Superstitions That Endure In World History

JAKARTA - Saint Joan of Arc, aka Jeanne d'Arc, suddenly became an important figure when France tried to reclaim the former territory of power that had been controlled by Britain and Burgundy during the Hundred Years War. Jeanne d'Arc, who claimed to have received a message from Our Lady of Mary, succeeded in arousing the spirit of Charles VII's troops, who were starting to fade.

The story was quoted from a column by historian Ong Hok Ham entitled Wangsit in Tempo magazine in 2002. "He (Jeanne d'Arc) is considered to have received guidance from God or Our Lady to lead the French King Charles VII, who had been forced by his enemy, the King of England, who demanded the French crown, to the City of Reims, where Charles, according to tradition, was crowned king," written.

Presumably, this is a positive case of wangsit in western countries. However, the Jean d'Arc case was in the minority. Because, within the scope of the majority, the same thing can end up collapsing. For example, wangsit that had caused more disasters, one of which happened to the French king Charles X, who together with his prime minister intended to eliminate democracy from the French Revolution.

Unfortunately, those who have the desire to restore the political order to what it was before, namely the king get authority from God. "In carrying out his politics, the king and prime minister, Prince de Polignac, he said, were guided by Our Lady, the mother of the holy Prophet Isa," said Ong.

So they dissolved the parliament and held a new parliament and held general elections with voting rights rules to form a parliament only owned by the wealthy or aristocrats, who supported, to the point of closing newspapers that were against the policy.

The result, as was to be expected, was that the desire to eliminate democracy led to the revolt of the Paris people in July 1830. The revolt also succeeded in overthrowing the proposed King Charles X, who then fled to England.

Even though it has been completed, the phenomenon of believing that things are magical or mystical, including what is commonly called wangsit, has become ingrained in Indonesian society. In fact, this subject always seems to be repeated even with various patterns.

Uniquely, the majority of people still believe in this case. However, if reviewed historically, it is not only in Indonesia that superstition, supernaturalism or wangsit has emerged. It's the same abroad too.

Superstition in Indonesia

One of the most popular things in the case of wangsit in Indonesia is fairy tales related to treasures from ancient kingdoms. Presumably, many people believe that there is a treasure from the king that has been hidden until now.

In fact, skeptically it is clearly impossible. Ong Hok Ham even expressed his disbelief at this. He said, “From then until now, the tax system has never been perfect. The Mataram Kingdom, which has been in existence for 100 years, in 1678 was recorded as having to leave behind its treasure which was only 2.5 million ringgit, "he wrote.

"Mataram's work has never been able to pay off its debt to the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) and, therefore, is the first Asian country to be faced with a huge VOC foreign debt burden," he added.

Therefore, it is impossible for Mataram to leave behind a treasure. Moreover, to the extent that they are predicted to be able to pay off the State debt. Moreover, the Java region was never well known and was known as an area that had gold and diamond mines.

A criticism

Mochtar Lubis had also once expressed criticism about most Indonesians believing in superstitious things in a cultural speech held at Taman Ismail Marzuki on April 6, 1977. By the founder of the Antara news agency, Indonesians were grouped into four main characteristics.

First, hypocritical and hypocritical. Second, reluctance to take responsibility. Third, the feudal soul. and fourth, superstition. In the superstitious nature of the Indonesian people it is described as "then, and now there is still such (superstitious)," it is written.

"Indonesian people believe that rocks, mountains, beaches, rivers, lakes, corals, trees, statues, buildings, keris, knives, swords, they have supernatural, sacred powers, and humans must regulate a special relationship with all of this," added Mochtar Lubis. .

He also added that Indonesians often count good days and bad days, good months and bad months. Not only that, Mochtar also revealed "Many keris are sacred, bathed, ablaze, burnt, made of silk or velvet clothes."

For Mochtar, belief in superstition is certainly ingrained in Indonesian society. Even though times have changed, presidents have taken turns, the country is getting modern, surely people's beliefs are of course superstition or wangsit should decline.

However, in reality this is not the case. Belief in that is continuously renewed according to the times and often makes this nation go nowhere. However, not everything about superstition is bad.

Quoted from Zeffri Hendrik in his book entitled Jakarta Got a Way, he said that even superstitions have a good purpose. “One of the functions of superstition is to justify a social system. For example in the Betawi people who understand the realities of daily life as an order that has been arranged and strived to keep on order. "

The rest, Zeffri considers that tradition is nothing but a controlling tool as well as a means of legitimizing. "The purpose of the standardized tradition is to maintain and strive for the continuity of the existing order (cosmic order) and which has been agreed upon or acknowledged together (social order)," he concluded.

Either because of this wangsit or the psychological effect of the female leader's charisma who is like a young shepherd but dares to fight. On that basis, the spirit of the French army, which had initially fallen, then rose again.