The Osings
A living link to the ancient Majapahit Empire.
5 September 2016 14:10
Brilio.net/en - As oftoday, there are over 300 recorded tribes in Indonesia. Some of them, like the Batak, Javanese or Ambonese, are so massive that most people can associate people with them just based on their names, but some are far less exposed and are little-known outside their own small universe.
One of those is the Osing, or Using, the tribe that lives oneasternmost tipof Java, inBlambangan, Banyuwangi.
History
Recordedhistory of the Osing starts withtheMajapahit Empire's collapse in 1478. Civil war andthe growth ofIslam spelt the end ofMajapahit and its populacewent to new pastures likethe valley of Mount Bromo(now home of theTengger people), Bali and Blambangan, home of the Osing.
For this reason, Osing tradition has many similarities with that of the Balinese and Tengger people.
Osing wedding celebration.
Osinghistory is recordedin manuscripts including the Babad Wilis, Babad Sembar, Babad Tawang Alun, Babad Mas Sepuh, Babad Bayu and Babad Notodiningratan.
The Osing built the Blambangan Kingdom, a place heavily influenced byHinduism and Buddhism, and even the animism of ancient Java. They believe that Alas Purwo National Park was the final spot for Majapahit people who tried to fleethe attacks from the Bintara Kingdom. Bintara never reached Blambangan, a historical factthat helped the Osing preserve their culture.
Osing is aname given by people outside the community. Sing or hing, in both Balinese and Osing, literally means no, but its meaning is closer tothe insider. It describes the tribes attitude to an independent identity within Java.
Beliefs
Although the Osing continue theHindu and Buddhist practices carried over fromtheir ancestral roots in Majapahit, many of the tribeare now Muslim, which influences their modern-day culture. Like Balinese, the Osings also have apuputantradition: fighting to the death in order to defeatalargerand stronger enemy. The biggest war ever in Blambangan was the Puputan Bayu in 1771.
Demography and Society
Most of the people inBanyuwangi are Osing. They live in the subdistricts of Banyuwangi, Rogojampi, Sempu, Glagah, Singojuruh, Giri, Kalipuro, Songgon, Kabat, Srono, Cluring, Genteng and Banyuwangi City. They call themselves Wong Osing (Wong means orang in Indonesian and people in English) or Wong Blambangan.
TheOsing work as farmers but a few are involvedin trade and formal employment with jobs as office workers, teachers or government officials. They do have a caste system like theBalinese, but with a separate identity. The groups are called as Drakula, Sudrakula, Hydrakula, and Coliba.
Arts and Culture
Kebo-Keboan
Osingart is similar to Balinese art, but has its own character. Thedances, instruments and costumeslook much likethose is Bali, as does their architecture. Their language is derived from Ancient Javanese, but is different from its cousins: the modern Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese.
The tribe's art is full of mysticism. The best-known dances are Gandrung, Patrol, Seblang, Kebo-Keboan, Angklung, Barong Ider Bumi and Jedor. The official cultural village of Kemiri (Kemiren) at Glagah Subdistrict is one place to seethese.
Barong Ider Bumi
Barong Ider Bumi (Barong Going Around The World) is anannual event held in Banyuwangi since 1940. Barong is a Balinese mystical character that represents goodness, but theOsing depict it withmore vibrant colors. It is usually held two days after the Islam holiday of Idul Fitri (Eid Al-Fitr). The Barong is paraded around the village by seven old ladies carrying ritual tools. The Barong parade also involves five women bringing yellow rice and up to Rp 99,900 in cash. Another woman brings a water jug.
Barong Ider Bumi celebratesthe philosophy of duality, because everything in this world consists of two complementing elements: good and bad, woman and man, day and night and so on. The origin of Barong Ider Bumi is in a plague in the distant past. During the disaster, which struck the village of Kemiren, the village elderwas visited by his ancestor Buyut Cili in adream. Buyut told him to gold a parade if he wanted to end the plague.
Gandrung and Podo Nonton
Another of Banyuwangis famous traditions is the Gandrung, which commemorates the Puputan Bayu battleagainst invading neighbors and the Dutch VOC during theBlambangan Kingdom. Led byPrince Rempeg Jogopati, the Osing suffered over 60,000dead in the battle.Just 5,000 Osing were left standing after the defeat. The battle crystallized Osing cultural identity.
The eventinvolves hundreds of dancers and was created amid great opposition from the colonial government. It is rich with anti-invader symbolism. The gending (musical instruments) arecalled Podho Nonton (means everybody is watching) and played as a sort oflocal anthem duringJejer, the first session of a Gandrung performance. Gandrung also symbolizes the birth of Blambangan as a capital city to replace itsdamaged predecessor, Ulu Pangpang.
Banyuwangi Ethno Carnival
Since 2011 Banyuwangi has beenhome to one of the nations biggest art carnivals, the Banyuwangi Ethno Carnival, part of the annual Banyuwangi Festival. People in magnificent costumes based on that year's themeparade for over 2kilometers around the city that carries different art themes each year.
The international-scale festival is one of the major attractions andbrings tourists tourists from all over.
