MAIN TOPIC
do not Doubt Authority of Panrita Lopi
B
e careful when you return to
of a boat is like the process of human
of the hope that expects the boat will be
your hometown, our ancestors
creation. The series of boat materials
as strong as steel, while the palului that
were sailors, not racers.” This
are closely attached to the anatomical
has been wrapped in cloth is symbolized
joke inserts a historical narrative that
system of the human body. Starting
as sperm. Palului seeds are planted on
our ancestors lived in maritime culture.
from the initial process of boatbuilding
the connection of boat keels, following
The sea became a place to to make a
until it is launched into the sea. The
the footsteps of the process of human
living and a place to build their identity.
keel is identical to the main skeleton of
creation. The process of building the boat
They knew very well how to adapt to
the human body as a strong spine that
is done under the command of panrita
climate changes at sea, and would not
supports the body. The length of the keel
Lopi.
get lost by relying on the navigation
is based on the size of the hand span
of constellations. To conquer the sea
or the foot span of the panrita lopi (ship
requires guts, courage, perseverance,
builder maestro). Calculating the length
tenacity, and patience because the wide
of the keel uses a special method to
sea is full of threats such as hurricanes,
determine the strong ‘chemistry’ between
storms, waves, sea animals, and sea
a boat and its owner, including in terms
corals that can destabilize the boat’s
of luck in sailing.
steering wheel.
and dexterity in forming the material, but also traditional knowledge and sense in building it. This knowledge is knowledge that is inherited from generation to generation in the boat builder communities in Lemo-Lemo
The keel piece is divided into 3, 4, or 5
(Tanah Beru), Ara, and Bira, South
Sailing boats are not simply formed
parts which are called tatta. The front part
Sulawesi. The transmitted knowledge is
by putting together wooden planks
of the keel piece
not just knowledge learned at school,
like a puzzle. It takes local knowledge
as a man
inherited by ancestors from generation
While
is symbolized (husband). the keel on
to generation. The production of local
the back is
knowledge is very philosophical, full of
symbolized as a
meaning, and is wrapped with rituals
woman (wife). At the
as a reinforcement of community
meeting of the front and
belief in the process of
rear keel pieces, a palului is
boatbuilding. Building
inserted which contains kapasa’ rurung-rurung (stranded cotton),
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but there is an intake of the science of sufism related to human self-knowledge. It uses not only logical mathematical calculations in measuring boat materials, but also measurements which are attached to human. For example, one segment, a span, one elbow, and six feet. All these processes are carried out traditionally, using local knowledge
needles/steel, coconut slices, brown
without modern measuring tools.
sugar slices, and rice crust. All of these
The calculation of the architectural
materials are wrapped in white cloth
framework of the boat carried out by
and tied with threads. These materials
panrita lopi is very balanced. The way
contained in the palului become the hope
of measuring the balance refers to the
and motivation for the sustainability of
framework of the human body that is
the boat when sailing at sea. The piece of
very balanced between the left and right.
steel (needle), for example, is a symbol
The boat’s architectural design which is
The science of making boats is a science inherited from generation to generation Husnul Fahimah Ilyas
I
In building a boat, it takes not only skills
