Mt. Merapi locals take part in ceremony on mountain
Local people living around the slopes of Mt. Merapi in Central Java, took part in a ceremony to apease the mountain. Villagers hiked up the mountain with ceremonial food, to ask for divine protection against an eruption.
Here’s more from the Jakarta Post.
Hundreds of villagers seek safety in age-old mass ritual
Slamet Susanto and Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta, Boyolali
Like their ancestors before them in times of trouble, residents of a hamlet on Mt. Merapi’s slopes gathered Friday for a mass ritual to seek divine protection.
Hundreds of people from Kembang in Turi district in Sleman presented five rice cones replete with vegetables and fried chicken. They prayed together and then feasted on the food in the shadow of Merapi, which was put on its highest status for an eruption a week ago.
“Leftovers are brought home to be distributed to other family members and neighbors to enable them to receive the blessing,” Kembang hamlet chief Sukardi said.
The ritual was held, he added, because the burning lava and hot ash spewed by Merapi were heading for Krasak River in the direction of the town of Magelang.
“As our hamlet is located beside the river, we pray that the flood of cold lava which devastated the area in the 1970s will not happen again,” he said.
A sacred ritual was conducted by Merapi’s spiritual guardian Mbah Marijan at Sri Manganti at Kendit, about 3 kilometers from the volcano’s crater, on Tuesday.
The 73-year-old then went on a ritual march from Thursday night until Friday morning with local residents around villages near his residence at Kinahrejo in Umbulharjo, Cangkringan district.
Umbulharjo village head Bejo Mulyo said the march was intended to instill in people the importance of patience and to eschew reckless actions.
The ritual constitutes interaction between the residents and nature. “We are accustomed to Merapi. In this case, it does not necessarily mean we are not afraid of danger, but we already know the characteristics of Merapi, including when it will spew hot ash.”
Bejo was dismayed by the attitude of government officials, who acted as if they knew much more than locals about the volcano. The officials ordered residents to flee when Merapi spewed ash, although residents themselves found considered the belching of ash and lava to be regular natural phenomenon.
“It’s only abnormal when Merapi stops spewing anything,” he said.
“The government should be wise in how they encourage residents to temporarily evacuate to makeshift shelters amid rising volcanic activities. If not, then just ask them to be on the alert. This would be much better.”
Another ritual for safeguarding the community was conducted by about 500 residents of Jurang Jero hamlet in Selo district, Boyolali, on Sunday, a day after Merapi’s status was raised.
Village elder Sumitro said it was an age-old custom used by locals to prevent a natural disaster.
Usually, it is conducted four times a year, he said, but its frequency was increased when the situation was more threatening.
Local residents in Selo believed they would be spared hot ash or burning lava because their village is located at the foot of adjacent Mt. Merbabu, which is said to be older than Merapi.
This is really interesting, as it shows the animist beliefs, apeasing evil spirits and making offerings to the Gods, believing in black magic and having a connection with the land around one’s home, are still alive in Java. Most of these people are Muslim, but the old beliefs still prevail and go back to a time when Islam hadn’t reached Indonesia.
Interaction between a person and his / her enviroment on a spritual level, is the basis of a mythology and a religion. When that connection is lost, you get a very different kind of dynamic, whereby thnigs mnow have to be written down for people to learn, understand, remember. Religious scholars need to study the words of other to have a grasp on the religion, but in the basic animist situation, its is a system learned by word and action.