Rewang

Rewang (from Javanese ꦫꦺꦮꦁ​) is a form of traditional cultural Javanese mutual cooperation and prosocial behavior, widely practiced and adhered by the native Javanese people in the Indonesian island of Java. Rewang is specifically referring to the individual intention and act of assisting another people to ease their work, meanwhile the communal work itself better-known as Gotong royong; both are native Javanese-origin terms that are common within the Javanese society.

The Javanese man and woman comes hand-in-hand in the Batik-making process.

Nomenclature

The rewang (ꦫꦺꦮꦁ​) is a Javanese-origin term, inherited from Old Javanese rewaṅ or rowaṅ, literally means "companion". The term (and its derivatives) appeared in several ancient Old Javanese inscription and mansuscripts, dating back to the 1st century to early 12th century.

Overview

Although nowadays the Rewang more associated to 'women duty', Rewang is originally gender-less, it could be initiated by both men and women. It emphasize more on the pure intention to help or assist another people who are in-charge of something (usually but not necessarily big event). For instance, the Javanese people would comes hand-in-hand to help their neighbour during the preparation for wedding event or even simple family gathering, from food-preparation to cleaning, etc.

Rewang could be seen as the pure intention form of people empowerment, as it is always performed in a manner of support and assistance to ease the burden of people. In Javanese philosophy, it is so important to take care of each others, as they believed that people could not really rely anything or being hard to themselves, as human is naturally social creature.

Rewang in Wayang

Main article: Wayang

The Wayang kulit figure as Rewang representative.

Not only Rewang served as the actual mutual cooperation in real life within the Javanese society, the Javanese people also enliven Rewang through their cultural arts, the Wayang (lit. 'Javan puppetry') is one of the mediums to channel their traditional customs. It is expected that the Rewang could be preserved for next generations who will learn it through the Wayang performance.

Diasporic Javanese

Main article: Javanese diaspora

Although not so prevalent as in the native land of the Javanese in Java, the Rewang are still practiced by the Javanese diaspora who lived outside of the Java Island; for instance, the diasporic Javanese community in Sumatran regions of Lampung and Langkat are still performing Rewang during big occasions. The similar situation also could be observed within the Javanese diaspora community in the Americas, especially in the Caribbean and South America (Suriname, etc.).

See also

• Nyama braya