House as Setting : On the Symbolism of the House in Eastern Indonesia

A number of leading studies on the symbolism of the house ineastern Indonesia share the common viewpoint which comparesthe house to a microcosm. For example, in a recent monographForth states "the Rindi house is a microcosm which in its structureexpresses categories and principles with the widest applicationsin Rindi thought and action, and so provides a comprehensiverepresentation of orderly, universal form and relations" (FORTH1980: 1).The purpose of this paper is to reconsider this kind of cosmologicalviewpoint in detail, and to present a more relevantviewpoint for the symbolism of the house in eastern Indonesia.In chapter 1, several definitions of microcosm are comparedto extract some general components comprising the concept ofmicrocosm. On the basis of these conceptual components thefollowing definition of microcosm is derived: the microcosm isthe smaller structure among those governed by a regular orderand constructed on the same organizing principle.In chapter 2, some influential studies of the symbolism of thehouse in eastern Indonesia are reexamined by the use of thatdefinition. In this reexamination it is demonstrated that thehouse of the area is not a structure governed by a regular orderand constucted by the same organizing principle as that ofmacrocosm or social world.In chapter 3, a more relevant viewpoint for the study of thesymbolism of the house in eastern Indonesia is presented on theA number of leading studies on the symbolism of the house ineastern Indonesia share the common viewpoint which comparesthe house to a microcosm. For example, in a recent monographForth states "the Rindi house is a microcosm which in its structureexpresses categories and principles with the widest applicationsin Rindi thought and action, and so provides a comprehensiverepresentation of orderly, universal form and relations" (FORTH1980: 1).The purpose of this paper is to reconsider this kind of cosmologicalviewpoint in detail, and to present a more relevantviewpoint for the symbolism of the house in eastern Indonesia.In chapter 1, several definitions of microcosm are comparedto extract some general components comprising the concept ofmicrocosm. On the basis of these conceptual components thefollowing definition of microcosm is derived: the microcosm isthe smaller structure among those governed by a regular orderand constructed on the same organizing principle.In chapter 2, some influential studies of the symbolism of thehouse in eastern Indonesia are reexamined by the use of thatdefinition. In this reexamination it is demonstrated that thehouse of the area is not a structure governed by a regular orderand constucted by the same organizing principle as that ofmacrocosm or social world.In chapter 3, a more relevant viewpoint for the study of thesymbolism of the house in eastern Indonesia is presented on thebasis of data collected during my field research (May, 1983to March, 1985) among the Lionese people of Central Flores.That is, the house is a kind of setting which interacts with thesymbolic actions in or around the house, and is interpreted inaccordance with the symbolic actions. In other words, whileinteracting, it provides the incentive to construct the variousimages of possible worlds.As van Wouden pointed out in his article on Kodi, "a houseis a structure in more than the material sense" (VAN WOUDEN1977: 192). However, as mentioned above, it is not necessaryto compare the house in eastern Indonesia with a microcosm.Accordingly, viewpoints more relevant for the study of the symbolismof house in the area must be developed.