TTLA: The Joglo House of the Javanese people in Indonesia

Author's name: Hoang Thi Giang

Thesis title: The Joglo House of the Javanese People in Indonesia

The field of study for this dissertation:

Major: Southeast Asian Studies Code: 62 31 06 10

Name of postgraduate training unit: University of Social Sciences and Humanities – VNU Hanoi

1. Purpose and scope of the thesis

* Research Objectives: - This thesis aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the Joglo house of the Javanese people in Indonesia. Through the structural characteristics of the house, the customs and rituals involved in its construction, it clarifies the cultural identity of the Javanese people through this house. Simultaneously, it identifies the changes between the traditional house and modern houses, and initially proposes directions for preservation, aiming to safeguard and promote the traditional cultural values ​​of the Javanese people in particular, and of the Austronesian ethnic groups in general.

* Research subject: The Joglo house of the Javanese people in Kotagede village, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

2. Research methods used

To achieve the stated objectives, the author of this thesis employs a combination of various scientific research methods.

First and foremost, it involves synthesizing and analyzing literature. The sources of information include articles and books in Vietnamese, English, and Indonesian. This process of analyzing and synthesizing literature will help the author build upon the research achievements of previous scholars, utilizing materials and opinions from scientists to support the development of their specific research topic.

The descriptive method is indispensable in the thesis writing process because housing belongs to the category of material culture, so description will show the shape and overall structure of the house.

Comparison and contrast will also be applied to identify similarities and differences in housing structures and house-building customs among ethnic groups, thereby contributing to clarifying their cultural identity.

The fieldwork method, while working on this thesis, took place in 2012 during a study trip to Jakarta. The author had the opportunity to conduct fieldwork in the village of Kotagede in Yogyakarta province. Due to time constraints, the field trip was short, and therefore, the author could not obtain the in-depth and comprehensive data required of an ethnologist or sociologist. However, the author was able to directly observe a traditional Javanese house and also met and interviewed an architect and researcher working at the Kotagede cultural heritage preservation center, Pak Suryanto. Later, during the thesis writing process, due to the distance, the author communicated via email and received very enthusiastic assistance from him. Fortunately, upon returning to Vietnam, the author had the opportunity to meet and interact with Mr. Le Van Tho, a Javanese man living in Hanoi and currently working at the Foreign Relations Department of VOV5, Vietnam National Radio. The guidance and contributions of everyone were invaluable resources for the author in completing this thesis.

3. Main results and conclusions

3.1. Main results

• Reconstructing a picture of the Javanese Joglo house in Indonesia through its structure, customs, and house-building rituals.
• Analyze and identify the causes and transformations of traditional houses compared to modern Joglo houses today.
• This serves as a basis for comparison with the housing of other Austronesian ethnic groups in Vietnam in particular, and in Southeast Asia in general.
• This leads to solutions for preserving and promoting traditional cultural values.

3.2. Conclusion

• Firstly, housing is an extremely important cultural element in human life. Typically, different ethnic groups have different architectural styles for their houses. Housing not only reflects material cultural values ​​through its architecture, technical skill, and aesthetic sense, but it also expresses the spiritual cultural values ​​of an ethnic group as they live within that house.
• Secondly, through research, we find that Javanese houses are of five types: Kampung, Limasan, Panggangpe, Tajub, and Joglo. Tajub houses are used for prayer, while Joglo houses are the traditional homes of the Javanese people. Compared to the other types, Joglo houses are built on a larger area, using more Jati wood, and are more expensive. In Indonesia, Joglo houses are very diverse and varied. Houses of the poor are simple, mainly consisting of three main parts: Pendapa, Pringgitan, and Dalem. For the nobility and those with better economic means, their houses are more complete, including an additional Gandhok in addition to the three main parts. Each part of the house has a distinct function.
• Thirdly, to build a Joglo house as desired, the Javanese people must carefully observe customs and rituals. Regarding house-building customs, the Javanese pay close attention to choosing the right day, time, land, orientation, and auspicious time for construction. They calculate based on the Javanese calendar and avoid bad omens during the construction process. For house-building rituals, they perform all necessary ceremonies before, during, and after the completion of the construction. They believe that if these steps are well-prepared and chosen, the house-building process will go smoothly, and the homeowner will experience good fortune and happiness.
• Fourth, comparing traditional houses of the Cham people in Ninh Thuan, Vietnam, we see that the traditional houses of the Javanese and Cham people share many similarities and differences. The similarity lies in the structure of the house, which depends on the homeowner's circumstances. Houses of the poor are simple, while those of the nobility and those with better economic conditions are more elaborate. Similarities also exist in house-building customs such as choosing auspicious dates and times, using good wood, and auspicious timing for construction; the rituals during the construction process; and the decorative symbols within the house. However, there are also differences in the house-building process between the two ethnic groups. The Javanese calculate their time based on their own calendar, while the Cham rely on their own calendar.
• Fifth, due to changes in natural and socio-economic conditions, the Joglo houses of the Javanese people have undergone many changes compared to the present day in terms of size, shape, layout, customs, and rituals…
• In conclusion, with the basic content presented above, the thesis on the Joglo House of the Javanese people in Indonesia makes several new contributions. Academically, the thesis contributes to supplementing the system of academic research and teaching materials on Southeast Asian culture in general, and on the housing culture of the Javanese people in Indonesia in particular. Practically, the thesis will contribute to enhancing mutual cultural understanding between Indonesia and Vietnam in particular, and between Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries in general.

SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Author: Hoang Thi Giang

Dissertation's name: The Joglo house of Javanese in Indonesia

Major: Southeast Asian studies Code: 62 31 06 10

Postgraduate training institution: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU Hanoi

1. Objectives and research subjects of the thesis

• Objectives: The thesis is aimed at providing a comprehensive and general picture of the Joglo house of the Javanese in Indonesia. By dissecting the structural features and construction customs and rituals, the thesis detects the cultural identity of the Javanese through this kind of house. The thesis also elucidates the transformations of traditional the Joglo house into its modern counterpart, thereby suggesting solutions for preverserving, protecting and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of the Javanese in particular and the Austronesian peoples in general.
• Research subjects: the Joglo house of the Javanese at Kotagede village, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

2.Research methods:

To fulfill the objectives of this thesis, the author combines different research methods.

First is information synthesis and analysis. The sources of information are books and articles written in Vietnamese, English and Indonesian languages. The process of analyzing and synthesizing sources helps the author recognize and inherit the findings made by previous researchers, and make use of the materials and opinions of other scholars to develop personal observations.

Descriptive methods are essential to making the thesis, because houses belong to the category of tangible culture so descriptions can show their physical features and overall structures.

Compare and constrast is a method that aims to find the similarities and differences in terms of the structures and construction patterns among different ethic groups, thereby helping to demonstrate different ethnic identities.

A field trip was paid by the author of this thesis in 2012 to the village of Kotagede, Yogyakarta province, Jakarta. Due to time restrictions, the duration of the field trip was short, so the author was not able to obtain detailed and profound information as required of an anthropologist or social surveyist, but had a chance to directly observe the traditional houses of the Javanese and conduct an interview with an architect-researcher working at the center for cultural heritage preservation at Kotagede. While working on the thesis, due to geographical distance, the author contacted via emails and received enthusiastic support from him. More fortunately, upon returning to Vietnam, the author was able to meet with Mr. Le Van Tho, a Javanese living in Hanoi and working at the VOV5's Section of Foreign Affairs, VOV. The instructions and feedback of these people are also useful sources for this thesis.

3. Main results and conclusions

3.1 Main results:

• Reconstructed the image of the Joglo house of the Javanese in Indonesia through its structure and construction patterns and rituals.
• Analyzed and identified the causes and transformations of the traditional Joglo house into its modern counterpart.
• Provide criteria for comparing the houses of the Austronesian peoples and those of the Vietnamese and Southeast Asian peoples.
• Suggest solutions for the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values.

3.2 Conclusions

• First, houses are an extremely important cultural component of human life. Normally, each ethnic group has its own architectural styles. Houses reflect not only material values ​​through their architectures, aesthetics and construction skills, but also the concomitant spiritual values ​​of each ethnic group.
• Second, it can be seen that there are 5 types of Javanese houses, Kampung, Limasan, Panggangpe, Tajub and Joglo. Among them, Tajub houses are used as religious sites, while Joglo ones are traditionally used as living places. Compared to other types, the Joglo house is constructed on a large platform and mostly by Jati wood, which is expensive. In Indonesia, Joglo houses are diverse and varied. The houses of poor people are simple, consisting of only three parts: Pendapa, Pringgitan and Dalem. For noble people, who are economically wealthy, their houses are more elaborate and include another part called Gandhok. Each part of a house has its own function.
• Third, to construct a desirable Joglo house, the Javanese has to conduct intricate customs and rituals. Regarding customs, the Javanese carefully choose the appropriate time, site, location and direction of a house. They calculate these facts with the Javanese calendar, and avoid taboos and bad sayings during the process. Regarding rituals, they make all of the rituals before, during and after the construction. For them, the careful selection and preparation of these steps contribute to neat constructions and bestow ample luck and happiness upon the owners.
• Fourth, by comparing Joglo houses with the traditional houses of the Cham in Ninh Thuan-Vietnam, we can see both similarities and differences. One similarity is that a house's structure depends on the economic being of its owner(s). Houses of the poor are simple, while those of the noble are more exquisite. Another similarity is the careful selection of time, wood and site to build a house; as well as construction rituals and decorative symbols. However, differences exist, such as when the Javanese use Javanese calendars while the Cham use Cham calenders.
• Fifth, due to many changes in natural and socio-economic conditions, the Joglo house of the Jawanese today has transformed in terms of its size, shape, furniture arrangement, and construction customs and rituals.
• Finally, giving the above results, the thesis has made some new contributions. Academically, the thesis becomes another reference for studying and teaching Southeast Asian culture in general and housing culture of the Jawanese in Indonesia in particular. Practically, the thesis contributes to increasing mutual cultural understanding between Indonesia and Vietnam in particular, and between Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries.