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As Merapi rumbles, Yogyakarta youth take comfort in local wisdom
Long-held beliefs help many Yogyakarta residents cope with the threat of volcanic eruption.
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A photo of the majestic Mount Merapi taken from Ketep, Central Java on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020. The Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) increased the alert status for Mt. Merapi on Nov 5, predicting the volcanic activity might soon lead to an eruption. (JP/Donny Fernando)
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or many younger Yogyakartans, Merapi isn't just a mountain. It is an emblem of their staunch devotion to local wisdom, even as the city continues to modernize.
As its status was raised from waspada (alert) to siaga (stand by) on Nov. 5, 2020, the city's residents kept a close eye on Merapi, one of the country's most active volcanoes. In January alone, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s Geological Agency noted that Merapi had released hot plumes of volcanic material 95 times.
On Jan. 27, photos and videos showing a gray cloud over Merapi went viral. The responses of younger Yogyakartans varied from panic to efforts to share helpful information. Those who remained calm relied on long-held local wisdom regarding the mountain.
Marten Bayu Aji, an artist who moved from Jepara 10 years ago, believes the "horrific visual" of Merapi's hot clouds rising upward has made people think a natural disaster has already occurred. Having volunteered to help people during a previous Merapi eruption, the 28-year-old doubts that 2021 will see any significant explosion – even as experts warn of one – saying, "It's something no one can predict."
While Marten says he isn't "anti-science", he acknowledges that he has little faith in the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG). "I don't think our technology can predict what's below us," he notes.
Marten explains that he appreciates mythology more than science. The latter, he says, is more about understanding a pattern while the former is about building faith. "Merapi – and all mountains – offer a spiritual relationship with people," he says.
Sulawesi-born Wulandari shares a similar perspective. When she moved to Yogyakarta 11 years ago, the 28-year old was startled by Merapi's eruptions as volcanic activity and earthquakes were rare in her hometown.
