Perpatih: Architecture (Rumah Gadang)

As a student, author always heard and crossed upon the word "Rumah Gadang" and I do not really pay attention to it until recently while conducting the research about the Perpatih custom. Rumah Gadang is actually a traditional house in Minang society. Rumah Gadang or literally means "rumah besar" or big house in Minangkabau language, serves as a house (a place to live in), as a place where families gathered together for a meeting, and as a place to holds customary rituals or activities. Following the Perpatih custom, Rumah Gadang is owned by women which families lives in the house, often inherited from their mothers to their daughters.

This Rumah Gadang has a very unique architecture, and is different from any other traditional architecture. The roof, especially, distincts it from other houses. The end of the roof are pointed upwards, resembling the shape of a cow's horn which is called the gonjong. Often in any rumah gadang, there would be a place to chill and relax outside the house. This place, though it is considered outside, is still connected to the house and it is called the "anjuang" or anjung, literally means balcony. 

The walls of the houses, or "dindiang" are often decorated in woods carving and sometimes verses from the Holy Quran are carve into the walls. The woods carving are usually inspired from human beings' behaviors, plants, animal or any nature around us. This rumah gadang is also famous because of its architecture that does not use any nails to connect the woods; they used a very strong glue made out from tree latex, instead. One of the most famous type of rumah gadang is the Istana Seri Menanti.

*Istana Seri Menanti: Famous of its building that does not used any nails*

*anjuang*

*the roof, or gonjong*

*the walls, or dindiang*

*one of the most amazing wood carving I've ever seen*

*the wall with the Holy Quran verses carve on it*

*an example of rumah gadang: Muzium Negeri, Seremban*

Perpatih: Games

When I was a kid, there were just so many games that I love playing with my siblings. I might never know what I was playing but how much I love it, I remember it well. Only now that I have grown up and living my life as a young adult, while doing research about the wonderful people of Minang, I finally I know that I’ve played 3 of the most famous games in the world that was brought on by the Minagkabau people. There are of course other games like sepak raga, wau and galah panjang but 3 of the most common ones would be ketinting, batu seremban and congkak where I have personally experience for myself.

The number one game that I have played was hop-scotch or as the Minang people name it, Ketinting. This game is actually preferred by the girls but seeing my brother playing along with us all when we were kids, I say this game is preferred by all the kids. We started off by drawing lines in the sand by using a stick or by using chalks to draw on a tarred road nearby our house. The lines should be completed after there are nine boxes have been drawn. There should be at least 2 players or more and the players would need a rock or what they call it, Gundu which is for the players to throw into any of the boxes and pick it up later when coming back hopping using only one leg.

                                                

 

The other game is Batu Seremban or in English we call it Five Stones. I love this game as it tests our mental and physical strength. I and my friends and siblings were very competitive and so, we will all play with our opponents’ mind for them to lose. This game challenges our speed to catch the stones before it falls down to the ground. In a way, you sort of juggle the stones. From the very beginning, they use actual stones but they change it by using handmade stones where they stitch up cottons or any other materials to 3cm triangles and filled them up using green peas.

The famous Congkak game was also came from the people of Minang. This game was invented from the start of Kesultanan Melayu Melaka but wasn’t sure whether it was invented through outsiders’ influence that came from merchants or it was really invented by the Minangs. Anyway, Congkak was made from wood with 20 wholes. 18 of the holes, 9 from each sides was called kampong and the other 2 holes, 1 big hole for each player at their right sides was called Rumah which means home. For each of the kampong, there will be 7 marbles or what they call it buah congkak. The game was easy and fun even for just two players.

These games don’t just symbolize the people of Minangkabau people but also symbolizes the country of Malaysia. The best thing that I learn about this culture and their games is how they made these games’ material and objects using what they have during those times that technology and fancy materials exists. The creativity that they have displayed was remarkable and something that It’s hard to be seen these days. Therefore, children today should learn about these games as well so that these traditional games will continue to go on and the creativity of how the ancient people have contributed will never be forgotten since all these traditional games doesn’t just contribute to fun and excitement, it also contributes to the world of art with all the beautiful carvings and lovely paint job.

Perpatih: Clothes

The thing that sets the culture of Minangkabau and other cultures apart would be their clothing. Fashion sense of the people of Minang was extraordinary and everything that they wear and how they wear it provides meaning to them. I love the Minangkabau’s clothes as it is just gorgeous. The materials and designs are very different and exquisite. They design their clothes in a way to show who they are and what status they are in.

The leader of the tribe as what they call it, Penghulu wears the kind of clothes that symbolizes the greatness about the people of Minang and not anybody can wear what he wears.He is also not suppose to wear it whenever he likes so only on certain events where he is suppose to wear it. Overall, Destar is what he wears on his head, Baju which is his clothes, Keris which is form of weapon that he carries around and tucked into his Sesamping, Sarawa means his pants, Sesamping is what he wears on the outside of his pants, Cawek refers to his belts, Sandang is what he puts on his shoulder and Tungkek is like a cane that he carries around. Everything he wears, from accessories to the colour symbolizes different meanings.

As for the lady of the leader which they call, Limpapeh Rumah Nan Gadang it is another set of totally different things. Firstly, Limpapeh is like a main pole that holds the other poles to keep a house still and steady. This is like a metaphor of how they see women as someone remarkable and the only thing that can keep a family together. So, what this Limpapeh Rumah Nan Gadang wears are Baju Bertabue which refers to the golden stitches everywhere, Minsie which is the golden stitches along the side of the clothes, Tengkuluak which is what she wears on her head that shaped like the bull’s horns, Sarung, Salempang, Dukuah and Galang.

Other clothes that were worn by other people were also beautiful. They are all different in a way since some may use different materials and different colors and some would add up other accessories. I simply adore how they mix and match their clothes in a way that some might not even dare to mix up. They would just simply use satins and mixing it up with silks and somehow it goes. The other best part about their passion for their fashion is how they are proud having big objects on their heads and not every women can wear horns on their heads and look amazing but from what I see, the people of minang especially the women can really pull it off.

Perpatih: Food (Rendang)

Delicious meals or cuisines are different in every countries and each came from our ancestor’s secret recipe or our new inspiration. It is amazing to see something that is the same but taste all very differently. We all have our favorite food and the greatest thing about having favorite food is that most of our favorite food comes from our own family background. Therefore, what we eat also can be influenced by our culture.

The people of Minangkabau has their own specialties too when it comes to cuisines. The two of the most famous food that came from them would be rendang and padang rice. Padang rice is actually famous in Indonesia and since the people of Minangkabau originate from Sumatera, padang rice is one of the common thing that Malaysia and Indonesia have. They serve the padang rice actually by serving different kinds of dishes and let we choose what we want to go with our white rice. The dishes range from spicy to fried food. They have different types of Gulai which can be a curry of meat or a curry of cow liver or anything. Friend stuff that they usually serve are like dendeng which is thin crispy beef, ayam pop which is padang style of frying the chicken where they made it golden in color and others.

As for rendang, nowadays we could find rendang anywhere in Malaysia but not every rendang tastes the same and the Minangkabau’s style of rendang happens to be the best. Rendang takes a very long time to cook and we would use cubed meat, some spices and herbs and a lot of coconut milk. It might take a long time to cook this particular dish but it will all be worth it when it’s done. Before it starts to cook, in between the time it will actually look like curry but when it is fully cook, it will turns out moist and a little dry.

The origin of any particular food might not be precise unless we really look it up since whatever recipe that any culture has created will be spread all over the world. For instance, the Indian-Muslim who has created roti canai, nowadays we could see that even the Malays are doing it too. But that is what happens when we mix around with other cultures, we would tend to learn new things from other people. Personally, when it comes to cuisines and food, mixed culture should be a must since it is always great to taste different kinds of tasty and healthy food so that our lives would not be very dull with everyday eggs and rice or everyday noodle soup. 

*Rendang, with the herbs that are used in cooking it*

*Nasi Rendang Minang*

Perpatih: Caklempong

Music is a form of sound that is arranged to be sung or played by people and it is universal as everybody in the world listens to music. The difference in the music that we all listen to would be in a form of tune, instruments that we use and the language. When it comes to the people of Minangkabau, they have a unique way of playing their traditional music. They use a lot of instrument and although the language they use is in Malaysian language, they speak and sing in different dialects. The most famous instrument that they use traditionally would be no other than Caklempong.

Caklempong that is made from bronze and belong to the family of gong will be lined in a straight line having different sizes and different tone of music as a set of Caklempong is based on a few other parts like firstly the Bonang itself that is used to be hit by the Kayu Pengetuk.  There are 3 different sets of Caklempong which are Caklempong Gereteh, Caklempong Tigkah and Caklempong Sauwa and the difference between these 3 is the amount of Bonang they use and the notes that they use.

According to history, Caklempong was brought to Malaysia by the Minangkabau citizens from West Sumatera and settled down in Negeri Sembilan around the 14^th century. It is really amazing to see how they could play it with such enthusiasm and hitting the Caklempong like hitting the drums and you could see how happy they look when they play it. During the Citra Budaya Pepatih festival in Negeri Sembilan, this traditional instrument was played not to provide music but to provide rhythms for the dancers of Tarian Zapin and Tarian Piring. The main thing I love about this particular performance is that they use the rhythm very well and displays the uniqueness of their culture with all the beautiful clothes and the different kinds of rhythms. 

*these caklempong photos were taken when author visited Muzium Negeri in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan*

Perpatih: Taboos

In every culture, each have their own beliefs and it might not have anything to do with their religion. It is true that religion is about believing in something like a higher power and doing a certain rituals and culture is something like that but just slightly different. Most people can’t differentiate which is culture and which is religion. Well, when it comes to culture, it is mostly about influence, mindsets and attitude. So mindset about certain cultures would be different. Some believes in bad and good luck, some believes in science and some like the people of Minangkabau, believes in taboo.

It is very interesting to see how taboos actually work. Taboos are pretty much restriction for certain events or places, what they should and should not do. It ranges from sleeping taboos to giving birth’s taboo. When it comes to sleeping, they believe that they should not sleep in the evening as it will attract you to diseases and they should also not sleep in the afternoon as it leads to life shortening. They also believe that girls should not sleep lay on their back as that will attract snakes.

When it comes to their eating taboos, they believe that you can never eat using two stacks of plates as it leads to having two marriages and if you eat while your other hand holds on to the ground since they mostly eat on the floor especially for village people, it will weakens your body. It is very rare to see the generation today to still follow these taboos. However, I went to a friend’s hometown on the 10^th of March 2011 and saw it for myself how the mother who is a Minangkabau, taught all of her nine kids about these taboos. She taught me a little bit too as she feels that I need to know what is the right thing to do in their culture and since I am the outsider, I feel that I should know as I don’t want to offend anybody and that is how I got to learn about the Minangkabau’s taboos.

The people of Minangkabau practice a lot of restrictions because of the taboos that they believe in. The most interesting part about these taboos is that it came from their ancestors, a very long time ago where they use taboos to teach their children and grandchildren the right way to live. The consequences for all taboos were actually made up by the ancestors to scare the young ones so that they would avoid being rude, live healthily and safely. So, the taboos were passed down from generations to generations as guidelines for them to never forget their own culture.

Perpatih: Art (Dance)

On 13th March 2011, this blog's authors went to Seremban to attend a Perpatih Festival. We managed to record a traditional Minang dance, originated from Padang, Sumatra Indonesia. It was told that the dance is almost exactly the same as it was hundred years ago. However, due to some technical error the recorded video could not be uploaded here. Readers can check the video out on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KRxkgVrbzg

From this video, it can be seen that the the dancers are holding a small white plate on their hands. This dance is called "Tari Piriang" or The Plate Dance. This dance is originated from Minangkabau of Sumatera, Indonesia. This dance is still practices among the Minang descendants, be it in Negeri Sembilan or Indonesia. This dance is actually a movement that resembles the movement of farmers during planting, reaping and so forth. It also symbolizes joy and gratitude with the products of their crops. This dance is a jig with the dancers holding the plate on the soles of their hands, accompanied by musicians who play the music with instruments such as the caklempong and the saluang. Sometimes, this dance would get a little extreme where the dancers will be thrown into the air and when it crashes the ground, the dancers would step and dance on it.


Luckily, when author recorded the Plate Dance weeks ago, the dancers did not get that extreme. Or else, the author might die of shock and horror. To those who are not faint-hearted, whom are eager to watch how extreme this dance can be, they can check out this video:

Introduction 2: How, Where, When and Who?

The Perpatih custom is originally originated from Minangkabau, Sumatra, founded by a Minang leader named Sutan Balun or also called Dato 'Perpatih Nan Sebatang. This customary practices and rules of life are determined for the Minangkabau people who mostly are farmers. There is no exact date was recorded when the custom was established but Perpatih had been brought to the Malay Peninsula (nowadays Peninsular Malaysia) by the Minangkabau immigrants, in the 14th century.

In Malaysia, this Perpatih custom still exists and is practiced by the Malays all over Negeri Sembilan except in Port Dickson and Linggi. This custom is also practiced in Naning and Alor Gajah of Malacca. Most of all the Malays that practiced Perpatih custom are descendants of the Minangkabau immigrants.

For more than 600 years of the practice, this custom had gone through a few eras of colonial powers but its philosophies, elements, and principles are still firm and they does not change, not even the slightest change. The philosophy that contained in the Perpatih's famous saying still remains. The saying goes like "Biar mati anak, jangan mati adat," or in English it literally means "let the child die, but not the custom." For more information on this saying, check this out: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/5/24/focus/3973395&sec=focus

As time goes by, now in modern days, those who practice Perpatih assimilate it to their modern way of life and they also assimilate it to the Islam's views. The Perpatih custom consists of two rules; the fundamental rules that can not be changed and the non-fundamental rules that may be modified according to times. This means this custom is not static and can accept the elements of adjustment in any age and condition.

Introduction 1

Perpatih institution is a complete social system which is used in traditional Malay society up till this day. Perpatih social system consists of several sub-system which includes political, economic, religious, social, legal, cultural and family ties. These sub-systems function is to establish and stabilize the community on becoming a safe, peaceful, friendly, cooperation, helpful and progressive community.

Perpatih everyday practice includes economic, political, family and property is based on two aspects of 'codes of ethics'. First ethic is the concept of consensus agreement that is democratically patterned and the second one is the concept of reciprocal aids, cooperation and group efforts. Perpatih custom is also famous as matrilineal system, where the descendants of a person is determined by the mother. Basically, this traditional custom is considered the best because it covers almost every aspect in life. In Perpatih, women's priorities are more towards inheriting the inheritance and as the descendants of the bloodline. To Perpatih custom, since women are the one who gave birth and brought up the children, then the children will carry their mothers' blood.

In terms of wealth, the reason why it is fully inherited by women is to prevent the womens' welfare from being neglected if their husbands divorce them. However the matrimonial property is equally distributed between husband and wife, according to the Islamic law. Perpatih custom controls can be regarded as a social system which is very liberal and comprehensive.

This unique custom is conducted almost entirely in the various aspects of community life in the determination of the administration, distribution of political power, distribution and inheritance matters, marriage preparation and marriage in principle. As a rule of life based on common interests work together and democracy, this tradition has always maintained the integrity and credibility.

However, the notion of outsiders on this custom is still negative. This custom practices was feared. The custom incur their phobias. They keep on saying, if one married to a Negeri Sembilan girl, the marriage would ended in divorce. Does it really happened so? And why?

But it is unfair to judge a culture by the surface only. Here, based on the authors' experiences during their research about the Perpatih custom as an ethnographer, hopefully the society's negative perception about this custom more or less will decrease.