Preservation of Mabedda Bola ritual as sustainable tradition of hand stencil on prehistoric cave in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

• Main Author: Permana, R. Cecep Eka
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DS Asia
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/14447/1/12.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/14447/; http://www.iaha2014.uum.edu.my/

Mabedda Bola is a traditional ceremony ritual in the community of Bugis-Makassar, South Sulawesi (Indonesia) that is related with new house occupying.The important part of the activity is that makes the applying of the handprint on the poles of the new house.The colour of the handprint is yellowish white, produced from the mixture of rice flour, turmeric, and water.The handprint stamping on the polesis thought to have has the function as evil-power and misfortune repellent. This cultural practice is assumed as the continuation of making hand-stencils that are found in prehistoric caves in South Sulawesi.Not like the colour of handprint in the mabedda bola, handprints or hand-stencils prehistoric caves are usually using red or brown colour.But on the other hand they may have the similar function as misfortune repellent like worldwide researches revealed.Prehistoric cave that are rich with handprints (hand-stencils) are found in Maros-Pangkep Regency, which is also include within the culture area of the Bugis-Makassar people. Similarities in form, function, and culture area are important in cultural studies, in order to understand the cultural history from the prehistoric time to the present.Therefore, the preservation of the mabedda bola ceremony is absolutely needed not only in order to preserve cultural values itself but as prehistoric archaeology studies reference as well.