Mountain rituals and socio-ecological adaptation: A comparative study of the Ngasa Gandoang tradition in Indonesia and the Xio Bu ritual in China
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Mountain rituals constitute a cultural space that fosters relationships between communities, ancestors, and the natural environment. However, the relationship between mountain rituals and socio-ecological adaptation has not been widely studied through cross-cultural comparisons. This study compares the Ngasa Gandoang tradition in Brebes, Indonesia, and the Xio Bu ritual of the Yi people of Liangshan, China, focusing on the relationship between sacred space, ritual practice, ecological knowledge, and collective participation. The study employed a comparative qualitative design. The Ngasa Gandoang tradition was studied through field observations, interviews, and documentation, while the Xio Bu ritual was examined through recent ethnographic literature, particularly research on the Yi people of Liangshan. Analysis was conducted through thematic interpretation of each case and cross-case comparison. The results demonstrate similarities and differences in the socio-ecological relationships formed through ritual practices.The connection with socio-ecological adaptation in the Ngasa Gandoang tradition is mainly seen through collective participation, deliberation, mutual cooperation, offerings of agricultural products, and maintaining relationships with sacred mountain spaces.The ecological connection in the Xio Bu ritual is more apparent through the sacred meaning of forested mountains, beliefs in ancestors and nature spirits, the role of ritual specialists, and the transmission of ecological knowledge and meaning. The comparison shows that mountain rituals do not occur through a single universal pattern, but through a combination of social relations, ecological knowledge, sacred spaces, and ritual obligations shaped by the cultural context of each community. This research enriches the study of indigenous and local knowledge by demonstrating that oral traditions can continue to be practiced and experience adjustments in the context of social changes and environmental conditions understood by society.
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