A Ritual Resurgence in Eastern Indonesia.

At the invitation of the eastern Indonesian village of Leuwayang, three researchers returned to Kédang to observe a revised harvest ritual once thought extinct. The article contains consideration of recent political changes in Indonesia affecting religious expression, describes the village birthday celebration and the series of community rituals that were subsequently carried out over a three-day period in the original village site. There follows a summary of the nightlong chant accompanying the reciting of male genealogies of the village with an explanation of its references to legendary village history. An attempt is made to place the chant within the comparative study of ritual language. The conclusion briefly tries to situate the rituals in relation to villagers' preoccupations in the modern world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]