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Lawiti
Textile Terminology & Ritual Couplets

Lawiti luluk is the paired ritual speech unique to the Marapu Indigenous religion of East Sumba. The Kamberan language is the indigenous language of East Sumba. Each utterance is a lawiti — a couplet whose two halves hold a single image in tension: two parallel phrases that together name a thing more exactly than either alone could. In Umbu Hina Kapita's compendium Lawiti Luluk, many couplets turn on the names of ikat motifs — patola ratu, njara, tau, kaka, kurangu — so the cloth and the spoken word share a single vocabulary. The motif woven into a hinggi and the word spoken at a ritual feast are not two separate things pointing at the same culture: they are iterations of the same concept in two registers.

This page presents the textile terminology of the tradition alongside the couplets that invoke it — reading the cloth with the culture rather than through external interpretation. Couplets are drawn verbatim from Kapita, Lawiti Luluk, and cross-referenced with the Kanatang Hinggi Kombu ritual-speech manuscript.

English translations render Kapita's Indonesian glosses in Lawiti Luluku Humba (1973); where an existing English translation is cited (Forth 1981; Kanatang ritual-speech manuscript), it is used.

Section A

Textile Terminology

Kambera cloth-names, dye terms, and pattern vocabulary
hinggi
Man's cloth; the large rectangular ikat mantle, worn as a pair (one at the waist, one over the shoulder). (Onvlee: mannendoek.)
hinggi kombu
A hinggi dyed with kombu (morinda red); the prestige type.
lau
Woman's tubular skirt. (Onvlee: vrouwenrok / laöe.)
lau pahudu
A lau patterned with the pahudu supplementary-warp technique.
lau pahikung
A lau patterned with the pahikung supplementary-warp technique.
kombu
Red dye from the morinda plant (root/bark); also names the red cloth.
wora
Indigo (blue dye).
loba
A shrub whose leaves and bark yield a red dye for cloth (Kapita, Lawiti Luluk p. 124).
patola ratu
The "queen patola," the Indian-patola-derived central motif of prestige hinggi.
habak
The spotted/dotted pattern band (Indonesian: titik-titik).
lambali
The meander / zigzag pattern (Indonesian: liku-liku).
kamba
A generic term for woven cloths; in marriage exchange, the bride-givers' counter-gift category, set against banda (valuables). (Onvlee 1949.)
kunduduku
The border / end zone of the cloth (where the patola habak border often sits).
tenun
(Indonesian) Weaving.
Ikat motifs named in the couplets

Kambera spellings follow the source documents; several await confirmation against Kapita's Kamus Kambera–Indonesia (1982).

Section B

Ritual Couplets

after Kapita, Lawiti Luluk
Patola — prestige cloth of raja
LL-1 · Lawiti Luluk p. 277, entry 2433
hundarangga rara-ruu patola muru
EN“Red dewangga silk and green patola leaf” — said of kings and nobles, since in former times only they possessed the special silk cloths, one red and the other green.
Motifpatola (sutera, red/green prestige silk) Contextroyalty and nobility
LL-2 · Lawiti Luluk p. 277, entry 2434 · corroborated: Kanatang manuscript
habaku patola ratu-rutungu lambaliku
EN“square patola ratu- dots and twists” — said of the motifs woven on Sumba ikat cloths, as emblems of greatness, fertility, and prosperity. (trans. Kanatang ms.)
Motifpatola ratu, habak (spot/dot), lambali (meander/zigzag) Contextdescriptive of the motifs woven on Sumba ikat cloths — greatness, fertility, prosperity
Kaka — cockatoo motif
LL-4 · Lawiti Luluk p. 95, entry 679 · corroborated: Kanatang manuscript
kaka mahangiri-pirihu hadodi
EN“The cockatoo that flock together- the finches that are meeting.” — said of the manner of approaching a noble person or group: one must come as the cockatoo and the myna approach, gradually and with proper respect. (trans. Kanatang ms.)
Motifkaka (cockatoo) Contextetiquette when approaching the noble
LL-5 · Lawiti Luluk p. 95, entry 680 · corroborated: Kanatang manuscript
kaka makanguhuru-pirihu pauli
EN“The cockatoos gather - The finches gather.” — said of a family council or a gathering of leaders, compared to the cockatoo and the myna assembling together. (trans. Kanatang ms.)
Motifkaka (cockatoo) Contextfamily or leaders' council
Ruha / Mandu — deer and snake motifs
LL-6 · Lawiti Luluk (Ruha section; page not printed in source) · corroborated: Kanatang manuscript
pajangga kadu ruhangu-parara mata mandungu
EN“Tall like the deers horns – red like the eye of the snake.” — said as a description of the brave and bold; a praise-song for young men in the dance. (trans. Kanatang ms.)
Motifruha (deer) + mandu (snake) Contextpraise-song for young men in dance
LL-7 · Lawiti Luluk p. 196, entry 1646
parara mata mandungu-pajangga kadu ruhangu
EN“Eyes red like a snake and horns tall like a deer” — said as an emblem of a person's bravery and nobility. Reverse-ordered variant of LL-6.
Motifmandu (snake) + ruha (deer) Contextemblem of bravery and nobility; reverse-ordered variant of LL-6, filed under the mandu heading
Tau — human-figure motif; weaving as divine creation
LL-8 · Lawiti Luluk p. 307, entry 2741
na mawulu tau-na majii tau
EN“Who forms and who weaves humankind” — said of ‘Miri’ (God), the Creator who forms and makes human beings. Weaving is the governing metaphor for divine creation.
Motiftau (human figure); majii glossed as menganyam (to weave/plait) Contextsaid of Miri (God/Creator) — weaving is the governing metaphor for divine creation
Hinggi with tau human-figure motif band, woven in wora (indigo) and kombu (morinda red), Kambera region
Tau motif band. Hinggi, wora and kombu dyes. Kambera or Rindi, East Sumba.
Detail of tau human-figure motif band on East Sumbanese hinggi
Tau detail. Human-figure register; the same motif the couplet names. Hinggi, wora and kombu dyes. Kambera or Rindi, East Sumba.
Kurangu — shrimp motif
LL-9 · Lawiti Luluk p. 158, entry 1289
Hama hei kurangu kambuku-hama hei ipingu parudi
ENSaid as the content of farmers' prayers that their rice harvest be as abundant as the shrimp, snakehead fish, fingerlings, and tiny crabs that rise up the river through the estuary and are netted by crowds of people.
Motifkurangu (shrimp) on hinggi and lau Clothwora (indigo) and kombu (morinda red); kunduduku border: bunga dan ikan; asal: Kambera or Rindi Contextfarmers' prayer for rice abundance
Full hinggi with kurangu shrimp motif band, woven in wora (indigo) and kombu (morinda red), Kambera or Rindi, East Sumba
Kurangu motif hinggi. Wora and kombu dyes; njara, kurangu, and kunduduku bands. Kambera or Rindi, East Sumba.
Detail of kurangu shrimp motif band on East Sumbanese hinggi
Kurangu band detail. The shrimp-motif register (kurangu) from the same cloth; three species of small birds and ular (snake) in adjacent bands. Wora and kombu dyes.
LL-10 · Lawiti Luluk p. 158, entry 1290
njulu la kura luku-halubu la mandu mara
EN“To transform like the river shrimp and to shed like the land snake” — said as a prayer of hope for eternal life, a transformation of this present life.
Motifkurangu (shrimp/udang) + mandu (snake) Contextdeath ritual — the body shed like a shrimp moulting or a snake casting skin; prayer for eternal life
Njara — horse motif
LL-11 · Lawiti Luluk p. 241, entry 2095
nanjanga na njaranggu-nabeli na ahunggu
EN“My horse turns — my dog turns back” — said of one returning from a journey.
Motifnjara (horse) on hinggi and lau Clothwora (indigo) and kombu (morinda red); kunduduku border: patola habak; asal: Kambera Contextsaid of one returning from a journey
Hinggi with njara horse motif band, woven in wora (indigo) and kombu (morinda red), Kambera, East Sumba
Njara motif hinggi. Wora and kombu dyes; njara band with tethered horses and birds; kunduduku: patola habak. Kambera, East Sumba.
Dye & bridewealth — kara (turtle) and loba
LL-3 · Lawiti Luluk p. 124, entry 970
toma kara muru-wai malanja loba
EN“The addition of wet tortoiseshell and the value of the loba goods” — said of the gold, silver, horses, and buffalo already given to the wife-givers (yera); ‘kara muru’ is undried tortoiseshell, and ‘loba’ is a shrub whose leaves and bark become the red dye for cloth.
Termloba — shrub whose leaves and bark yield the red dye for cloth Contextbridewealth (belis) exchange to the wife-givers (yera)
Section C

The cloth as kin and shelter

hinggi ∥ lau — the paired cloths as father∥mother, protector∥protected

The paired man's cloth (hinggi) and woman's skirt (lau) stand for father∥mother, and for the protection the wife-givers (yera) extend to the wife-takers (anakawini). The womb-like fold of the cloth and the sheltering quality of its width are the recurring images.

Protection and shelter
Kapita 283 · p.27
hada la kalunggu lai hada — la habibi hinggi rutungu
ENWithin the carrying-fold of the decorated skirt and within the tucking-fold of the embroidered man's cloth — the decorated cloth as the protector's power; rutungu = embroidered spots.
Termhinggi (man's cloth); lau (woman's skirt); rutungu (embroidered spots) Contextthe anakawini held within the protection of the yera
Kapita 62 · p.9–10
ana la kalunggu lai — ana la habibi hinggi
EN“Child in the womb (or sling) of the skirt, the fold of the man's cloth.” (trans. Forth 1981)
Termhinggi; lau (kandungan) Contextthe anakawini (wife-takers) as children held under the wife-givers' cloth
Kapita 455 · p.35–36
la kalunggu lati kalita — la habibi hinggi huwa
ENIn the carrying-fold of the gewang-fibre skirt and in the tucking-fold of the maninjau man's cloth — tough fibre and bark cloths as the image of durable protection.
Termhinggi huwa; lau kalita (bark-fibre cloths) Contextstrong durable protection of yera over anakawini
Kapita 725 · p.52
la kalunggu lai kalita — la habibi hinggi huwa
ENIn the carrying-fold of the gewang-fibre skirt and in the tucking-fold of the maninjau man's cloth — variant of Kapita 455; the wife-takers under the strong protection of the wife-givers.
Termhinggi; lau (as shelter) Contextprotective embrace of wife-givers over wife-takers
Cloth in exchange and dress
Kapita 441 · p.35
hilu banda — njepa lau
ENThe return of valuables — the giving back of the skirt. Divorce protocol: the wealth and the lau are returned when a marriage dissolves.
Termlau (woman's skirt); banda (valuables) Contextdissolution of marriage; the cloth as the formal object of exchange
Kapita 727 · p.52
kalitu tinggi la kalitu — tera la katiku
ENThe cloth upon the body and the head-cloth on the head — men's full ceremonial dress: the body-cloth and the head-cloth (tera).
Termhinggi (body-cloth); tera (head-cloth) Contextformal male dress at ceremony or feast
Kapita 173 · p.16 — notable: ikat-design ownership dispute
danya beti hinggi — beti latida
ENThey dispute the pattern of the man's cloth and the pattern of the skirt — a dispute over ikat-design ownership: the motifs of a hinggi and lau are personal property and prestige markers; conflict among women over copied designs.
Termhinggi; lau; ikat motif as personal property (corak) Contextwomen's dispute over the right to a design; the couplet confirms motifs as owned, not merely traditional
Section D

Weaving and the loom

wunangu (comb) ∥ ngodahu (beater) — tools as metaphor for the wise speaker

The loom's comb (wunangu) and beater (ngodahu) are the emblem of the wunangu — the ritual spokesperson who "orders the threads" of an affair; cf. Onvlee's wunangu lii marapu, the reciter named for the loom heddle.

The comb and beater — true vs false spokesman
Kapita 1182 · p.74
na wunangu la mbola — na ngodahu la kelangu
ENThe weaving comb in the basket and the beater on the frame — the adat expert who orders affairs as the comb and beater order the weaving.
Termwunangu (loom comb); ngodahu/pesa (beater) Contextpraise for the skilled intermediary who brings order to a dispute
Kapita 2193 · p.128
na wuna kamba tera — na ngodahu kanjangi
ENThe comb of cotton thread and the beater of kanjangi wood — the honest, capable wunangu who turns thread into cloth.
Termwunangu (comb); ngodahu (beater); kamba (cotton/cloth) Contextthe trustworthy ritual speaker who completes what he begins
Kapita 2195 · p.128
na wunangu kawuti — na ngodahu padamu
ENThe knotted weaving comb and the damar-wood beater — the false or unreliable speaker who tangles the weaving instead of ordering it.
Termwunangu (comb — knotted/faulty); ngodahu padamu (resin-sticky beater) Contextdenunciation of the incompetent or dishonest intermediary
Loom, warp, and spinning implements
Kapita 390 · p.32
harahika paharahika pawinja wanja wanggingu
ENThe loom-beam must be lashed tight or it goes crooked — so too a society without law.
Termwanggingu (loom-beam) Contextthe loom as direct metaphor for social order; a slack beam = a lawless community
Kapita 2820 · p.159
nda papinya tinjana — pamawana na hemba
ENIts warp and weft are unknown — a matter without beginning or end.
Termlungsin (warp); pakan (weft) Contexta hopelessly obscure affair — neither thread of the weaving can be found
Kapita 2026 · p.119
mandapu nanyaka na ndataru mamburu — kambaku nanyaka na nggihu palamidu
ENThe spinning wheel of Mamboru set in place and the cotton-gin of Palamidu set in place — a matter brought to completion.
Termndataru (spinning wheel); nggihu (cotton-gin); Mamboru and Palamidu as regional textile-tool specialties Contexta completed task or agreement, using the textile implements of two regions as the emblem of closure
Section E

Dyes and thread

wora (indigo) ∥ loba / kombu (red) ∥ kiri (spool-yarn)

Indigo (wora) is the women's blue-black dye; loba and kombu give red. The dye-plants and their liquids carry their own ritual weight — planted, stirred, and sometimes invoked as a curse.

Indigo — wora
Kapita 3098 · p.173
kuru wora — oka hambaku
ENThe enclosure of indigo and the fence of tobacco — indigo (wora), the women's dye for blue-black cloth, paired with men's tobacco as emblems of the gendered domains.
Termwora (indigo/tarum); hambaku (tobacco) Contextthe dye-plant enclosure and tobacco fence as emblems of the gendered domains of women and men
Kapita 2479 · p.143
pamalambanya la pola — pakalokanya la wora
ENStacking the corn-stalks, planting indigo in rows — ordering or clarifying a matter.
Termwora (indigo — planted in beds) Contextmethodical planting of indigo as a metaphor for setting things in order
Kapita 3099 · p.173
burinya wai wora wai kapu, ambu napawihi ambu napalima
ENA curse using indigo-water and lime-water — the dye and mordant liquids of ikat dyeing inverted as agents of harm, to cripple an enemy.
Termwai wora (indigo-water); wai kapu (lime-water / mordant) Contextritual curse; the liquids of indigo dyeing inverted as agents of harm
Red dye and spool-yarn
Kapita 974 · p.64
toma kara muru — wai malanja loba
ENThe addition of wet tortoiseshell and the water of the loba plant — loba is the shrub whose leaves and bark yield the red dye for cloth; paired with tortoiseshell as a bridewealth good.
Termloba (red-dye shrub); kara (tortoiseshell) Contextbridewealth exchange; red dye and tortoiseshell as paired prestige goods
Kapita 859 · p.59
kiri kawuru — kandara kiri muru — bara
ENRemnants of blue and red thread, green and white thread — spool-yarn remnants of all four colours, included in sirih-pinang offerings and women's burial rites.
Termkiri (spool-yarn); kawuru (blue thread remnants); bara (white thread) Contextritual use of leftover dyed yarn in offerings and women's mortuary practice
Section F

Motifs named on the cloth

the four-motif catalogue; prestige silk; weaving as the measure of a daughter
The four principal motifs — habaku, patola ratu, rutungu, lambaliku
Kapita 2434 · p.140
habaku — patola ratu, rutungu — lambaliku
EN“square patola ratu- dots and twists” — the four principal motifs of Sumba ikat as emblems of greatness, fertility, and prosperity: habaku (flying gecko / kupu-kupu), patola ratu (royal green-silk motif), rutungu (raindrops/dots), lambaliku (meander/cloud-edge, named for a small snake). (trans. Kanatang ms.)
Termhabaku; patola ratu; rutungu; lambaliku Contextthe couplet as a formal catalogue of the four emblematic motifs — greatness, fertility, prosperity
Prestige silk — hundarangga and patola
Kapita 491 · p.39
hundarangga rara — ruu patola muru
EN“The names of especially fine imported silk cloths (Indonesian dewangga and petola), from India, possessed almost exclusively by the nobles.” (trans. Forth 1981)
Termhundarangga (red dewangga silk); patola muru (green patola silk) Contextnoble address in verse and lament; the two prestige silks as emblems of the ruling class
Kapita 492 · p.39
miri hundarangga — miri ruu patola
ENBearer of the red dewangga — bearer of the green patola. A form of noble address in verse and lament, naming the one who carries the two prestige silks.
Termhundarangga; patola (prestige silk pair) Contextformal address to a maramba; the two silks are the spoken emblem of royal rank
Weaving as the measure of a daughter
Kapita 429 · p.34
na hemba kamba — na wuru wai
ENThe weaving of cloth and the water-pot — the two quintessential female objects; together they name a daughter in ritual speech.
Termhemba kamba (weaving / woven cloth); wuru wai (water-pot) Contextthe loom and the water-pot together name a daughter in ritual speech

Couplets after Kapita, Lawiti Luluku Humba (1973); entry and page numbers as in the source. Several await re-sighting against a clean copy.