Traditional Dwelling House

Why traditional dwelling house are given a soul or spirit by its occupants for the sake of their welfare and well being?

In Indonesia, traditional houses represent house that are built the same way from generation to generation, with little or no change. Traditional house design has a structure that is thought about very deeply by the traditional architects in the past. The traditional house structure is adapted from the region, culture, climate and other aspect that exist in the area. Structure that are made in traditional house also have their respective functions and meanings, like Batak Karo house unique structure on the roof, the roof that is facing to the west has a male buffalo horn and the roof that is facing to the east has a female buffalo horn. Buffalo horn represent as a repellent people with bad desire.

In Central Java, the traditional house was named Rumah Joglo. The history of this traditional house is in the past Rumah Joglo is a symbol of sosial status at that time, only a financially capable people can make / live in the house. Why? Because the material that used for making the house are high quality material that tend to be expensive and require a long time to build the house. Joglo house has a philosophy on the shape of the roof, the roof shape of Joglo house is likened to a “ tajug” or mountain. The ancient Javanese believed that the mountain was a sacred symbol. For them, the mountain is a residence for the gods.

Joglo house from Central Java

Next is a trust when building a traditional house in order to get prosperity and peace for the owner. In Toraja, the traditional house was named Rumah Tongkonan. The shape of this traditional house is rectangular which symbolizes the human life which are called ‘A ;pa eto ‘na ( birth, life, worship and death). This aspect of the place is also considred a symbol of the four winds. Tongkonan must always face to the north which symbolixes the beginning of life, with the back of the house facing south which symbolizes the end of the life.

Tongkonan house from Toraja

Batak Karo traditional house, the process of building a traditional house has to go through a fairly long ritual, one of the ritual is the selection of the wood which is prayed first. Three types of wood that may be used are ndrasi wood which is belieced to be able to keep the occupants of the house from disease, ambartuah wood that aims to get good fortune or welfare, and sebernaik wood as expected to be able to facilitate fortune.

Batak Karo traditional house from North Sumatra