The Politics of the Myths in the Construction of Truth Regime of the Minangkabau

Abstract

Minangkabau people are one of 300 ethnic groups of Indonesia, where is the 4th most populous country in the world. Moreover, Minangkabau society is the largest maternal descent society in the world. This article aims to study 3 Minangkabau literatures or legends – the Legend of Minangkabau (the buffalo winner), the Legend of Alexander and his 3 sons, and the Legend of King Atitaya Woraman – using the postmodernism methodology. The article’s assumption was “Minangkabau people founded the discourse as the truth with those 3 legends for firmness of their historical narrative”. The results of the study are as follows: because the content of the legend cannot be separated from the author’s archives. It, the content not only is reflecting the ethical conflict, but also are reproducing the senses of the winner and, in the meantime, also condemned the losers. And at the time when the legend was published, the Legend of Minangkabau connoted to nationalism; The Legend of Alexander and his 3 sons and the Legend of King Atitaya Woraman were not only represented a historical narrative about their first king, but also were used to forget their narrative which told them that they came from the lower ethnical origination than the Srivijayan. The legends also connoted, at that time, the international relations in Southeast Asian ancient states and the influence of Indian culture. So, a case study of 3 Minangkabau legends showed, in the past, the construction of historical narrative, based on the proud of their ethnicity and nation which is set as a better cultural, political and governmental value than other ancient states. But when the legends are reproduced in the present time, they are used as a political foundation and identity building for the nation state, nation, and nationalism.