grand as it sounds, but the significance of it was way beyond my imagining because I did it myself. A simple gesture and a simple memory, but it was profound. There was no pomp, no grand elaborate ceremony but it was something to remember all my life. It was my ticket into adulthood. I was reminded of who I am. Muslim and Malay. Both teaches me the one thing that is amis in some people nowadays; Respect. Not just to the alived, but also to the dead. Not just to the humans, but also to the un-human.
There was no kompang, just silence of the woods.
There was no groups of people berzanji but a sole soul saying some sombre prayers.
There was no petals of flowers or scented water, but 4 mud bricks to ward of scavenging animals.
Dug a hole about 3 feet deep in the hot evening of about 5.00 pm, minutes after the time he was born. Dressed in black baju melayu I was sweating, I couldn't stop but had to continue. It was my destiny that I should do this. No matter how hot, the future of my nephew depends on me being a man for once in my lame ass life.
My grandmama looks on, probably laughing at me for being dramatic. She's taking pictures of me digging, like I've never dug earth before. It wasn't even a proper cangkul just one those thingimajig that you use to loosen the soil. It was hard work, but it was so much worth it.
The Temuni @ Placenta @ Uri was wrapped in a hospital green clothe. It smells anticeptic even after being put inside a box of mengkuang leaves (according to Minang tradition - weird come to think about it my grandmama is chinese by birth but she was brought up by my Minang Onyang) and wrapped in 3 layers of plastic bags. Had to remove the plastic bags first to ensure the steady decomposition of the placenta. Burying is one way of getting rid of the placenta but in a respectful manner, as always with the Malay custom, everything has to be done in a very respectful manner. So I buried it in 1 feet plus deep hole in the ground just beneath the limau perut tree, (no significance here, just thought it would be nice to bury it beneath a tree); accompany by words of:
"I seek Allah's protection from Shaitan (Satan) the rejected one. In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful."
Those words I said non-stop as I placed the bundle into the earth. I prayed to Allah that my nephew would always be under His protection and away from the nuisance of Syaitan (Satan). I placed back the dug up earth onto the bundle. Handful by handful, never by my feet and I make sure its covered fully. Took some bricks and placed on top, not as a mark but a deterant from scavenging animals. My grandmama said, we have to treat it like its human, because it was part of the baby. She said say some prayers, and I said what I usually say after the daily solat because to tell you the truth I know no other prayers.
It was as simple as that, and it was done. Buried it all the way in Kampong in the compound of my grandmama's house. All that done one thing left to do during this few weeks of the coming of the baby. Next up is the Aqiqah, which I would try to explain sometime later. Probably after the ceremony.
Menanam uri - Kebanyakan daripada kita tidak menghiraukan tentang kepentingan uri. Di saat-saat kegembiraan menerima ahli baru, seringkali uri dilupakan. Jika pihak keluaga tidak mengambil uri, klinik atau hospital mengumpulkan uri-uri itu dan didermakan kepada syarikat swasta. Kemudian uri itu diproses bagi memperolehi hormon yang terkandung di dalamnya. Hormon-hormon ini banyak digunakan dalam alat-alat kecantikan dan solekan. Sebahagian ibu bapa cuma membuangkannya dalam tong sampah tanpa memikirkan uri adalah teman rapat bayi di dalam kandungan. Uri amat penting kepada bayi. Orang tua dahulu mengamalkan cara menanam uri dengan baik. Mereka mencuci dan membalutnya dengan kain dan ditanam. Adab ini adalah baik kerana menghargai sesuatu." courtesy of nadheeto.
THANK GOODNESS I buried my nephew's. Sheesh..
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