Ngalaksa in the Folktales of Rancakalong, Sumedang, West Java:Contents a Local Historical Study
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TAWARIKH: Journal of Historical Studies, VolumeVolume 10(1), 10(2), October April 20192018 Journal of Historical Studies RETTY ISNENDES Volume 10(1), October 2018 Print-ISSN 2085-0980 Ngalaksa in the Folktales of Rancakalong, Sumedang, West Java:Contents A Local Historical Study ABSTRACT: This article is concerned with the folktales in Rancakalong, Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia, Forewordwhich are. [ii]the records and references for the cultural activity of “Ngalaksa”. “Ngalaksa” is an activity of making “laksa”, as an expression of gratitude for the harvest and as an activity of “ngalaksanakeun” or conducting, and respecting the mandates of the ancestors. Folktale becomes very important in the cycle ETTYof agriculture SARINGENDYANTI, in the region. NINAW.R. Bascom HERLINA (1954 & andMUMUH 1983)’s MUHSIN theory is ZAKARIA,used in studying the folktales. The Trimethod Tangtu employed on Sunda is qualitative Wiwitan Doctrine by using historical in the XIV-XVII approach, Century with the. [1-14] following techniques: literary study, interview, recording and documentation, observation, and text and content analysis. Fourteen folktales RETNObecome WINARNI the data of &this RATNA research ENDANG and their WIDUATIE, relationships with the activity of “Ngalaksa” are presented, so Jember’stoo their Development historical analysis. from Thethe Traditionalresults show Authoritythat the relationships to Modern betweenGovernment the content. [15-30] of the folktales and “Ngalaksa” in Rancakalong, Sumedang, West Java, include: the main ingredients and art in “Ngalaksa”, food processing, and traditional histories. In the last section of the article, there are recommendations to MUHAMMADreview and re-interpret ADI SAPUTRA, the stories UMASIH of the origin & SARKADI, of “Ngalaksa”. Review and reinterpretation of the origin Thestories Impact of “Ngalaksa” of Discovery have Learning to be conducted and Critical in order Thinking to be able to reconstruct the real story. By researching towardsthe history Learning of leadership Outcomes in Sumedang, of Indonesian it is Historypossible . to[31-44] infer that “Ngalaksa” ceremony has been really old, in line with the respect paid to “Nyai Pohaci” (dry/unirrigated rice field culture) that is thought SOPAATto be Sundanese RAHMAT authentic SELAMET culture, & SETIA especially GUMILAR, pertaining the story of the origin of rice in Rancakalong, Sumedang, West Java. The Roles of Indigenous Entrepreneurs in Dealing with the Dutch Colonialism KEY WORDS: Ngalaksa Ceremony; Folktales; Local History; Rancakalong District; History of Leadership inin Garut, Sumedang. West Java, 1903-1942. [45-58] REFNI YULIA, ZULFA & HENDRA NALDI, INTRODUCTIONImproving the Government Policy on the Arat Sabulunganas its socialTradition background (Lubis et al., 2008; in MentawaiRancakalong Islands is a. district[59-74] in Sumedang Kesuma, 2016; and Yulaeliah, 2017). Regency, West Java, Indonesia. The district As a district under the Regency hasInfo-tawarikh-edutainment beautiful cultural heritage.. [75-86] The cultural Government of Sumedang, the district of heritage meant here is one based on strong agrarianism, because the district is of its historical development that abounds indeed one of the prototypes of Sundanese withRancakalong art and culture. becomes The significant, regency isbecause also traditionalTAWARIKH: Journalregions of with Historical agrarian Studies community will provide a peer-reviewedfamous forumfor its for historical the publication nuances of thought-leadership and stories, articles, briefings, discussion, applied research, case and comparative studies, expert comment and analysis on the key issues surrounding the history education and historical studies in general and its various aspects. Analysis will be practical and rigorous in nature. The TAWARIKH journal, with print ISSN 2085-0980, was firstly published on October 28,About 2009, the in Author:the context Dr. Retty to commemorate Isnendes is a Lecturer the Youth at the Pledge Department Day in of Indonesia. Sundanese Education,Since issue Faculty of October of Language 2009 andto date, Literature the EducationTAWARIKH UPI journal (Indonesia has University been organized of Education), and published Jalan Dr. Setiabudhi by Minda No.229 Masagi Bandung Press owned 40154, byWest ASPENSI Java, Indonesia. (the Association For academic of interests,Indonesian the authorScholars is able of History to be contacted Education) via e-mail in Bandung, address at:West [email protected] Java, Indonesia. This journal is published twice a year i.e. everySuggested October Citation: and April. Isnendes, For period Retty. 2012 to Ngalaksa2017, the in TAWARIKH the Folktales journal of Rancakalong, was accredited Sumedang, by DitjendiktiWest Java: A Kemdikbud Local Historical RI Study”(Directorate-General in TAWARIKH: Journal of Higher of Historical Education, Studies Ministry, Volume of 10(2), Education April, pp.157-172. and Culture Bandung, of the Republic Indonesia: of MindaIndonesia); Masagi and Press indexed owned byalso ASPENSI, by SINTA ISSN Level2085-0980 2 owned (print). by Kemenristekdikti(2019). “ RI (Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education of the RepublicArticle of Timeline: Indonesia) Accepted in Jakarta. (February Available 9, 2019); online Revised also (March at: www.journals.mindamas.com/index.php/tawarikh 24, 2019); and Published (April 30, 2019). © 2018© 2019 by Minda Masagi Press owned by ASPENSI in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia 157i ISSN 2085-0980 and www.journals.mindamas.com/index.php/tawarikh RETTY ISNENDES, Ngalaksa in the Folktales of Rancakalong due to there once stood the kingdom of Sumedang Larang, which became the center of the old regency as a branch of Mataram Danandjaja,The study 1994:50-51 of myth or folktale and 83; has Gazin- kingdom authority in Central Java, and was Schwartz, 2011; and Noyes, 2012). has been very limited in Indonesia, with the administration. The condition has contributed flourished in the Western countries, but it toinfluential the wealth during of the colonization super-structural of the regionsDutch believed to be sacred; and folktales have been under the authority of the regency, including main concerns of finding the noble values Rancakalong District (Ekadjati, 1981; Lubis et be preserved (ACCU, 1998; Ahimsa-Putra, al., 2008; Kesuma, 2016; and Yulaeliah, 2017). 2001:189;treated merely and Kutty,as the 2002).“artifacts” The that folktales should are In this regency has lived folktales, or what frequently statements in the cultural context W.R. Bascom (1954) and J. Danandjaja (1994) of the society of their origins, namely the Danandjaja, 1994:50). These folktales are productscalls as “prose of oral narrative” tradition, (Bascom, and also 1954;folklore and inrituals the social accompanied context ofthe the tales, society legitimized of their inherited by the previous generation to the origins.rituals, asSuch well texts as competition are commonly and attempts conflict to next generation. Folklore is a part of the the better understanding of the meanings of culture inherited traditionally from one myths or folktales (Leach, 1976; Ortner, 1978; generation to the next generation in many Meyerhoff, 1982; Ahimsa-Putra, 2001:188; versions, both orally and through examples Rudkin, 2007; and Garcia, 2016). accompanied by gestures or mnemonic device In this context, Bronislaw Malinowski (cf Bascom, 1954; Dundes, 1965; Danandjaja, (1926 and 1954)’s functional approach is 1994:2; Meliono, 2011; and Rosidi, 2011). commonly used in the study of folktales. Meanwhile, according to J.H. Brunvand In addition, interpretative anthropological (1976) as cited also in J. Danandjaja (1994), folklore includes: verbal folklore; partly conducted can be used. The same is true verbal folklore; and non-verbal folklore. foranalysis Claude as Levi-StraussClifford Geertz (1963)’ (1973) structural has The examples are: folk language, traditional approach (cf Malinowski, 1926 and 1954; Levi- expression, traditional queries, folk poetry, folk or prose tale, and folk-song (cf Dorson and Ahimsa-Putra, 2001:188-189). In this ed., 1972; Brunvand, 1976; Egan, 1983; writing,Strauss, 1963;historical Geertz, approach 1973; isBascom, used, namely 1983; Danandjaja, 1994:21-22; and Meliono, 2011). analysis by comparing folktales to history The folktales in Rancakalong District (Kartodirdjo, 1963 and 1992; Wolf-Knuts, are verbal folklores, included under three 1999; Sjamsuddin, 2007; Kovach, 2010; and major groups, as cited in Danandjaja (1994) Aisiah, Suhartono & Sumarno, 2016). and other scholars, namely: Myth, Legend, The folktales in Rancakalong District and Folktale. Myth is a kind of folktale record and are made references for the that is considered to have truly occurred cultural activities of Ngalaksa. Ngalaksa and is assumed to be sacred by the one is an activity of making the laksa done who tells it. The background of Myth lies together by male and female elders as a on the universe (micro and macro), and it form of gratitude for the harvest and as an tells the creation of the universe, the stars, activity of ngalaksanakeun natural events, gods and goddesses, cultural the mandates of the ancestors to always be harbingers, main food, etc. Legend is a type grateful and respect their ancestors.or “conducting” The of folktale assumed to have occurred, but folktales concerning Ngalaksa are found in is not believed to be sacred. On the other Rancakalong, both directly and indirectly, hand, Tale is a story that is regarded as and