KUPASONLINE.COM — The Bugis tribe is one of the many ethnic groups originating from the South Sulawesi region. Just like other cultures spread throughout Indonesia, the Bugis tribe also has customs or ritual aspects that are deeply rooted in the life of its people. This is done as a form of preserving regional culture so that it is timeless. The Bugis traditional wedding procession is a way for these Deutero Malay descendants to interpret how sacred the gate of life they are about to step on. Each stage of the Bugis traditional wedding series also holds prayers and deep meaning for the future bride and groom’s household. Reporting from various sources, these are the meaningful Bugis traditional wedding procedures.
Mammanu’manu’
This is the very first stage of the Bugis traditional wedding procession. Mammanu’manu’ is defined as an activity similar to the flight of a bird, bearing in mind that in this phase, the groom’s family will try to find the best match for their child by taking into account a number of criteria. If you have managed to find a suitable target, then the next step is to investigate the background of the intended girl to find out clearly whether the woman can be proposed to or not, this procession is called mappese-pese.
Mappese-pese
Basically, mappese-pese in a traditional Bugis wedding procession is an approach to find out more about the woman. If the prospective groom and his family have agreed with the woman of their choice, then the man’s family will ask for help from a close relative from the woman’s side to meet their family. Later, these relatives and the groom-to-be will visit the residence of the woman’s family by bringing souvenirs while expressing the intent and purpose of their arrival. If you succeed in getting the green light, then you can proceed with the next, far more sacred step, namely proposing marriage or massuro.
Massuro / Madduta
At the massuro or application stage, the male’s family will send someone who is most trusted as a mabbaja laleng or a trailblazer. The spokesperson appointed must have high skills in terms of negotiation, bearing in mind that the meeting between the two families will also discuss the size of the Uang Panai. Usually there is a process of ‘bargaining’ in very refined Bugis language. The amount of Uang Panai depends on the social status of the bride and groom, it can even be greater than the dowry. If the proposal has been well-received by the woman’s family, then the next step is to decide everything about the needs of the marriage or what is commonly known as mappettu ada.
