Madura's Animism


Before Islam came to Indonesia, especially on the island of Java, the Indonesian people already knew & practiced a belief, namely the worship of ancestral spirits. This civilization was rooted in its own cultural sources & then the influence of Hindu Buddhist culture was absorbed into it. Then in the 8th – 10th century AD, there was the Mataram Kingdom with its temples in Dieng, Borobudur, Mendut, Prambanan, etc.

Traditional symbols were originally the cultural heritage of Hinduism & Buddhism which contain mystical meanings and interpretations as belief rites deeply rooted in the teachings of animism & dynamism. After the 10th century AD, changes in cultural symbols from traditions inherited from the Hindu Buddhist tradition underwent changes & shifted to traditional symbols with the aroma and color of Islamic teachings. The cultural richness found in Madura is built from various cultural elements including the influence of animism, Hinduism & Islam.

The arrival of Islam to the archipelago was one of the phenomena of the encounter of civilizations because the archipelago at that time already had a fairly high level of civilization established before Islam arrived. In terms of appreciation of religious teachings & enthusiasm for carrying out religious teachings, the area is often compared to Aceh as its veranda of Mecca. But the cultural heritage of Hinduism and Buddhism which is deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of Javanese society as well as the socio-culture that lives in society & runs with the color of animism and dynamism, has had a big influence on the patterns of religious rituals carried out by Muslim communities in Java.

This was conveyed by Tajul Arifin, a cultural figure from Sumenep, who added that in its development, various arts with a religious spirit, especially Islamic nuances, turned out to be more prominent. In this way, a kind of acculturation has occurred & there has been a fusion between the old traditions which are scented with animism and dynamism with Islamic values ​​without eliminating the old traditions. For example, mulang areh / milang areh which is the 40th day from the birth of the baby until this tradition is also often called slamethan papolo areh.

In this ritual, 2 yellow coconuts are written with Arabic letters as a form of meaningful symbolism so that the child will become fluent in reading the Koran. However, if the Mulang Areh event is held other than the month of Rabial Awwal / Mulud, this series of processions is not carried out.

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