The Meaning and Values of the Maccera’ Tappareng Tradition in Lake Tempe, Wajo Regency

Abstract

This research examines the maccera' tappareng tradition as an activity and process in the life of the Bugis community. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative research method. The tappareng maccera tradition as part of the ancestral cultural heritage of the Bugis community, particularly in the fishing communities on the shores of Lake Tempe, has symbolic elements both in practice and in understanding. Practically, there is a special procedure for handing over the head of a buffalo to the ruler of the lake (punna wae) which only Maccera’ Tappareng knows; presenting a walasuji device which is a container for storing buffalo heads and other offerings; there is a drum accompaniment, each sound of which is a separate code in the maccera' tappareng traditional ritual; The tappareng maccera tradition plays a role in maintaining the Lake Tempe ecosystem and the social cohesion of the fishing community. These actions or behaviors have regular motives so that they contain meaning as stated by the research subject about these customs.