THE UNIQUE OF BADUY CULTURE

Madu Mega Simamora

Nurul Khairiyah
Anitasari Ginting
Alexander Batara
Albert
Sartika

ENGLISH LITERATURE STUDY PROGRAM (S1)

FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH SUMATERA
MEDAN
2019
 Baduy tribe is a native of Banten, West Java. It is located in the foothills of
Kendeng, Kenkes Village, Lauwidamar District, Lebak Regency, Banten. Baduy is a
designation given by the outside community and originated as a researcher.
Researchers equate them with nomadic or nomadic groups of people. Historically the
word "Baduy" was given by the government of the Sultanate of Banten, the
compilation of the indigenous Bantenese people were reluctant to accept their Islamic
religion and refused to be exiled to the interior.

But the Baduy tribe prefers to call "urang kenakes" which means that kenakes
based on the area of origin they live in Kenakes. Baduy people are well-known for
their customs and values of the natural surroundings. Because Baduy people are very
aware that they live side by side with nature. Because of this, many argue that the
Baduy tribe is a prohibition if ignored will demand natural law. The following are the
cultural assets owned by the Baduy people.

1. Community Groups.

Baduy tribal community groups are divided into two community groups, namely
inner baduy groups or tangtu groups and outside baduy groups or often called
panamping community groups.

a. Tangtu Group (Inner Baduy)

The Tangtu group is an inner Baduy group that resides in the interior of a forest
which is still isolated and has not entered outside cultures. this tribe is most compliant
with customary law in the form of rules and provisions set by the customary head, the
Baduy community in consisting of three spreading areas, namely in the villages of
Cibeo, Cikasiswa and Cikeusik. The characteristics possessed by the Baduy tribe
community are those who wear natural white and dark blue clothes and wear white
headbands and machetes.
 Clothes that they don't have collared and buttons on, they also don't use footwear.
They walk away barefoot and never carry money.Tthey don't know the school, the
letters they know are the Hanacara Script and the Sundanese language. They must not
use equipment or means from outside, they also live without using electricity. One
example of a tool that they made without the help of external equipment was the
Bamboo Bridge, they made a bridge without using nails, to tie their bamboo stems
using palm fibers, and to support the foundation of the bridge used large trees that
grow on the river banks.

b. Panamping community group (outside Baduy)

The Outer Baduy community has the characteristics of wearing black clothes and
headbands. the Outer Baduy tribe usually mingle a lot with other Sundanese
people. besides that they also already know the foreign culture, such as going to
school and using money. Generally outside Baduy people live in the villages of
Cikadu, Kaduketuk, Kadukolot, Gajeboh, Cisagu, which are located around the
inner Baduy area.

2. Language.

Baduy tribe generally uses Sundanese dialect as a communication tool with the
outside community. Baduy people actually understand Indonesian even though they
don't get this knowledge from school. Because Baduy people do not know the school
so they just do not know writing culture. Government efforts to build school facilities
in the area were strongly rejected by the Baduy community, because according to
them sanagat education was contrary to their customs.

3. Baduy Belief.

The beliefs embraced by the Baduy or the Kanekes community itself are often
referred to as Sunda Wiwitan based on ancestor worship (animism), but are
increasingly developed and influenced by other religions such as Islam, Buddhism and
Hinduism. But the core of the belief itself is shown by the absolute provisions of adat
with the existence of "pikukuh" (compliance) with the concept of no change as little as
possible or without any change.

The most important object of trust for the Kanekes community is the Domas
Statue, the Baduy community itself keeping the location of the statue secret because it
is considered the most sacred. Baduy people visit the location and worship once a year
in the month of Borneo. Only the highest adat leader of puun and his entourage were
elected who could participate in the worship group. In the area of the statue there is a
lumping stone which is believed if when worshiping the stone looks full then the sign
of rain will often fall and the harvest will succeed, and vice versa, if dry or runny
cloudy sign of failure will occur in the harvest.

4. Livelihoods. (Surroundings and Habits)

The livelihood of the Baduy community in general is farming as it has been done
for hundreds of years, so the main livelihood of the Kanekes community is rice
farming. In addition they also get additional income from selling the fruits that they
are looking for in the forest such as durian and tamarind acid, and forest honey. and
sell the fruits they get from the forest.

Besides that, as a sign of obedience and acknowledgment to the authorities, the

Kanekes community routinely carries out the tradition of seba, which is routinely held
once a year by delivering agricultural produce to the local authority, the Governor of
Banten. From this the creation of close interaction between the Baduy community and
the outside population.

5. Baduy Clothing.

Baduy tribal clothing as is the case with the community group, each community
group actually has the same adata clothing but is distinguished by the color worn. For
clothing that is worn among women in Baduy and Outer Baduy does not really show a
striking difference. Model, cut and color of clothes, except clothes are the same. They
wore a kind of black-blue sheath from heel to chest.
 Clothing like this is usually worn for everyday clothes at home. For married
women, they usually leave their breasts open freely, while for girls their breasts must
be closed. For traveling clothes, usually Baduy women wear kebaya, woven fabric in a
blackish-blue sarong, karembong, cloth belts and scarves. The color of the shirt for
Inner Baduy is white and the basic material is made from cotton yarn that is woven by
itself. Here are the clothes worn by a man in the Baduy community.

i. Clothing for Inner Baduy (Tangtu Group)

The men wear long-sleeved clothes called sangsang jamang, all-white plain
which is a symbol of the meaning of the sacred clean because the way to wear it is
only aroused or attached to the body. The design of the sangsang clothes is only
perforated on the neck to the chest. The pieces don't wear collars, buttons and don't
wear pockets. The color of their clothing is generally white. Making this outfit only
using hands and may not be sewn with a machine. The basic material must also be
made of genuine cotton yarn which is then woven.

For at the bottom using a similar cloth, a blue-black sarong, which is only
wrapped around the waist, the sarong is then tied with a piece of cloth. Completeness
of the Baduy tribal chief uses a white headband. This headband functions as a cover
for their long hair, then it is combined with a shawl or hasduk. The Baduy community
believes that the plain white clothes can contain pure holy meanings.

ii. Clothing for Outer Baduy (panamping community group)

The clothes that are used are black shucks. His headband is also dark blue with a
batik pattern. The design of the shirt was split in half to the bottom, like clothes
commonly worn by the general public. While the pieces of clothing using bags,
buttons and basic materials are not required from pure cotton yarn. How to dress the
Outer Panamping Baduy tribe does have a little leeway when compared to the Inner
Baduy.

Seen from the color, model or pattern of Outer Baduy clothing, it illustrates that
their lives have been influenced by outside cultures. Clothing for Baduy men is very
important. For Baduy Inner and Outer people, usually if they want to travel, they
always carry a weapon in the form of a machete that is tucked behind their waist and
is equipped with a cloth bag or a koja bag which is clipped (carried) on their shoulders.
 6. Traditional Foods

The Baduy people also have several dishes that are usually eaten by their citizens
every day. These are :

 Pasung Merah
 Kue Balok Menes ( this cake is made from white cassava and formed into a
rectangle. This soft and chewy texture cake is usually served with fried onions
and serundeng on top. )
 Jojorong ( this cake is made from starch, rice flour and brown sugar. This cake
has a soft texture and sweet taste. )

7. Traditional House.

Sulah Nyanda, located in the mountains, the Baduy live in a traditional house
made of wood and bamboo. The making of the traditional house of Sulah Nyanda is
done by mutual cooperation (gotong-royong) using raw materials that come from
nature. Materials such as wood are used to build the foundation, while at the bottom
of the foundation use river stone or pedestal as the foundation.
The unique thing about this house construction is that it was built by following
the contours of the land. This relates to customary rules which require every
community who wants to build a house not to damage the surrounding environment
in order to build a building. Therefore, the traditional house pillars of the Baduy do
not have the same height. Whereas woven bamboo is used in making rooms and
flooring. For the roof, traditional Baduy tribe houses use palm fibers made from
dried coconut leaves.
The traditional house of Sulah Nyanda is divided into 3 rooms namely the
sosoro (front), tepas (middle) and ipah (rear). Each room functions according to the
manufacturing plan.
At the front of the house or commonly called sosoro functioned as a reception
area. This is because guests are not allowed to enter the house. Other functions are
used as a place to relax and weave for women. The front is shaped widened to the
side with a hole in the floor.
While the middle or commonly called tepas is used for sleep activities and
family gatherings. While at the back of the house or commonly called imah is used
as a place for cooking and storing agricultural produce and rice. Each room is
equipped with holes in the floor.
The hole in the floor of the Baduy house functions as air circulation. This is
because the Baduy traditional house is not equipped with windows. The purpose of
not building a window so that residents who want to look outside are required to go
to see the outside of the house.

8. Culture.

On this special occasion, thousands of both Outer and Inner Baduy will
make the 115 Kilometers pilgrimage on foot, descending from the Kendeng
Mountains where their
secluded villages are located to
enter the city of Serang, capital
city of Banten Province. They
will bring along with them a
variety of fruits,
vegetables and other crops to be
presented as gifts to the
province’s officials who
symbolize the rulers of Banten.
The tradition is said to span from
the beginning of the
th
15 century which was passed down from the Sultanate of Banten, through the Dutch
Colonial era, to the present Republic of Indonesia.

For the Baduys, Seba acts as closure of the series of rites known as ‘Kawalu’,
which is a 3 months’ long fasting rite. During this period, all outsiders are prohibited
from entering the Baduy Villages.