Honari Mosega Dance of Liya Raya Village in Wakatobi District

Many tourists have recognized the popularity of Wakatobi District. Apart from being a recommended tourist destination in Indonesia, it also offers unique culture. That means visitors can enjoy numerous cultural entertainments like Honari Mosega Dance. Such interesting performance belongs to Liya Raya Village, actually. It was used by the locals to scout the enemy back then. In fact, the first performers were pirates and district chiefs who lived in the island in order to retain their power and territory. At least, the dance has been performed since the 11th century! Also, the origin was Oroho Island.

The Nuance
The fact is Horani Mosega is considered a war dance. No wonder, the performers carry a spear as their main attribute. It is performed in an open space like a field or similar locations. The audience can either sit on chairs or land. What about the dancers’ attributes? Their clothes are simple, consisting of red, yellow, and black fabrics. They even wear a cap and foot ankle ornaments. One of the dancers carries a flag and he acts as the leader. The number of dancers can reach up to 40 people, in fact. However, all of them are men.

Exploring Honari Mosega Dance
Here is the thing. The locals only perform the dance during special occasions. That means tourists should learn about the schedule prior to visiting Liya Village. Otherwise, they don’t have the chance to enjoy Honari Mosega Dance. Next, it is related to the place where the dance is often performed. It is in Liya Palace! Some local men gather in front of the palace, wearing formal attributes of the dance. Before performing, they may pay respect to both the palace and ancient tomb. Later, one of the dancers would shout aloud as the sign of the beginning of the dance.

During the performance, the dancers move to Baruga or the Kings’ meeting place. They carry “katompide” (fake corpse) to the location, as well. Next, they stab it several times, ensuring that it is dead. Several movements are included during all the performance, including jumping and shouting, after all. For tourists, that’s definitely an interesting dance. Therefore, they should carry a camera when enjoying it. It helps them capture beautiful moves and moments at that time. Not to mention they have the chance to take selca with the dancers!

In the past, Honari Mosega Dance was considered a cruel performance. It’s because the dancers would stab each other using a spear. Despite such scary fact, it has become the pride of Liya Village. That means the dance becomes one of the reasons why many tourists keep coming to Wakatobi, especially in Wangi-Wangi Island. Apart from being an entertainment, the dance also becomes a valuable object of study among historians and cultural anthropologists. Isn’t that great?

Nearby Attractions

• Tee Kuea Nature Bath
• Tofengka Stone
• Tee Kosapi Cave
• Mola Village
• Mola Laya Dock

How to Get There
As mentioned before, the dance belongs to Liya Raya Village. It is located in Wangi-Wangi Island, actually. That means travelers should ride an airplane and head to Matahora Airport first. From there, they can take any local transportation service to the settlement.

Where to Stay

• Wakatobi Patuno Resort