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.