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Sunan Ambu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sunan Ambu or Batari Sunan Ambu ( Sundanese: ᮘᮒᮛᮤ ᮞᮥᮔᮔ᮪ ᮃᮙ᮪ᮘᮥ) is a goddess according to Sundanese beliefs, the mother goddess of the Sundanese, and resides in the Kahyangan. She is often portrayed as a mother who, in Sundanese mythology, takes care of the homeland and all honored mortals.

Etymology

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Her name is derived from the Sundanese Susuhunan Ambu which can be translated as "The Noble Mother", "Mother Queen" or "Mother Goddess"

In folktales

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She is often featured in many folk tales of Sundanese origin, notably Lutung Kasarung, Sangkuriang and Mundinglaya Dikusumah.

Women in West Java

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Since 2001 West Java has imposed local regulations governing women's public conducting including making the jilbab Islamic religious dress mandatory.[1] In the pre-Islamic belief system of West Java, Sunan Ambu was the most important female goddess of the celestial world called kahyangan, possibly a sign of the respected place that women occupy in Sundanese society.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Indonesian Women Speak Out on Dress Codes: Schoolgirls, Female Civil Servants Suffer Under Mandatory Hijab Regulations". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  2. ^ Riyani, Irma. Islam, Women's Sexuality and Patriarchy in Indonesia: Silent Desire. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 2020.