ADAT ACEH : RENCONG
About 500 years ago during the reign of Sultan Ali Mughayatsyah (1511-1530), in Aceh there was the original manuscript of the kingdom entitled "The Book of Tazkirat Al-Tabaqat Qanun Syara 'Kingdom of Aceh" called "royal tree". This tree is a customary book of the sultan, containing 21 chapters. We quote two things that are relevant for us to observe, namely about the Self and about Rumoh Aceh. First, chapter 1: "It is obliged above all the people of Aceh who are mukallaf mukallaf instead of mad, that should carry weapons everywhere he goes walking day and night that is the sword or sikin panyang or at least rincong each named weapons".
What does it mean? Rencong is like the identity of the Acehnese. If we do not bring rencong or sword, we are not carrying identity, and this may mean we are not Acehnese, or we belong to a madman. Because only crazed Acehnese do not carry weapons. In Aceh that time should not be left to the madmen, because the customary book knows that we handed the weapon to a madman, it might be used to kill it without knowing it. Now we no longer carry rencong everywhere. Does this mean we've gone all crazy? Of course not so, although rencong is no longer a marker of identity, but rencong has and remains a symbol of morale and courage. The tradition of carrying rencong in the past has shaped the character of courage, high and responsible spirit, as our identity.So the importance of this identity so DATOK NINA we advised::
Ie, ie bit, Bu pih bu bit,
Peunajoh Timphan, Piasan Rapa-i,
Meukon ie, leuhop, Meukon droe, gob.
In addition to being a symbol of the identity of the nation's fighters and brave, rencong is also a work of art a sign of prosperity of the Acehnese nation. According to art theory, the higher the quality of people's prosperity, the greater the appreciation of the people towards the arts.
Thus we can know that the actual erosion of art is not necessarily influenced by political conflict or war in Aceh. In the Dutch colonial era, despite the conflict and war, the work of gold craftsmen of Aceh is still very high quality. The loss of culture or art is caused more by the welfare and prosperity of the people. There is a picture in the community "uro ta mita, ton ta pajoh", meaning "day we find, the night we eat". So no more effort to make a machete or rencong carved, which has a high artistic quality.
Rencong it has a stalk, there is a blade rencongnya and sarongnya, that is the basis of rencong. If the rencong making community is not poor, no longer have to sell quickly to get the money to buy rice, then he began to make carvings on the rencong stalk, the idea of engraving in rencong sarongs. There arises art, the ability to carve it back when we prosper. Will not return the art if it is still "uro ta mita, night ta pajoh", this shows our low economic level.