Rodos Rejang Tribe's Original Weapon
_and_Scabbard_MET_DP701267.jpg "Rodos Rejang Tribe's Original Weapon") |
| Rodos Rejang Tribe's Original Weapon |
Traditional weapons are typically items that were developed by a culture and are directly tied to the community. They are used by the community to protect itself and as a tool to carry out daily tasks, such as farming and hunting.
Because Indonesia has so many different cultures and tribes, including many in Prov. Bengkulu, where the Rejang tribe has the greatest population and dominates the Bengkulu region, traditional weapons in Indonesia are quite diverse and numerous. "Rodos" is the name of one of the Rejang tribe's ancient weapons.
The Rejang tribe also possesses a variety of other forms of traditional weapons, but in this post, we will just examine Rodos weaponry. Rodos has a shape that is almost identical to a sword, although it is smaller than a sword with a pointy tip.
The evolution of human weapons coincided with the advancement of the times. such as machine guns and rocket launchers. However, Indonesia, which is renowned for its diverse traditions and culture, continues to use a number of different traditional weaponry. The following are traditional weapons that we need to protect, just like in Bengkulu Province.
Due to the local community's beliefs that Rodos is extremely sacred, it is not incorrect to say that Rodos eventually came to represent the awakening of the Bengkulu people to fight against invaders and invaders. Rodos is one of the traditional weapons that are typically used by kings or tribal chiefs / Kutei from the Rejang community. later incorporated as a symbol on the province of Bengkulu's coat of arms.
Historical documents suggest that Rhodos has existed since the Islamic Kingdom, long before Dutch colonialists arrived in Bengkulu. At that time, there were frequent battles between kingdoms, and Rodos was one of the weapons employed. Rodos, however, turned into a tool that brought the Bengkulu people together as they faced the colonial nation.
The largest weapon in Malay culture is the Rodos, one of Prov. Bengkulu's traditional weaponry. The form is lengthy, like a machete, sword, or machete. Rodos is a weapon that can be extremely lethal in the right hands.
Rodos is employed in traditional rituals, such as the ceremony of appointing a traditional head, and as a result, it serves as both a weapon of war and a weapon of spiritual importance. Rhodos is sheathed by being hung next to the owner's body, unlike other weapons that are tucked in the waist or back of the owner.
Weapons made by the Rodos are made up of the blade, hilt, and sheath, among other components. Regarding the production of traditional weapons, wood was used to make the handle and sheath while iron was used to make the blade. There is also Rodos, whose blade has a gold decoration. In light of the fact that each material's boiling point varies, it is quite distinctive and necessitates specialized knowledge.
Additionally, Rodos blades or handles are frequently inscribed with Jawi inscriptions (Arabic alphabet for writing Malay). The date and location of Rodos' manufacturing are typically the contents of the writing. There are people that record the time the weapon was re-engraved, though.
Despite being a conventional weapon, Rodos appears to be well-known in other nations, as evidenced by the fact that it is on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Although the name of an artist from a town in Peninsular Malaysia is printed on a Rodos in this museum, the Rodos in this museum actually has a typical Sumatran ornamentation.
One of the traditional weapons utilized in Bengkulu's prior struggle of independence was the Rodos. This item resembles a regular machete with one pointed eye. This weapon has the potential to be a deadly assault power in the hands of an expert user. A pair of crossed swords may be seen in the center of the official Bengkulu Province logo. The author hopes that in the future our government will be able to patent this weapon so that it won't be claimed by other countries. The two blades of the sword are known as Rudus or Rodos.
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| The official Bengkulu Province logo |