Reproduction of Volcanic Rituals in Appealing for the Right to Live in Disaster-Prone Zones on Mount Merapi

Abstract

In response to the Mount Merapi eruption in 2010, the government had conducted several disaster risk reduction programs. However, the programs had ironically threatened hamlets as communities regarding their rights to practice their local knowledge and live in their home ground. This study employed a qualitative method involving five hamlets from December 2019 until February 2020. The data were collected by employing participatory observation and depth interviews, involving the ritual organizers, participants, citizens, guests, and other audience. Spirited by ritual theory as political action, this research showed that the hamlets formulated volcanic ritual reproductions into three forms which were the delegitimation of the disaster risk reduction programs, the reinforcement of Kejawen identity, and the showing off the safety and prosperity. Those reproductions were recognized by the emergence of new ritual processions in the forms of parades, pilgrimages, offerings, and enhancements of ritual formalization and celebrations. Those reproductions positively impacted the literacy and recognition from both the government and general society that those hamlets have been living a safe and prosperous life in Merapi, even though they are located in disaster-prone areas.

Community Engagement for Disaster Preparedness in Rural Areas of Mount Merapi, Indonesia

“…On the other hand, cognitive-social capital is embodied in local wisdom, consisting of cultural values and behaviors rooted in a spiritual perspective on Merapi and its potential dangers. Cultural practices, such as traditional rituals, function as symbolic communication agencies [60,61], which serve as instruments to convey messages of environmental ethics, cooperation, communal attitudes, identity, and social resilience for residents on the slopes of Merapi. In this context, rituals are preserved as a medium for community unifier, reflecting the bonding function of social capital in building commonality and the nature of togetherness in the local sociocultural sphere.…”

Regional resilience in post-disaster recovery efforts of Merapi eruption based on local wisdom in Sleman Regency

“…The myth carries the mission of sustainability and the universe. As part of the Javanese traditional group, precisely under the auspices of the cultural area of the Yogyakarta Palace, the people of Merapi believe that eruptions are a part of the life cycle of God's creatures, especially so far as Merapi has been personified as grandparents or grandfathers for the people who live around it (Hudayana 2021). Belief in ancestral spirits, united with belief in natural forces that have an influence on human life, colors the religious life and customs of the Javanese people, namely Syncretism, Tantularism, Tolerant Kejawen, and Accommodative and Optimistic.…”

“…In Turgo, they are Grandmother and Jumadil Kobro who in ancient times were believed to live on Mount Turgo. In Babatan, they are Grandfather Merapi, Kiai Petruk, and their ancestors (Hudayana 2021). Each of these sacred objects is a legacy of the Yogyakarta palace, which means it has a very high cultural value.…”

“…The community has been living surrounding Merapi Mountain for hundreds of years ago and has a social attachment to the environment (Akbar 2019). Merapi's soil fertility and natural beauty have great potential for improving people's welfare (Hudayana 2021), both for those who live on its slopes and for the people of Yogyakarta. In general, the composition of the soil in the area around Merapi is used as agricultural land (Antriyandarti et al 2013).…”