Almost all ethnic groups around the world have their own traditions and customs before they get married, especially if their ethnic group or tribe is the community that still adheres to their traditional customs. For example, the Doreri Tribe in Manokwari, West Papua, has fararior.
Usually, they do fararior tradition, which people know as a marriage proposal before both families agree to marry off their children. However, the process is interesting for you to explore. The family of the woman’s side and the family of the man’s side who is about to marry have different duties.
So, here is the meaning of fararior for the people of the Doreri Tribe!
The Meaning of Fararior for The Family of the Man
Just like the majority of other traditional societies, in the Doreri Tribe, it is the man who proposes to the woman. So, before the proposal is made, the man’s family will gather to discuss it. The family is also an extended family, including grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc.
Normally, there would be several women that they talked about. This is to find the woman who is suitable to be their children’s wife and fit to be part of their family. In the socio-cultural life of the Doreri community, there are social strata that apply in society. Those matters are important to them.
So, people from different social strata obviously cannot marry each other. In addition to strata, they also consider the woman’s social status. This also applies to several other native tribes of Papua, where family strata and status matter in a marriage.
Apart from socio-cultural issues, they also consider several other things. They also consider economic, political, and other essential matters before proposing to the woman. It is why the preparation before a marriage proposal in the Doreri tribe lasted quite a long time.
After the decision was made, they would send several female members of their family, such as aunts, to propose the woman they picked. They will convey the proposal in a whisper. Also, they will come at night because they will not feel embarrassed if they are rejected.
The Meaning of Fararior for The Family of the Woman
The families of women in the Doreri Tribe, are the ones who wait for a proposal. However, they can still make decisions. They can decide whether to accept the proposal or reject it. All those decisions are in their hands, and the man’s family must accept them.
As one of the traditional marriage proposals in Papua, there is something unique about the tradition in the Doreri Tribe. When a proposal came, they would discuss it among the woman’s family first. Usually, this will take approximately three days. The family involved is also the extended family.
Then, how they accept the proposal makes it more interesting. In fararior culture, the woman’s family will turn off the lights in their house. After that, they will throw water that smells bad on the envoys from the man’s family. It is a sign that they agree with the marriage.
In addition, the family of the woman will ask for a dowry. Usually, the dowry is a valuable item for the Doreri people, for example, a boat. However, if the groom is financially incapable, he can pay a dowry in the form of labor. For example, by helping the family with gardening, farming, and building a house.
So, it is the meaning behind fararior for the people of the Doreri Tribe. For them, marriage is not only about two individuals. But, the unification of two big families is very important.