Serigala
Serigala is an animist ritual, held at national level and only few times in Timor -Leste ( the previous one being in 2006 during the conflict in Dili) organized by liurais and "lia nain", the "owners of the holy things “, of all the municipalities that make up the complex legislative and judiciary traditional Timorese system, called to honor the unknown heroes.
It took place on 19, 20 and 21 of August in the garden of the "Arquivo Museu da Resistência Timorense", the high point being the ritual slaughter of a chicken, a pig and two buffaloes, whose entrails were read as oracle and integrated into the blessing of the " Eternal Flame ", a star-shaped monument that will be built there.
Stones and "belaks" ( ornamental discs representing the sun and used by traditional chiefs ) corresponding to the 13 districts, were blessed with the blood of the sacrificed animals.
On the last day, August 21, the objects were placed with the help of several veterans of the internal and the diplomatic fronts. Among them were former fighters like Mau Huno and Mau Meta, José Ramos-Horta , Rogerio Lobato and Mari Alkatiri, who touched the objects, thus merging its presence with the honored heroes.
The animist ceremony ends with a blessing by a Catholic priest who sprinkled holy water on the stones and other objects, illustrating the cultural fusion that is Timor-Leste.
A minute of silence was observed and thus ended the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of Falintil.
