Merapi's rumblings a sobering forewarning

Merapi's rumblings a sobering forewarning

By Tarko Sudiarno and Nugroho C.H.

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Mount Merapi's return to activity in recent weeks is much more than a natural phenomenon for many Javanese.

For them, viewing Merapi as part of a trio of sacred kingdoms in Central Java, it is a sobering warning that all is not well with the country.

The activity of the volcano, straddling the border between Central Java and the special province of Yogyakarta, shows the perilous situation confronting the state and the people of the country.

Believers in Javanese cosmology say a supernatural kingdom exists on Merapi's peak, amid the pyroclastic flows and thermal clouds. It is closely linked to two other sacred kingdoms, the court of Yogyakarta and the sea kingdom off Central Java's southern coast.

They believe that if Merapi is about to erupt, it will give signals through Raden Ngabehi Suraksohargo, who is better known as Mbah Maridjan. With a monthly wage of Rp 3,000, he enjoys the status of courtier and is assigned by the Yogyakarta sultan as the "gatekeeper" to the kingdom of Merapi.

A modern day eruption will thus be a forewarning of political disturbances -- and that a national leader is about to step down.

An observer of Javanese culture, KRT Suryanto Sastroatmadja, said the belief had a historical basis. Before upheavals in the ancient kingdom of Mataram, it was common that there would be increased activity on Merapi.

"When the political situation was critical, such as when there was a transfer of power in the kingdoms of Panjang and Mataram, Merapi erupted. Likewise, when there was a succession in the Sanjaya dynasty, Merapi's eruption was so intense that it buried a number of temples on its southern slope."

He said an example in modern times was before the 1965 attempted coup blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), when Merapi was unusually active. The volcano also erupted in January 1997, only months before the Asian economic crisis spread to the country and political upheaval led to the resignation of Soeharto.

Suryanto said the volcanic eruptions were a way for the denizens of the kingdom of Merapi to warn people to resolve their disputes with each other.

It is the sign from the spirits on the volcano for people to return to the right path in life.

"Volcanically, Merapi is currently in the process of erupting. But in my opinion, the kingdom of supernatural creatures is having a ritual or ceremonial feast, namely the feast of installing a leader. To prepare this feast, though, they have to go through certain stages before the big day comes.

"Right now they are preparing the process, which is kicked off by the discharging of glowing lava and thermal clouds, then a dome appears and afterwards, at the right time, it erupts."

He said it was all part of a process.

"Merapi in history has never erupted all of a sudden. Everything began with definite activities."

Mbah Maridjan said the volcano's activity was at its peak at the moment but it posed no problem to local communities as long as the people did not disturb its environment.

He said the kingdom's "residents" were hard at work, with the fruits of their labor being reaped by people living along several rivers downstream of Merapi.

Merapi is indeed working hard -- and it is also keeping the officials at the Vulcanology Research and Development Center in Yogyakarta in a state of hectic activity.

They have had the mountain on "alert" status since Jan. 10, only one level below the most serious status when an eruption is imminent.

"As the area around Merapi is densely populated, its social impact is very high. On the other hand, the signs from Merapi are classified as weak. It is these weak symptoms that challenge the experts to work harder," explained Ratdomopurbo, a section head at the center.

The communities immediately around Merapi are not frightened by its activity, Mbah Maridjan said. As in the past when the volcano appeared to be about to erupt and despite the urging of the government to relocate to other areas, the people have remained in the area. They say they are secure in the knowledge that Mbah Maridjan can judge the danger.

Suryanto said Merapi was sharing its wisdom with the nation's leaders. He said they must learn to develop correct procedures and processes, and give up the desire to grab power for themselves.

This was the way for the country to get back on its feet, he added.

"With the right mechanisms and supported by solidarity, the people of Indonesia will definitely be able to organize the right celebration and, in the end, become prosperous," Suryanto asserted.