By Andrea Sanchez

The BeginningThey believed that through the light of Mohammed God created the universe. From the light came the angels and Adam and from Adam came Alexander the Great whose wife was a nymph from Paradise. After Alexanders death his three sons [Diraja, Alif, and Depang] set sail around the world. The story says that the princes fought for the rightful ownership of the crown. During their voyage, they lost the crown. A trickster who was also a master goldsmith created a replica of the crown and told Diraja to tell his brothers that he found the original. He did so and they separated. Prince Depang sailed to the Land of Sunrise where he became the Emperor of Japan. Prince Alif said to the Land of Sunset where he became Sultan of Turkey. Prince Dirija found the Land between the Sunrise and Sunset where the Minangakabau began and Maharaja Diraja became their first king.

A legend says that the name comes from the victory over Javanese invaders. They had a calf fight with a bull with knives on its horns and the calf killed the bull. Minang meant victories and Kerbau meant buffalo. Another version of this story said that it was a baby buffalo instead of a calf that was to fight the bull from another village.

The Minangkabau live in West Sumatra in Indonesia. There are 4 million MinangkabauThey are Indonesias 4th largest ethnic groupThey call their home the Alam Minangkabau which means Minangkabau World. Their world is split into two regions. The Darat and Rantau. Darat is the highland home for them. Rantau is applied to the outlying districts.The Darat is divided into three more groups. Tanah DatarAgamLima Puluh Koto

The Minangkabau are matrilineal They are the largest matrilineal society in the worldThe Minangkabau stress education a lot and are well-represented in all the educated professions in Indonesia.

CeremoniesTurun mandi - baby blessing ceremony Sunat rasul - circumcision ceremony Baralek - wedding ceremony Batagak pangulu Inaugurates the clan leaderTurun ka sawah - community work ceremony Manyabik - harvesting ceremony Hari Royo Islamic festivals Adoption ceremony Adat ceremony Funeral ceremony Wild boar hunt ceremony Maanta pabukoan - sending food to mother-in-law for RamadanTabuik - Muslim celebration in a coastal village

ReligionThe Minangkabau are Muslims, but also believe in Animism which means that they believe that spirits exist in plants, animals, and things other than humans.Before the 18th century, Islamic practices were weakly observed

BeliefsThey believe that people have two souls, a real soul and one that can disappear which is called a semangat. They believe that illness is caused by the capture of a semangat by an evil spirit and the shaman or pawang helps the familyThey sacrifice things to spirits and use things as amulets for protection

AdatThe Adat is their law. It has rules of conduct, belief, and social organization. According to the tambo (their historical legend), the adat was given to the royal family. The first adat talks about the laws of nature.The second adat talks about the essence of their social organization. The third category is about the preserving of tradition. The fourth adat talks about social behavior that is appropriate. Adat and Islam reinforce each other

In the 19th century the peaceful coexistence of adat was hurt with the Padri wars. The Padri leaders displaced adat and substituted it with strict Islam.

MerantauThe practice of voluntary outmigration. They were originally sedentary agriculturalists and their land in the darat was productive for their rice, but after the growth in population, traders had to go to the rantau. The merantau has changed location. At first it meant that the merchants left from the darat to the rantau, but at now it applies to people who keep ties to their village, but travel elsewhere to work.

EconomicsTheir main source of income comes from wet-rice cultivation.They also grow fruits, vegetables, peanuts, peppers, maize, and tomatoes. The local markets sell more than just produce. They sell fish, meat, clothes, jewelry, books, and textiles.Artisans work In large cities and sell bamboo carvings, pottery, and weaving among other things.

Performing ArtsThe Minangkabaus music consists of singing with a bamboo flute and gong-chime musicTheir dances include the tari piring (plate dance), tari payung (umbrella dance) and tari indangThey also perform the silat martial artRandai is performed at festivals and ceremonies and it is a folk theater tradition that includes music, singing, dancing, drama, and silat martial art

Sociopolitcal OrganizationAll matrilineal segments have a linage chief called the penghulu. Even though they are matrilineal, some leaders are menThey perform ceremonies like weddings and funeralsThe penghulu have political, economic, social, and ceremonial power. They have three associates. One helps solves disputesAnother helps watch over securityThe third gives advice about the Islamic law

ArchitechtureRumah Gadang are the traditional homes. Rumah Gadang means big house.Women own the homeThe roof is multi-tiered with upswept gablesRumah Gadang usually refers to communal homes, but some single-residence homes have the same characteristics