SCULPTING THE SACRED: ARTISTIC EXPRESSIONS OF DEATH IN MELANAU JERUNEI
Mengukir Entiti Sakral: Ekspresi Artistik Kematian dalam Konteks Jerunei Komuniti Melanau
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51200/jba.v10i1.7205Keywords:
Jerunei, MMelanau Funerary Practices, Borneo Indigenous Cosmology, Spiritual Mediation, Material CultureAbstract
The Jerunei, a wooden carved funeral pole used by the Melanau’s, is a key mediator of the deceased person's transition from the physical to the spiritual world. While past studies have discussed Jerunei as a significant artifact of Melanau funeral ritual, its deeper symbolic meaning, specifically its articulation of Melanau cosmology and social stratification, has not been thoroughly explored. This research seeks to fill the gap by exploring the Jerunei as material object and spiritual mediator, with specific focus on its symbolic functions and aesthetic qualities. Through ethnographic source analysis, visual culture analysis, and heritage studies theory, the paper explores how the Jerunei testifies to Melanau worldview in relation to death, the afterlife, and social ranking. Moreover, the paper considers the Jerunei's function in postcolonial identity and heritage preservation in the face of globalizing forces that would seek to erase indigenous cultural practice. This research also considers how gender roles intersect in Jerunei construction and use, shaping Melanau ritual knowledge from a postmodern perspective. The paper therefore contends that the Jerunei is not just a funeral object but an exquisitely crafted articulation of Melanau cosmology, social identity, and constant negotiation of indigenous cultural heritage.
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