Sunarningsih
Abstract
Ngaju communities who are living along the river banks of Kapuas and Kahajan in Central Kalimantan are indigenouse people. Some of them are adherent the Kaharingan belief and still hold rituals associated with the cycle of life and death. One of the buildings owned by each village community is a sacred stone or commonly referred to as patahu. This article attempts to learn about the various forms and functions, as well as changes in rock sacred function in today’s society. The method used is descriptive with inductive reasoning. Patahu data were collected through surveys and interviews. Based on observations and analysis, the paper shows that the majority forms of sacred stones are natural rock formations, and there are other forms that give instructions on the influx of outside influences in society. In addition, although the belief of sacred stones power remains stable, but the principal function of sacred stone in society has changed, just as the symbol of guardian villages.
Keywords: sacred stone, patahu, Ngaju people, Central Kalimantan
Source: Naditira Widya Vol.9 No.2 Oktober 2015, p. 121-134
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Balai Arkeologi Kalimantan Selatan 