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Village Name and Location
Pak Made Wijaya lives in Desa Samudra Jaya (meaning "
Village of the Victorious Ocean"), a small coastal settlement located near Sumbawa Besar, the historical capital of Sumbawa Island in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. The village is situated on the northern coast of the island, where the sandy beaches meet the dense mangrove groves and the turquoise waters of the Flores Sea. It lies approximately 15 miles east of Sumbawa Besar, nestled between the sea and the rolling foothills of Mount Tambora, which looms in the distance to the northeast.
Physical Characteristics
Size and Layout:
Desa Samudra Jaya is a modest village of about 200 residents, comprising roughly 40 families.The village is organized in a traditional Sumbawan layout, with houses clustered around a central open space used for communal gatherings, rituals, and markets. Homes are built on stilts to protect against flooding during the monsoon season, constructed from local timber (such as teak) and thatched with palm leaves. The central space features a sacred banyan tree, believed to house protective spirits, and a small stone altar where Made conducts rituals.
Surroundings: To the north, the village opens onto a crescent-shaped beach dotted with fishing boats made from hollowed-out logs, their sails woven from palm fibers. Mangrove groves border the village to the east and west, providing a natural barrier against storms and a rich source of fish, crabs, and medicinal plants. To the south, terraced rice fields—now struggling to recover from the ashfall of the 1815 Mount Tambora eruption—climb the foothills, interspersed with patches of jungle where villagers gather timber and herbs.
Post-Tambora Environment: The 1815 Tambora eruption left a lasting impact on the village. Ash still lingers in the soil, stunting crop growth, though resilient villagers have begun replanting rice and vegetables like taro and cassava. The air carries a faint smoky scent, and the once-lush landscape is dotted with barren patches where lava flows reshaped the terrain. Despite this, the sea remains a lifeline, offering fish and trade opportunities with passing merchants.
Cultural and Social Context
Community Structure: Desa Samudra Jaya operates under a traditional Sumbawan social structure, with Made as the village elder and leader,
responsible for upholding adat (customary law) and mediating disputes.The village has a council of respected elders, including Made, who
oversee communal decisions, such as organizing harvest festivals or negotiating trade with merchantsfrom Sumbawa Besar. Families are tightly knit, with roles divided by gender and age—men fish and farm, women weave and cook, and children help with chores while learning oral traditions.
Cultural Practices: The village blends animistic, Hindu-Buddhist, and Islamic influences, reflecting Sumbawa’s historical diversity in the early 19th century. Villagers honor the Naga, a serpent spirit tied to the sea and rivers, believed to protect their fishing boats and fields. Made leads annual rituals to appease the Naga, such as the Upacara Laut (Sea Ceremony), where offerings of rice and fish are floated out to sea in small boats made of banana leaves. The banyan tree in the village center is a focal point for storytelling, where elders like Made recount myths of the Naga and other spirits to teach moral lessons.
Economic Activities: The village’s economy is subsistence-based, relying on fishing, rice farming, and small-scale trade. Fishermen harvest fish, shrimp, and crabs from the sea and mangroves, while farmers cultivate rice and vegetables in the terraced fields. The village also trades sandalwood—a valuable Sumbawan commodity—with merchants from Sumbawa Besar, exchanging it for cloth, tools, and salt. The Tambora eruption disrupted this economy, forcing villagers to rely more heavily on fishing while they work to restore their fields.
Challenges: The aftermath of the Tambora eruption remains the village’s greatest challenge in the 1820s. Famine and disease have taken a toll, reducing the population and straining resources. Made’s leadership has been crucial in maintaining morale, but tensions simmer between older villagers, who cling to tradition, and younger ones, who advocate for new methods like adopting Dutch trade goods or farming techniques. External threats, such as occasional pirate raids from the Flores Sea, also loom, requiring Made to organize defenses with his enchanted parang, Naga’s Ward.
Daily Life and Atmosphere
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Daily Rhythm: Life in Desa Samudra Jaya begins at dawn, with fishermen heading out to sea in their boats while women prepare meals over open fires, the scent of grilled fish and coconut rice filling the air. Farmers tend to the recovering fields, and children play near the banyan tree, weaving small baskets or listening to elders’ tales. Evenings are communal, with families gathering in the central space for meals, music (played on bamboo flutes and small drums), and storytelling under the stars.
Atmosphere: The village has a resilient, hopeful atmosphere, tempered by the scars of the Tambora eruption. The sound of waves crashing on the beach mixes with the rustle of palm leaves in the breeze, and the faint glow of oil lamps flickers from homes at night. Despite the hardships, there’s a sense of unity—villagers support each other through shared labor and rituals, with Made’s steady presence anchoring their hope for a better future.
Made’s Role in the Village
As Penjaga Adat, Made lives in a slightly larger stilt house near the banyan tree, its walls decorated with woven mats depicting traditional Sumbawan patterns. His home doubles as a meeting place for the village council, where he resolves disputes, plans festivals, and organizes communal work. Made’s enchanted parang, Naga’s Ward, is often displayed on a wooden stand in his home, a symbol of his authority and connection to the Naga spirit, though he carries it during rituals or when defending the village. His resistance to change sometimes causes friction, but his wisdom and fairness ensure the village remains united, preserving Sumbawan traditions in a time of uncertainty.
