STUDY OF SHIFTS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE KANEKES CALENDAR YEAR

• Main Author: Salimi, Qisthyna
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/77100
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Ancient societies heavily relied on calendars to mark the passage of time and comprehend the seasonal cycles crucial for agricultural planning. Ethnoastronomy, the study of how cultures understand and interpret celestial phenomena, provides valuable insights into how ancient civilizations used star constellations and identified recurring patterns to guide their agricultural practices. Farmers could anticipate significant moments for planting, field maintenance, or safeguarding crops from potential environmental challenges. This practice was also observed in indigenous societies in the Indonesian archipelago, including the Kanekes community in the Banten Province, commonly known as the Baduy Tribe. The majority of the Kanekes people engage in shifting cultivation, known as "ngahuma," and they use the constellation of Kidang (Orion's Belt) to determine the start of the year and employ the four Kidang formulas as references for timing their farming activities. Besides Kidang, they also use an agricultural calendar intricately tied to customary ceremonies. In this context, the Kanekes community annually performs five customary ceremonies: ngukus, ngawalu, muja, ngalaksa, and seba, in order to adhere to ancestral guidelines. Based on these two aspects, the author aims to delve into the rules applied within the Baduy Tribe's traditional calendar system, particularly focusing on the astronomical aspect within an agricultural context. The methodology involves conducting interviews with cultural leaders in the Cibeo Village (Baduy Dalam) and conducting a literature review. The findings indicate a yearly shift in the beginning of their calendar due to its compilation considering various factors, including the rotation of star constellations, the position of the Sun, the alignment of the first day of the month with auspicious days, and most importantly, the precise timing of the Kawalu ceremonies, which can be influenced by the timing of harvests closely linked to weather conditions (such as drought), ecological factors, and natural disasters (such as the eruption of Krakatoa).