GENEALOGY OF TABUT RITUAL
CULTURAL AESTHETICS OF THE SUMATRAN WEST COASTAL COMMUNITY
KHANIZAR

Andalas University, Padang

khanizarchan.fsua@gmail.com, khanizarchan@fsastra.unand.ac.id
AA Bagus Wirawan

Sulistyawati

Putu Sukardja
ABSTRACT

The tabut ritual is performed in the West Coastal area of Sumatera to commemorate Imam Husein Bin Ali Abi Thalib when he was captured by the soldiers of Yazid Muawiyah in Padang Karbala. It is performed once a year, from the first to the tenth of Muharam, which is counted based on the Hijirah year. This present study is intended to investigate the form, function, and meaning of the genealogy of the tabut ritual which is performed in and as the identity of the West Coastal Area of Sumatera. It tries to (1) discuss and deconstruct the values of such a ritual as the community’s identity which tightens the cultural value of the Sumatran West Coastal community; (2) exploits the tabut ritual as the form of the Sumatran West Coastal community’s identity; (3) apply the function of the ethnical aesthetics; (4) explain the aesthetic meaning in its relation to religion and customs and traditions. Three theories were used to answer the problems of the study; they are the theory of genealogy proposed by Michel Foucault and the postcolonial theory. 

What could be concluded from the present study are as follows. The genealogical forms of the tabut ritual which is performed in the  West Coastal are of Sumatera reflects the community’s cultural aesthetics and functions to purify the soul; it also reflects religiosity, mystical and aesthetic experience  and the hegemony which exceeds the postcolonial patronage, meaning that such a ritual has the purification function. It also reflects the cosmological aesthetics of the supporting community. It has deconstruction and aesthetical genealogical meaning. 
Keywords: tabut ritual, West Coastal area of Sumatra, genealogy, aesthetics

INTRODUCTION

The tabut ritual is performed in the West Coastal area of Sumatra to commemorate Imam Husein Bin Ali Thalib who died when he was captured by the soldiers of Yazid Bin Muawiyah in Padang Karbala. It is performed once a year, from the first to the tenth of Muharam, counted based on Hijiriah year.  Its existence is recognized and protected by the Minang traditional community as it reflects the community’s cultural community. In such a context, the qualitative method was used in the present study as part of the scientific development.  The scientific development would become stagnated if there were no scientific development. The rationality of the research method and the freedom in developing and directing sciences into new paradigms is the genealogical critic. The genealogic critic technically controls society through principles, proving system, logical model, and a certain way of thinking rationally. 

The genealogical existence still recognizes rationality, and gives freedom to search for what is true critically, creatively and divergently. Similarly, the theory of deconstruction has also led to a new view on how to see various aspects of life in general and the art and technological studies in particular. The extended hand of its critical aspect is what is referred to as deconstruction which is intended to re-ask the historical writing of the oppressed nations which have always been under the shadow of the eastern image. 

The problems of the present study are formulated as follows: 1) what is the aesthetics of the tabut ritual which is used to reflect an identity and to tighten the cultural value of the West Coastal area in Sumatera like; 2) what is the function of the tabut ritual used as a local identity in the West Coastal area of Sumatra; and 3) what is the meaning of the tabut ritual used as the cultural identity in the West Coastal area of Sumatra. In general, this present study is intended to answer and explain the problems of the study formulated above. In other words, this present study is generally intended to 1) open the conception of the cultural aesthetical form which is used to reflect an identity and to tighten the cultural value of the West Coastal area of Sumatra; 2) analyze the cultural aesthetical function of the West Cultural area of Sumatra; and 3) show that art and cultural studies have not been taken into consideration as the territory of the plural local aesthetics and local genius in the academic world; the art and cultural aesthetical studies have not been used as the materials to explore in the Indonesian performing art.
METHOD

The qualitative method was used in the present study. The data were treated as realities; they were not eliminated and made to be in dichotomy based on their classifications; they could be obtained from different sources; they were field realities; the realities which were obtained from the previous studies; the reporting realities; the advanced technological realities such as internet, e-mail, printed media, television electronic media, radio, fax mail, and printed books and other realities. In research, they are all considered data as they are in existence with their realities or even exceed their realities (hyper realities). 

The present study was conducted in the West Coastal area of Sumatera, exactly Bengkulu Province and in Pariaman, West Sumatra Province. The object of the present study is the tabut ritual.  There were several reasons why the present study was conducted in such areas. First, Pariaman and Bengkulu are the areas where the tabut ritual is performed in the West Coastal area of Sumatera. Second, Pariaman and Bengkulu are located in the West Coastal area of Sumatera, where the Syi’ah Islamic followers live. Such an Islamic teaching was carried from Iran and was spread around by Sultan Alauddin Shah from 1128 to 1329. He came from the Perlak kingdom, Aceh. 

The focus of the present study is the genealogy of the tabut ritual, the cultural aesthetics of the West Coastal area of Sumatera. It is inspired by awareness of the traditional value. Two theories were used; they are the theory of genealogy proposed by Michel Foulcault and the theory of deconstruction of postmodernism proposed by Jacques Derrida. Apart from that, this present study is a qualitative one in which the new scientific paradigm is referred to, namely, the cultural studies. What is meant is that this present study does not only explain the tabut ritual in the “bare aesthetics” about the real, conservative, positivistic and formalist ontology but it is also epistemologically packaged into a form of aesthetic discourse of postmodernism. It is highly recognized that the discursive and textual studies are under the linguistic studies. However, in this case, such studies are developed to explain cultural and art events. Therefore, the method of aesthetical discursive deconstruction of postmodernism, as far as the phenomenon of the existence of the tabut ritual is concerned, can be made to be parallel with the textual construction. 
DISCUSSION

The tabut ritual reflects the cultural aesthetics of the West Coastal area of Sumatra. Its genealogy, its types which were adopted from those performed in Iran such as takziah, hajleh, syiduneh, dugdageh, bagunan enam sudut, tabut Sungai Al-Qamah and Sungai Eurat, nakhl and their processions, and the commemoration of Muharram. The tradition of Muharram in Indonesia reflects what are referred to as kanji Asyura and tabut. The form of the textual construction of tabut ritual and the construction of tabut were discussed at the same time. Such a ritual starts from when soil is taken to when it is thrown away to the sea. The organology of the musical instrument and the accompanying music are made up of six gandang tambua which are opposed to what is called peningkah and pengiring, and what is called tassa as the rhythm bearer. The songs which are sung to accompany the tabut ritual are pangka lagu, lagu or maatam, and iqua lagu. Those who play the musical instruments and support such a ritual are made up of several groups of people which are referred to as saidina (saidi, sidi), bagindo and marah.

Apart from that, the phenomenon of “art” is the event in the discourse of the tabut ritual which is performed in the West Coastal area of Sumatera. It is a ritual event which can survive in the middle of its supporting community and satisfy a group of people. In this case, such a ritual is performed to function in the structure of its supporting community. The deconstruction of such a discursive function consists of (1) the Instructional Function, Social System Strengthening, and postponement of Propaganda, (2) the function of the belief in and awareness of the humanistic rationality, (3) the function of the mythological existence as an attempt to unify ambivalence, (4) the function of ideological development, and disclosure of the aesthetic code, (5) the function of the event identification and the statement of the postmodern aesthetic discourse, and (6) the function of the purification and aesthetical statement of the community’s cosmology. 

Second, the construction of the function of the tabut ritual which is performed in the West Coastal area of Sumatera consists of (1) the religious function of the community supporting such a ritual, which is related to the purification of the soul; aesthetical motivation, mythological existence and the unification of ambivalence, and the purification and aesthetical statement of the community’s cosmology; (2) the ideological function; it is described by relating it to the ideological development; (3) the tabut ritual is performed to express identity; its investigation is related to the Consensus-based Democracy; and commodification, authenticity, and traditional status; (4) Humanistic Function; the Social System Strengthening and postponement of Propaganda; and (5) the Function of the Identification of Event and Aesthetical Statement of Postmodernism; Hegemony, Postcolonial Aesthetic Patronage and Ethno-aesthetics.

The meaning of the construction of the discursive texts of the tabut ritual is made up of (1) the meaning of the development of the religious identity of its supporting community; the solidarity strengthening among its supporting communities; the politics of identity as the subaltern struggle; (2) the ideological meaning and the strengthening of cultural aesthetics; differãnce, signification, logocentrism: the criticism which is addressed to the center and deconstruction of a solution; 3) the meaning of sacredness and the meaning of affirming cultural aesthetics; 5) the ethics of leaving home, the meaning of self-formation, building home village/town; 6) Shekh Burbuhanuddin is a deconstruction; 7) framing the cultural aesthetics of the people living in the West Coastal Area of Sumatera. 

The novelties of the present study include all the problems formulated in the problems of the study; they are the form, the functions of the tibut ritual, and its impact and meaning on the traditions, and the religion and belief which are adhered to by those living in the west coastal area of Sumatera. They are not certainly included in all the epistemologies (especially the concepts and theories used) used in the present study. All the findings were chronologically arranged, so they are scientifically accountable from the perspective of cultural studies. The novelties are as follows; 1) the tabut ritual which is performed in the West Coastal area of Sumatera was a religious ritual performed by the Syi’ah Islamic community; 2) it is performed not only to recall Imam Hussein bin Ali Abi Thalib AS, who was killed while fighting for the Islamic principles ‘sahid’ by the soldiers of Yazid bin Muawwiyyah as the caliph of Bani Umayyah in Padang Karbala on 10 Muharam 61 H (in 680), but it is also performed to glorify the descendants Khalifah ali Bin abi Yhalib. Such an ideology has been referred to since Nabi Muhammad SAW was dead; 3) genealogically, such a ritual was introduced by Syekh Burhanuddin Imam Sanggolo, who worked for Syekh Burhanuddin Imam Sanggolo from 1718-1719 and was a follower of the Syi’ah Islam; 4) however, in Pariaman such a ritual was not introduced and developed by Syekh Burhanuddin Ulakkan; he actively developed Tasauf until he died at Ulakkan Pariaman whose grave was devotionally visited every month of Syafar; therefore, such an activity is referred to as “bersyafa” (bersyafar). Essentially, such a ritual has nothing to do with the spread of Islam by Syekh Burhanuddin in the West Coastal area of Sumatera; 6) the tabut ritual was not performed before the Moslems came to the West Coastal area of West Sumatera, that is, from 670 – 730. They introduced the Suni Islamic teaching rather than the Syi’ah Islamic teaching. They came to sell their commodities to the native people. 

The religious contact between the Suni Islamic teaching and what was adhered to by the local people living in the Western Coastal area of West Sumatera led to what is referred to as pengajian terikat and adjustments to the Minang customs and traditions. The introduction of the Suni Islamic teaching in the West Coastal area of West Sumatera did not threaten the local main foundation. It gave a new dimension and replaced the cultural element of those living in the Western Coastal area of West Sumatera in general, and those living in Pariaman in particular. As a result, Al-Qur’an and Hadish are the highest in the community’s life. In this context, the oldest of the Minang customs and traditions are what is referred to as Adaik basandi Basandikan Kitabullah. The reason is that there was neither paradox nor pattern of behavior between religion and customs and traditions; there was not any difference between what is referred to as adat nan sabana ada and religion either. In the tenth century the Syi’ah Islamic teaching was introduced by the descendant of Imam Ali bin Abu Thalib; it directly got mixed with all the religions which had been adhered to before. The adjustments of the customs and traditions to such a religious teaching caused a social group to appear in the West Coastal Area of West Sumatera. 
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

The genealogical and deconstructionism of postmodernism studies, as a framework of references, will possibly can be accepted as deconstructing the cultural studies, and present the diversity in concepts and changes. Genealogy, poststructuralism, and postmodernism are importantly needed to construct the area of fully motivated dynamic intellectual discussion, create the intellectual issue and climate which characterize the movement of modernism to postmodernism in the contemporary world. 


Although the ethnoaesthetical foundation constitutes the development of cultural studies which is intended to straighten out the binary opposition of one culture against another as the dichotomy poles,  the perspective of colonialism and inferiority of the oppressed people, the essence is that the established cannons in the traditional world in general, and the traditional performing art in particular such as the tabut ritual  performed in Pariaman and Bengkulu, the West Coastal area of Sumatera, should be deconstructed. 


It is suggested that the existence of the Tabut Ritual should be maintained as a cultural identity in Sumatera. The reason is that it plays an important role as a religious ceremony as well as an aesthetic expression which can give the feeling of beauty to its supporting community and spectators. It needs to be performed in the modern civilization so that its supporters still have a cultural identity and maintain their existence. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In this opportunity, the writer would like to thank the team of supervisors such as AA Bagus Wirawan, Sulistyawati, and Putu Sukardja and the E-Journal of Cultural studies, the Doctorate Program, School of Postgraduate Studies, Udayana University for publishing this article.
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