By: Ahmad Hadid
A young man named Baridin is said to have been born into a family of poor farmworkers. He worked meluku (plowing rice paddy fields with buffalo) for a living. One day when he was going to the rice fields, he met a beautiful girl named Suratmina. He was crazy, kesemsem (in love) with the girl.
He told his love story to his mother, Mbok Wangsih, and asked her to propose to Suratmina to become his wife. Mbok Wangsih went to Suratmina’s house with the aim of proposing Suratmina for her son. Arriving at the house, Mbok Wangsih expressed her intention, but the intention to propose was rejected outright.
Mr. Dam, Suratmina’s rich father, chased her away, cursed and threw the things that Mbok Wangsih had brought with her. Long story short, Baridin did not accept the rejection, he was determined to avenge the harsh treatment of the girl and her rich father. He did a ritual that involved fasting tirakat mati geni (without sleeping, eating and drinking) for forty days, and carried out a local ancient love-spell that is believed to contain metaphysical powers to attract the opposite sex, known as kemat jaran goyang.
As a result, Suratmina was crazy about Baridin. But when Ratmina fell in love with him, Baridin, who was full of revenge, didn’t want to marry her. “Baridin emong kawin karo wong wadon edan. (Baridin doesn’t want to marry a crazy woman).” The ending of this story is not a happy one. The crazy Suratmina then died under the influence of kemat jaran guyang. Not long after, Baridin died. His body was not strong enough to bear the requirements of the mystical practice.
***
The Baridin & Suratmina folk tale is a story that highlights the romance between the poor and the rich. This story has become very popular in Cirebon and its surroundings since it was packaged in the form of a tarling drama by the Putra Sangkala Group in the 1970s.
Of course, this story is not without value; being a product of human creation, it undoubtedly contains the ideology of its creator, namely, society. Folklore is a sign system that can be interpreted from various points of view. What’s interesting about Baridin’s story is the elements of masculinity that shape Baridin as a man.
The culture of Cirebon and the surrounding areas clearly reflects the elements of masculinity found in the Baridin story. The slogan “cinta ditolak, dukun bertindak. (when love is rejected, the shaman acts.)” is often considered a normal thing for men to do when their love proposal is rejected by a woman. Such slogans describe how men are the dominant figures in romantic relationships. Societal culture also seems to strongly support men as “conquerors” of women, even if in excessive and unnatural ways.
Cirebon society, or specifically Jagapura Village in the setting of the Baridin story, is socio-culturally a patriarchal society, namely, men are the main subjects in the social structure. This is reflected in the smallest form of kinship structure in Cirebon society, namely the batih households (bale somah or kulawarga) headed by the father as head of the somah.[1]
In the past, or perhaps even now, Jagapura was a village where the majority of the people made their living as farmworkers. Jagapura is located on the border of the middle lane between Cirebon and Indramayu. Its location in the middle is also a position between the coast and the mountains, which are lowlands demographically. This means that Jagapura Village has extensive agricultural land.
In addition, in the 1970s in the world of agriculture in Indonesia there was a transition period from traditional to modern agriculture, marked by the Green Revolution program. This requires farmers to adapt to modern agricultural systems. This transition presents a significant opportunity for farmers who can swiftly adjust to the new environment, have capital, and control the means of production. However, changes have left farmworkers like Baridin increasingly poorer and farther behind.
Negative effects of the green revolution include farmers’ reliance on harmful chemicals and pesticides, unequal access to sophisticated equipment that leads to idleness, and the rise of capitalization in the agriculture industry.[2]
This is the tale of Baridin, which is well-known and still relevant in the patriarchal, agricultural community that is undergoing change and is still evolving.
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In this instance, masculinity refers to the way society constructs manhood over men and the values that are associated with it as a standard for what constitutes the “ideal” man. Masculinity is not innate but a social construction. In general, the values prioritized in masculinity are strength, power, action, control, independence, self-satisfaction, and work.[3]
We can utilize Janet Saltzman Chafetz’s concept of seven areas—physical appearance, functional skills, sexual aggression, emotional state, intellect, interpersonal relationships, and other personal traits—to assess masculinity in a folktale.[4]
Among the young men in his village, Baridin is regarded as the most attractive in the narrative. The female friends of Suratmina made this assumption. But not for Suratmina, who thinks Baridin is a dirty, unkempt, and unsightly young man who dresses in plebeian attire that is patched up all over.
“Bocah blesak, mambue blenak, pikirane soak.” (The smelly, unattractive boy with a corrupted mind).
Functionally, Baridin is shown as the backbone of the family, as seen by Mbok Wangsih’s response when requested to give back Mang Bun’s tumpeng.
“Mbok ora gableg duit, kan kacung Baridin sing mekaya.” (Mom doesn’t have money, Baridin is the only one who works).
Baridin and the male characters in the narrative are portrayed as being sexually aggressive. This portrayal can be seen from conversations that often flirt, tease and express proposals to Suratmina.
Emotionally, Baridin is portrayed as a character who is stubborn, threatening, and vengeful. This depiction can be seen from the conversation with Mbok Wangsih when he insisted on proposing to Suratmina.
“Mbok, lamaraken Suratmina anggo Baridin, lamun ora Baridin mati bae.” (Mom, propose Suratmina for Baridin; otherwise, Baridin would die.)
Baridin is characterized as being a dimwitted figure. This young man lacks the ability to reflect on the reasons behind his acts and the consequences of his choices. This image was captured during the exchange in which he made his proposal to Suratmina.
“Gawe geblog waguwe pelog, wonge goblog kaya jaka dolog.” (Make geblog [cake] with coconut spices, a stupid person like Jaka Dolog).
In terms of interpersonal relationships, Baridin is portrayed as a figure who lacks authority over anything and is reckless and thoughtless. Conversations involving him reveal his recklessness, as he frequently gives instructions or completes tasks without thinking through the repercussions.
The final concept of masculinity is another personal character; Baridin is characterized as reckless. It can be seen from the fact that he is practicing kemat jaran goyang in order to get the love he hopes for. Baridin was determined to fast for forty-one days and forty-one nights without eating or sleeping.
From this analysis, we get a portrayal of Baridin’s character, who is weak and hurt. The ideal characteristics of masculinity—strength, power, action, control, independence, self-satisfaction, and work—do not align with this image. Nonetheless, even when they are in the most vulnerable position, there are still methods for men to harm and control others.
It becomes intriguing when compared to other contemporary romance tales, such as Marah Rusli’s Siti Nurbaya narrative, since it illustrates how a woman must give in to her circumstances when she finds herself in a vulnerable and hurtful position.
***
The story of Baridin is about love in a patriarchal atmosphere, where women have no authority over themselves. Despite his lengthy history of rejection, Baridin is characterized as an ambitious, unwavering love fighter. It can be seen from Baridin’s words:
“Bagen mlarat Baridin lanang, demen wadon iku wenang.” (Even though I am poor, I am a man; to love women is my authority.)
“Demen iku soal ati, dudu soal ekonomi.” (Love is a matter of the heart, not an economic matter.)
“Bagen ning lêk-lêke naga pasti tek udag.” (Even if [it’s] in the dragon’s neck, I’ll definitely chase her.)
The sentences above illustrate that expressing love is a man’s authority and should not be rejected. Love is worth striving for till you get it, no matter what, even if you get rejected.
Apart from that, Mr. Dam’s statements also describe the nature of patriarchy. He really wants to match her daughter (Suratmina) with a rich man.
“Ratmina ku ayu anake wong sugih sing ngelamare kudu wong gedeyan, wong sugih.” (Ratmina is beautiful, a daughter of the rich. The one making a proposal to her needs to be well-known and wealthy too.)
Another framing of patriarchy is also seen in the conversation scene at the traditional market, which emphasizes that women should not be fussy, should not be rude, and should not fight men. If a woman ignores it, then disaster will come to her.
Talks about love are inherently biased in the context of patriarchy. It is included in the drama Tarling of Baridin. Men are shown as being justified in being aggressive in their demands for the love of the women they are pursuing. Women in this construct only act as passive objects. Men possess the right to flirt, entice, and even make proposals without considering the feelings, desires, or acceptance of women. The consent of a woman’s father can override her own consent.
The Baridin story, in my opinion, is about a man’s need to own, rule, and dominate women rather than a love story. Love ought to wish for the best for everyone, not gratify desires at will. Because love is not a power battle but rather a connection of feelings.[]
* Presented at the Keprapag Maskulinitas Discussion #2, on January 31, 2024.
This article was translated by Napol Riel.
[1] Mohammad Suganto Prawiraredjo, Cirebon: Falsafah, Tradisi dan Adat Budaya, (Jakarta: PNRI 2005), hal. 97.
[2] https://www.kompas.com/skola/read/2020/12/10/161812669/revolusi-hijau-di-indonesia. Diakses pada: 32/01/2024, pukul 2.56 WIB.
[3] Barker dalam Moh. Sabab Nasrullah, Maskulinitas Laki-laki Pedesaan: Studi Citra Tubuh Laki-Laki di Pusat Kebugaran, (Surabaya, Universitas Airlangga) hal. 7.
[4] Sugiarti dkk. Representasi Maskulinitas Laki-Laki dalam Cerita Rakyat Nusantara, (KEMBARA: Jurnal Keilmuan Bahasa, dan Pengajarannya, Vol 8, No.1, April 2022) hal. 184.