Symbolism of the Sabah Bugis Motive: Sign and Meaning: Weapon and Textile
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KUPAS SENI Jurnal Seni dan Pendidikan Seni ISSN 2289-4640 /eISSN 0127-9688 /Vol. 8 No.2 (2020) / (1-12) Article Info: Received Date: 05 May 2020 Accepted Date: 18 November 2020 Published Date: 27 November 2020 Corresponding Author: [email protected] Symbolism of The Sabah Bugis Motive: Sign and Meaning: Weapon and Textile Mohamad Azizie Nordin Saiful Akram Che Cob Faculty Art and Design, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia To cite this article (APA): Nordin, M. A., & Che Cob, S. A. (2020). Symbolism of The Sabah Bugis Motive: Sign and Meaning: Weapon and Textile. KUPAS SENI: Jurnal Seni Dan Pendidikan Seni, 8(2), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.37134/kupasseni.vol8.2.1.2020 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.37134/kupasseni.vol8.2.1.2020 Abstract The research aims to analyse the motive of the traditional Bugis symbol and meaning in Tawau, Sabah (weapon & textile). The research is type is d descriptive qualitative approach with interviews, observation, document, and literature review. Data analysis techniques in this research are ethnography Clifford Geertz. The results of the research indicated that weapons and textiles have a philosophy and symbolic meaning of Bugis Sabah's motive. In this study, textile for Bugis Sabah has convinced symbolic meanings that are very dependent on the wearer for green color for nobility women, red color for teenager’s girl, red color for married women, purple color for widows, black color for elderly and white color for assistants and shaman. Lippa Sabbe’ cloth also has its meaning and philosophy. The motifs found in this Lippa Sabbe ’is Balo Tettong, Mallobang, Cobo, Balo dan Balo Renni. For weapons, the cultural value system is also an important aspect of a culture that has a concept in the lives of society. These cultural values are an important and valuable aspect of one's personality. This is also because the value of the culture is also a guideline that is significant enough for each human behavior. In culture, there are ideas and values for them to learn. In a way, they are sure to know the elements. Pamor Polobessi functions to providing content on the values of heroism (arowaenengeng); meanwhile (abbaramparengeng is meant to be wealth. Also, the authority known as (arajangeng) is placed in Polobessi. Keywords: textile, weapon, meaning, symbol INTRODUCTION Bugis or Ugi is one of the ethnicities inhabiting some areas in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah. The focus on Peninsular Malaysia lies in Johor, where most Bugis people live in the area. Meanwhile, in Sabah, Tawau is home to most Bugis people. Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Semporna, and Kunak districts are also part of the Bugis residency. In the daily life of the Bugis people, they are still bound by the norm system and custom rules that are regarded as sublime as the system is still in use, namely the emperor (pang'ade'reng). Mattulada (1985: 54) the governor regulates how one is behaving and civilized within the community. Pemeredreng system consists of the five most important elements in Bugis namely; ade' (adat), speech (trial/judgment), rapang (moral treatment and good manners emulated by society), (Christian Pelras, 1996: 190). These elements will be used in households, making a living, traveling to foreign countries, and so on. Ade' is a must-have humanitarian value that needs to exist within the Bugis people or else non-existent caste will be swallowed by the increasingly advanced modernization of today. 1 Symbolism of The Sabah Bugis Motive: Sign and Meaning: Weapon and Textile Customs inherited from the ancestors in Bugis society are still practiced until today. This custom is divided into four parts, namely i) rituals to face crisis; ii) rituals for safety; iii) rituals avoiding ‘malapes’ or illness, and iv) rituals for thanksgiving. Through understanding, we can also see the meaning contained in the action or symbol in the ritual that can be categorized in three parts is the first one is to understand the meaning and purpose behind the symbols to be used in rituals. The second is to practice these rituals to prevent dangerous and ill omen if not done. Third, the person who performs the ritual having a different understanding of the true meaning of it (Nurhayati Djamas, 1985: 294). The Bugis are very famous for being seafarers who have developed a maritime culture over the centuries in Indonesia. Phinisi and Lambo are the types of Bugis boats that have pastured the waters of the Archipelago, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Northern Australia to trade. This Bugis maritime culture not only develops sailboats and savvy sails but highs up a commercial law and sail. Halilintar Lathief (2003: 18) a written shipping law legacy is called an allopilopping adek written in Bugis lantern by Ammana Gappa in the 17th century. Bugis people are open-minded and willing to leave their homeland because they want to explore outside their homeland. The upheaval that occurred on the 16th of the year in which the war between the kingdoms led to the Bugis people wandering out of South Sulawesi. This situation can be seen through the Bugis Pagatan people on the west and south coast of Borneo, in the east and north coast areas of Sumatra and the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. The growing number of Bugis people in selected Malay states is not only due to the turbulence in their homeland, but because Bugis people like to travel and sail to explore new worlds (Mohd Akbal Abdullah & Abdullah Sulaiman, 2005: 3). Here we can see that the migration of Bugis in Sabah, Malaysia, can be addressed through the Tawau district. Bugis migration because major economic factors as Tawau was the place where the Japanese cultivate economic activities and political matters, which led the Bugis to Tawau to find a better life. Moreover, the Bugis already had a settlement in Tawau, Sabah during the entourage led by Puado around the 1880s when the Dutch and British previously occupied it. A value expressed by the Bugis is Siri, either from the Bugis people who reside in South Sulawesi or those who migrate to the Borneo Islands and some Malay Archipelago. Siri is also used as a principle and is appreciated by cultural values inherited by the ancestors of people called as 'pappaseng'. The six main values of the Bugis people are 'lepu' (honesty), amaccang / acca, astinajang (fairness), getting stronger, reso (hard work), and Siri (shame/self-esteem). Today's Siri is still being practiced because it is the identity of the Bugis community and is the main values today. The Siris should be defended for being a nation's heritage that needs to be preserved so that it is not tainted by others. An assertive approach will be taken to restore one's self-esteem if someone is humiliated. Manurung is considered the most perfect body because of its white blood. According to Nur Alam Saleh (2004: 23), the Siri is abstract because it cannot be seen through the naked eye but can only be felt by one. H.M. Laica Marzuki (1995: 48) also the Siri means dignity, self-esteem, and honor, which is a key-value to the lifestyle of Bugis people. The weapon is popular for Badik and Kris because of the Bugis. Badik also has his own interpretation of the culture of Bugis, which they have believed since their ancestors' times. Sword is one of the traditional cultural identification weapons of the Malaysian peoples of the world, including Bugis, Makassar, Mandar, and other northern tribes as special weapons, as well as other ethnic groups scattered in various other areas. Panre Bassi is a nickname for the Bugis culture for people who profess to be blacksmiths on a regular basis. Badik or kawali is typically made by Panrita Bessi (in the form of an iron expert), who starts by searching for raw materials in the process of making it, which is then carried out by magical filling via the ritual process of compiling traditional weapons. Silk fabrics have distinctive colors and different patterns as the wearer will feel comfortable with the use. Lippa is a unique checked pattern. Silk in Bugis is called "sabbe" which is a beautiful sarong and is the result of the Bugis hand. On the day we can see that this sarong is still worn by the Bugis for maintaining the culture. Besides, this sarong is also worn in traditional ceremonies and 2 KUPAS SENI Jurnal Seni dan Pendidikan Seni ISSN 2289-4640 /eISSN 0127-9688 /Vol. 8 No.2 (2020) / (1-12) traditional weddings and festivals (Rahman, 2009). This silk has its own unique colors and shapes such as small squares and geomorphic forms. This is also a distinctive pattern called in Bugis language is a “balo” which is something its decoration or color (Tahara, 2013). These patterns also have their symbols and have meaning, philosophy, and aesthetics. These silk fabrics also have a variety of special motifs for consumers as each of these sarongs has its color and every symbol or motif that symbolizes the culture of the Bugis itself. The meaning of the sarong is also very valuable because when someone wants to sell the price is higher. After all, the silk cloth is different from the unique and luxurious fabrics and the shine and tenderness Soedarso, (2006:101). PROBLEM STATEMENT The problem lies in the development of Bugis motifs, which have been mixed, so the pattern of the ‘renni’ and the ‘hole’ has been intruded with the other motifs. The Renni Balo motif is a vertical motif while the Balo Lobang motif has a motif that has a thick line.