This country does have some traditional weapons that deserve to be appreciated for their uniqueness. One of the traditional weapons in Belitung that is interesting to explore is Parang Badau. As the name implies, Parang Badau is a tool and sharp weapon that has a long history. Although the shape is simple without any details, this weapon is somewhat phenomenal, especially for the Belitung people.
THE AUTHORITY OF BADAU
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Badau's machete from Belitung is indeed different from machetes in other areas. The specialty of Parang Badau in Belitung is its distinctive shape, which is not too long and wide at the end. From this form, Parang Badau is capable of making powerful slashes. This ability itself is due to the weight of the blade which is concentrated at the end so that even if it exerts even the slightest effort, the slash can be carried out effectively. From this ability, the Parang Badau bar is very suitable and comfortable to use for "chopping".
USE OF BADAU PARIS
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Parang Badau itself is in the form of a sharp weapon made of iron. This weapon itself in royal times was usually used to fight and defend against enemy attacks. But when there is no fighting, Parang Badau is used in daily activities such as cutting wood or also clearing agricultural areas and shrubs when entering the forest.
HONEY BADAU HISTORY
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As explained earlier that this unique Belitung weapon does indeed have a long history in the past. According to Ian Sanchin, an observer of the history of Belitung, Parang Badau has been used since the days of the Badau kingdom in the 13th century. At that time the small kingdom was led by a king with the title Ronggo udo. At that time there was a blacksmith master from the Majapahit Kingdom who taught the people in Badau to make weapons. These iron weapons themselves are then used by the community for farming and opening residential areas.
The existence of the masters from Majapahit in Belitung itself is stated in the Kartagama poem composed by Empu Prapanca who said that in 1365 the name of Belitung was mentioned. From the expertise of the Badau community in processing iron into weapons, many Parang craftsmen centers on Belitung Island have been found until now.
PARADISE IN THE NETHERLANDS
There is one Parang Badau in the Netherlands that is interesting to explore. This is because the Parang Belitung in the Netherlands has different forms of blades with other Parang Badau. So Parang Belitung in the Netherlands has a difference in the upstream which has a 42 centimeter long blade with a width of 2.8 - 5 centimeters. This machete, which is known to be made of iron, rattan and wood, has a handle length of 16 cm and a width of 3 cm. Unfortunately Parang Badau in the Netherlands is unknown in the year of manufacture.
BADAU PARANG CAREER IN BELITUNG
One of the Parang Badau craftsmen in Belitung is 50-year-old Masri. The skill of forging iron from Masri himself was obtained from his parents who were also an iron forger. In his daily work, Masri is assisted by his wife who pumps the wind. In one week, Masri can produce 10 machete weapons which are sold at Rp 50,000 per piece. Those who buy machetes made by Masri themselves are customers who open farm shops and also people who work as farmers. The raw material used by Masri is used car shock absorber iron. This raw material is purchased by Masri at a price of Rp 8 thousand per kilo. But unfortunately Masri admitted that the raw material of Parang Badau is now difficult to handle.
With increasingly competitive business competition, these Parang Badau craftsmen hope that there is support from the government. Not only support in the form of guidance, but also assistance in the form of capital loans are highly expected by the craftsmen, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The Parang Badau craftsmen also hope that the objects they make can be marketed outside Bangka-Belitung. Because Belitung whose tourism continues to grow, it is hoped that Parang Badau can also become a unique souvenir of Belitung Island, which is of interest to tourists.
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