Get to know Pepadun in Lampung tradition, the throne once occupied by Jokowi

Jakarta, Jurnas.com – Pepadun is a traditional chair or throne in the traditions of the indigenous Lampung people. For the Lampung Pepadun people, this object is a symbol of honor, legitimacy of leadership, as well as a marker of the highest social status in the traditional structure.

Pepadun attracted public attention again when the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), recently sat on this oversized chair while stepping on the head of a buffalo during a traditional Lampung procession and was awarded the title of national leader during a political safari in Lampung.

This moment is not only a symbolic ceremony, but also contains various meanings, including that of very high respect in the traditions of Lampung society.

So, what exactly is Pepadun? What’s the story? What is the symbolic meaning of Jokowi sitting on a Pepadun chair while stepping on the head of a buffalo during the traditional Lampung Pepadun procession? The following is a review compiled from various sources.

Pepadun is a traditional throne or bench used during the honorary graduation procession in the Lampung Pepadun traditional community.

Literally, the term “Pepadun” refers to a special wooden chair that symbolizes a person’s social position in the traditional structure.

The existence of this throne gave rise to the name of Lampung Pepadun Traditional Community Group, one of the two major Lampung traditional community groups outside of Saibatin.

The Pepadun people generally live in the interior or highlands of Lampung, such as Abung, Way Kanan and Pubian.

Pepadun plays a central role in the traditional Cakak Pepadun ceremony, which is the procession to increase social status and give a traditional title to someone.

In this tradition, someone who obtains a traditional title, such as Suttan, Raja, Prince or Dalom, must undergo a series of traditional rituals led by the Penyimbang or highest traditional leader.

The procession of granting a title or Juluk Adok is carried out by placing the future recipient of the title on a Pepadun as a symbol of the validity of the accepted traditional position.

Therefore, Pepadun is not only a physical object, but also a symbol of social legitimacy in traditional Lampung society.

One of the peculiarities of the Lampung Pepadun community is that its social system is relatively more open than that of the traditional Saibatin community.

If in Saibatin society, nobility status is mostly inherited based on lineage, Pepadun society allows a person to obtain a social position through the implementation of the Cakak Pepadun ceremony.

To participate in the procession, one must fulfill various traditional conditions, including paying a certain customary sum of money known as Dau and slaughtering a certain number of buffaloes as part of the ritual.

This tradition reflects the values ​​of social responsibility, mutual cooperation and respect for traditions passed down from generation to generation.

What is the symbolic meaning of Jokowi sitting on a Pepadun chair while stepping on the head of a buffalo during the traditional Lampung Pepadun procession?

Regarding its symbolic meaning, read from the perspective of Roland Barthes’ semiotics, the symbol functions not only as a sign, but also as a support that can give rise to various meanings.

Roland Barthes, a French philosopher and semiotician, explained that a symbol functions on three levels of meaning, namely the denotation or meaning visible to the naked eye, the connotation or meaning behind what is visible to the naked eye, and the myth or meaning understood or wants to be understood by society.

Barthes then deepens these levels of meaning by introducing the notions of myth and ideology. Myth is seen as a form of communication, a technique for interpreting something, as well as a medium for transmitting messages (Barthes, 1991; Piliang, 2004; Wicaksana, 2024).

Thanks to this approach, a symbol conveys not only what is visible, but also values, beliefs, even ideological messages that society understands or wants to understand.

It was recently learned that the process of assigning traditional titles to Jokowi in Lampung was brought to light and resulted in various meanings.

The religious significance discussed among them is that when a national figure like Joko Widodo sits in Pepadun, it shows a very high form of traditional respect from the people of Lampung.

From a traditional point of view, this action is not just a welcoming ceremony, but a symbol of acceptance, appreciation and recognition of one’s position.

On the other hand, the process of granting customs can also show that Jokowi can be categorized as a figure who still has a “lust for power”, receiving the title of “power” or social legitimacy.

Specifically regarding the symbolic meaning of the process of stepping on a buffalo’s head, this can also be interpreted as a rather strong political message to its “political opponents” who have recently been associated with the PDIP.

Furthermore, this moment is also a way to showcase Lampung’s cultural riches to the wider community and highlight that traditional traditions are still alive and maintained amid modernization.

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