called the Merti Kali Code as a way to boost the
river restoration movement, which highlighted
the importance of a clean river and is celebrated
with cultural performances.
The lumpang (megalithic mortar stone) found
in Opak riverbed of Sub-case 3 is related to the
story of the death of the project leader and a shaman during the Tegal Weir construction in the
1990s and the myth of the Opak River as a sacred
location. There are also myth-artifacts at the
macro level for the whole regional level as
explained in the sub-cases, for example, the lampor, the Ratu Kidul myth, related to the artifacts of
the MTKKS philosophical axis, functioning as a
sacred location by avoiding construction within
the axis. The labuhan, an annual Thanksgiving, is
held at the Islamic New Year, which also signifies
the Javanese New Year at the Mt. Merapi and the
Parang Kusumo Beach by the South Java Sea.
During labuhan, the participants meditate and,
aside from its spiritual virtues, the occasion is used
to observe whether the surrounding environment
has changed.
(2) Artifacts
Within the river basin, the artifact types also
vary, but they are always accompanied by myth,
rituals, or other forms of CEK. Each sub-case has
its specific artifacts related to the volcanic river
basin management. For Sub-case 1, these are the
Patih Jayaningrat Tomb, the bride stones, Mt.
Merapi, and the Gendol River. For Sub-case 2,
the artifacts are Tugu Landmark and Code River.
In Sub-case 3, they are the lumpang (megalithic
mortar stone) and the Opak River.
For water artifacts at the village level, the
following had a major impact: (1) the Mataram
channel is the most important infrastructure as it
provides irrigation water and inter-basin transfer
from Progo Basin to the Opak sub-basin, and
(2) the Opak River sub-basin with Mt. Merapi as
its origin, the Opak River as the water channel
from upstream to downstream, and the South
Java Sea as the terminal. The other artifacts are
symbolized by the MTKKS philosophical axis
signifying the relationship of two forces of nature: the volcano and the sea.
Meanwhile, for the regional level, an important artifact was the city of Yogyakarta, considered as the geger bulus or flood free zone, which
corresponds to the philosophical axis and contains the whole Opak sub-basin as a philosophical plane. Mt. Merapi, as the source of eruption,
holds a key virtue in determining the management mode, whether in normal or disaster management. Another important artifact, which is
scattered all over the region, including in each
sub-case, is the wedi kengser or the floodplain.
This artifact belongs to the Sultan, but the management of the floodplain belongs to the nearest
adjacent plot owner, called the cangkok.
(3) The types of philosophies and values
The types of philosophies and values in each
community differ in forms and strength. This
study focuses on the type relating to the location
and the natural dynamics experienced by the
community. The hamemayu hayuning bawono
(beautifying the world’s beauty) philosophy is
accepted at the regional level overall, but is
translated into different approaches for each subcase, and is focused on preserving the balance of
the environment. Sub-case 1 took this philosophy
as (1) honoring Mt. Merapi as God’s force on
earth: seen from a distance humans are so small
compared to the volcano; (2) living in harmony
with disaster, when it erupts humans should stay
clear; and (3) the worldview where Mt. Merapi
functions as the Spirit Kingdom. Sub-case 2 does
not take this philosophy into practice, whereas
Sub-case 3 interprets it as nrimo, being thankful
to the Creator for whatever conditions that the
villagers have.
For the whole region, there are several worldviews and philosophies to be considered, aside
from the hamemayu philosophy. However, the
Yogyakartans see their world in three layers of
worlds (Endraswara 2013) or bawono: the humanGod (bawono cilik), the environment (bawono
gede), and the after-life (bawono langgeng). The
context of this research allows focusing on bawono
cilik and bawono gede. This philosophy guides the
attitude towards other humans and the environment
to be just and honoring. Other worldviews can be
The Potential Contribution of Cultural Ecological …
195
river restoration movement, which highlighted
the importance of a clean river and is celebrated
with cultural performances.
The lumpang (megalithic mortar stone) found
in Opak riverbed of Sub-case 3 is related to the
story of the death of the project leader and a shaman during the Tegal Weir construction in the
1990s and the myth of the Opak River as a sacred
location. There are also myth-artifacts at the
macro level for the whole regional level as
explained in the sub-cases, for example, the lampor, the Ratu Kidul myth, related to the artifacts of
the MTKKS philosophical axis, functioning as a
sacred location by avoiding construction within
the axis. The labuhan, an annual Thanksgiving, is
held at the Islamic New Year, which also signifies
the Javanese New Year at the Mt. Merapi and the
Parang Kusumo Beach by the South Java Sea.
During labuhan, the participants meditate and,
aside from its spiritual virtues, the occasion is used
to observe whether the surrounding environment
has changed.
(2) Artifacts
Within the river basin, the artifact types also
vary, but they are always accompanied by myth,
rituals, or other forms of CEK. Each sub-case has
its specific artifacts related to the volcanic river
basin management. For Sub-case 1, these are the
Patih Jayaningrat Tomb, the bride stones, Mt.
Merapi, and the Gendol River. For Sub-case 2,
the artifacts are Tugu Landmark and Code River.
In Sub-case 3, they are the lumpang (megalithic
mortar stone) and the Opak River.
For water artifacts at the village level, the
following had a major impact: (1) the Mataram
channel is the most important infrastructure as it
provides irrigation water and inter-basin transfer
from Progo Basin to the Opak sub-basin, and
(2) the Opak River sub-basin with Mt. Merapi as
its origin, the Opak River as the water channel
from upstream to downstream, and the South
Java Sea as the terminal. The other artifacts are
symbolized by the MTKKS philosophical axis
signifying the relationship of two forces of nature: the volcano and the sea.
Meanwhile, for the regional level, an important artifact was the city of Yogyakarta, considered as the geger bulus or flood free zone, which
corresponds to the philosophical axis and contains the whole Opak sub-basin as a philosophical plane. Mt. Merapi, as the source of eruption,
holds a key virtue in determining the management mode, whether in normal or disaster management. Another important artifact, which is
scattered all over the region, including in each
sub-case, is the wedi kengser or the floodplain.
This artifact belongs to the Sultan, but the management of the floodplain belongs to the nearest
adjacent plot owner, called the cangkok.
(3) The types of philosophies and values
The types of philosophies and values in each
community differ in forms and strength. This
study focuses on the type relating to the location
and the natural dynamics experienced by the
community. The hamemayu hayuning bawono
(beautifying the world’s beauty) philosophy is
accepted at the regional level overall, but is
translated into different approaches for each subcase, and is focused on preserving the balance of
the environment. Sub-case 1 took this philosophy
as (1) honoring Mt. Merapi as God’s force on
earth: seen from a distance humans are so small
compared to the volcano; (2) living in harmony
with disaster, when it erupts humans should stay
clear; and (3) the worldview where Mt. Merapi
functions as the Spirit Kingdom. Sub-case 2 does
not take this philosophy into practice, whereas
Sub-case 3 interprets it as nrimo, being thankful
to the Creator for whatever conditions that the
villagers have.
For the whole region, there are several worldviews and philosophies to be considered, aside
from the hamemayu philosophy. However, the
Yogyakartans see their world in three layers of
worlds (Endraswara 2013) or bawono: the humanGod (bawono cilik), the environment (bawono
gede), and the after-life (bawono langgeng). The
context of this research allows focusing on bawono
cilik and bawono gede. This philosophy guides the
attitude towards other humans and the environment
to be just and honoring. Other worldviews can be
The Potential Contribution of Cultural Ecological …
195