Sunan Ambu
Sunan Ambu or Batari Sunan Ambu ( Sundanese: ᮘᮒᮛᮤ ᮞᮥᮔᮔ᮪ ᮃᮙ᮪ᮘᮥ) is a goddess according to Sundanese beliefs, the mother goddess of the Sundanese, and resides in the Kahyangan. She is often portrayed as a mother who, in Sundanese mythology, takes care of the homeland and all honored mortals.
Etymology[edit]
Her name is derived from the Sundanese Susuhunan Ambu which can be translated as "The Noble Mother", "Mother Queen" or "Mother Goddess"
In folktales[edit]
She is often featured in many folk tales of Sundanese origin, notably Lutung Kasarung, Sangkuriang and Mundinglaya Dikusumah.
Women in West Java[edit]
Since 2001 West Java has imposed local regulations governing women's public conducting including making the jilbab Islamic religious dress mandatory.[1] In the pre-Islamic belief system of West Java, Sunan Ambu was the most important female goddess of the celestial world called kahyangan, possibly a sign of the respected place that women occupy in Sundanese society.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ "Indonesian Women Speak Out on Dress Codes: Schoolgirls, Female Civil Servants Suffer Under Mandatory Hijab Regulations". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ Riyani, Irma. Islam, Women's Sexuality and Patriarchy in Indonesia: Silent Desire. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 2020.