Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

A. G. Maisey · 9th January 2025, 08:25 PM

I do have pretty strong family connections with Madura, but none of these people are the least bit interested in any sort of weaponry, they are more interested in making money.

Yes, once we get into rural parts of Madura it is common to see people, mostly farmers & other rural workers, walking around with an arit or celurit dangling from their hand --- just the same as Javanese farmers do. The handles of those arits & celurits are usually just plain, unadorned wood, no brass studs, no coloured twine binding. Sometimes they stick them into their belt at the back. The tool type arits come in various sizes & can be used for light garden trimming to splitting firewood.

During the troubles that were taking place in the mid-1960's, the Madurese in both Madura itself & in other parts of East Jawa were well known to line up the people whom they wish to rid themselves of and cut their throats from behind with a celurit. Here is a good outline of what was happening then:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indone...965%E2%80%9366

I was there in 1966, travelled across Jawa from Jakarta to Bali & back by bus, I did not see nor experience any of what was being reported as happening. I remember that I read about bodies floating down rivers and being fished out by local entrepreneurs who were looking for gold teeth to remove, I did see a few bodies on town rubbish dumps, but I saw this in Jawa Tengah a few times during the 1980's & '90's also.

Generally speaking, in the areas of East Jawa where there is a high proportion of Madurese people living, the Javanese & other ethnic groups tend to do their best to stay well clear of Madurese, they have a reputation for quick tempers & immediate & brutal response to perceived disrespect.

During the 1980's & 1990's I visited Sumenep & several other parts of Madura quite frequently, personally, I found Madurese people to be very hospitable, and I remember thinking back then that they were very similar to rural Australians in respect of their behaviour & values. I was quite comfortable with them, they acted & spoke in a very straightforward manner. The very best coffee I have ever tasted was served to me by a Madurese gentleman who lived in Sumenep.

9th January 2025, 08:25 PM	#10
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,965	I do have pretty strong family connections with Madura, but none of these people are the least bit interested in any sort of weaponry, they are more interested in making money. Yes, once we get into rural parts of Madura it is common to see people, mostly farmers & other rural workers, walking around with an arit or celurit dangling from their hand --- just the same as Javanese farmers do. The handles of those arits & celurits are usually just plain, unadorned wood, no brass studs, no coloured twine binding. Sometimes they stick them into their belt at the back. The tool type arits come in various sizes & can be used for light garden trimming to splitting firewood. During the troubles that were taking place in the mid-1960's, the Madurese in both Madura itself & in other parts of East Jawa were well known to line up the people whom they wish to rid themselves of and cut their throats from behind with a celurit. Here is a good outline of what was happening then:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indone...965%E2%80%9366 I was there in 1966, travelled across Jawa from Jakarta to Bali & back by bus, I did not see nor experience any of what was being reported as happening. I remember that I read about bodies floating down rivers and being fished out by local entrepreneurs who were looking for gold teeth to remove, I did see a few bodies on town rubbish dumps, but I saw this in Jawa Tengah a few times during the 1980's & '90's also. Generally speaking, in the areas of East Jawa where there is a high proportion of Madurese people living, the Javanese & other ethnic groups tend to do their best to stay well clear of Madurese, they have a reputation for quick tempers & immediate & brutal response to perceived disrespect. During the 1980's & 1990's I visited Sumenep & several other parts of Madura quite frequently, personally, I found Madurese people to be very hospitable, and I remember thinking back then that they were very similar to rural Australians in respect of their behaviour & values. I was quite comfortable with them, they acted & spoke in a very straightforward manner. The very best coffee I have ever tasted was served to me by a Madurese gentleman who lived in Sumenep.