The Manusela or Wahai people has a population of over 10,100 centered in the Manusela mountains of North

Seram Seram (formerly spelled Ceram; also Seran or Serang) is the largest and main island of Maluku province of Indonesia, despite Ambon Island's historical importance. It is located just north of the smaller Ambon Island and a few other adjacent i ...

, Maluku,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. They are also found along Teluti Bay in south Seram, which suggests their name of their tribe. The Manusela follows the syncretic faith of Naurus. The Naurus faith is a combination of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

and

Animism Animism (from meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork, and in ...

, but in recent years they also have adopted certain

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

principles. A few Manusela have also adopted Protestantism as well. Not much is known about their religion, except that their religion may include worshipping of

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

and Animist gods, with this influence coming from the

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...

during the early periods, and presence of

is evidenced from the fact that archaeologists have found several statues of

gods in Mindanao. The

Nuaulu The Nuaulu, Naulu or Nunuhai are an ethnic group located in Seram, Maluku (province), Maluku, Indonesia. Description The group name 'Nuaulu' means head atersof the Nua River, which is the ancestral homeland of the Nuaulu people. In the late 1 ...

tribe, who lived in 10 villages northwest of the Manusela, were similar to the Manusela in language, had a population of 400, and also follow the Naurus religion, but they were less influenced by Protestantism. The

Nuaulu people The Nuaulu, Naulu or Nunuhai are an ethnic group located in Seram, Maluku, Indonesia. Description The group name 'Nuaulu' means head atersof the Nua River, which is the ancestral homeland of the Nuaulu people. In the late 19th century or early ...

also practice the Naurus faith. The Manusela people, often mistakenly thought as the

people, wear a traditional red cloth on their head just like the

References

Ethnic groups in Indonesia Hindu ethnic groups Maluku (province) Seram Island Central Maluku Regency {{Asia-ethno-group-stub

See also

References