ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Marapu

Marapu is a very important thing for some people who live on an island called Sumba in Indonesia. It is like a special way of thinking and believing in things that are very important to them.

People who believe in marapu think that everything in the world has a spirit, like an energy or a soul, and that these spirits can help or hurt them depending on how they act. So they try to be really good people and do things that will make the spirits happy.

They also have special ceremonies and rituals that they do to help them connect with these spirits and ask for their help with important things like weddings, funerals, or starting a new business. Sometimes they even have special priests called rato who lead these ceremonies.

So, marapu is like a way of believing in and respecting the spirits of the world around us, and asking for their help and guidance in life. For the people of Sumba, it is a very important part of their culture and way of life.