Semendo or Semende ?

Semendo is an ethnic in Indonesia. It is one of the ethnics of Southern Sumatera Island “Palembang Province) but had settled in Lampung Province for a long long time ago. This ethnic is spread around Lampung, specially in Nothern Lampung. The original name of Semendo is “Semende” and located in “Pulau Panggung”. Pulau panggung is like a regency now.

People name ‘Semendo’ because of the way semendonese’s accent and language specially in culture like the dances, the songs that has benn modified, the methods of marriage and so many. It looks like semendenese in Southern Sumatera but when one does such a research is, in fact, far different.

‘piring’ (Plate - Eng) for semendo is the same but the original word for it in Semende is ‘Pinggan’.

These words are ony for illustration :

Indonesian National Language Semendenese Semendonese
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Piring (plate-Eng) pinggan piring
Sendok(Spoon-Eng) sidu sendok
Berdandan(Makeup – Eng) bekace be-mek-up
Indah(Beautiful – Eng) cinde ringkih
Merapikan segala sesuatu (Tidy Up – Eng) bekuwis beberesan
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and so many differences that can not be written right here.

Futhermore, this semendonese is not organized and formed well. It spreads around Lampung and some other places and the original ways or culture has changed and been far different.

For some says, “ How poor they are!”. This ethnic is, actually, very unique!. They are rich in culture, ways, methods, dances, songs, literatures and accent of languages of ethnic.

‘Old (Ancient) people said that semendenese has 9 (nine) leaders for each eras and honored by all semendeneses. This is a system of united, organized and performed a long time ago but destroyed by easy stages now. These leaders are named “ Puyang “. Puyang is not a soldier or general. It is not like a leader. It is a leader of stability of semendenese for their betterment and for sacrifices.

When Jangis Khan from Mongolia/China attacked and conqured the Sriwijaya Kingdom, this ethnic escaped from the kingdom and spread around Lampung Province and some other places. This condition is very poor. They are not organized and led well. Now they are far different of Chinese, Padangese, Sundanese and Javanese in Other Ethnics in indonesia.

Puyang : A uniquee hero in semende's mind

For some ethnics in Southern Sumatera says that there are 12 "puyang" known and followed, they are ;

(1) Puyang Belulus (in Besemah)
(2) Puyang Tungkuk (in Besemah)
(3) Puyang Kerbau Menyeberang (in Besemah)
(4) Puyang Siak Mandi Api (in Besemah)
(5) Puyang Tanjung (in Besemah)
(6) Puyang Bege (in Besemah)
(7) Puyang Depati Konedah (in Musi)
(8) Puyang Ronan (in Musi)
(9) Puyang Remanjang Sakti (in Enim)
(10) Puyang Gadis (in Lematang)
(11) Tuan Puyang Ndikat (in Lematang)
(12) Puyang Rakian Sakti dengan Ratu Acih (in Aji)

besides, most of sumateranese believes that there are "puyang" as a leader of others, they are;

1. puyang lebi
2. puyang ghumbak abang
3. puyang juware
4. puyang pangeran

people believes that puyang has a super magic and different characteristics of common people. but they are humans.

Semende Zone: Causality of Changes

Semendenese is named ‘semendonese’ in Lampung now. It is because their system and way of life has been changed and formed by the unites of other ethnics by a process of marriage system. They now do not have a way of life like they ‘Old People’ ever had for a long long time ago. Semendonese in the past is very strong. Even they could not be attacked and conqured by Majapahit Kingdom in Java Island.

The best way for Majapahit Kingdom to make Sriwijaya stays to support Majapahit is to marry the Sriwijaya’s princess. For that, this process did successfully. For years, majapahit and sriwijaya could be united in majapahit’s flag and rules. This strategy is to survive from Mongolia – Jengis khan attacks.

When the king of majapahit was retired and positioned by a new king, the strength of the two kingdoms was weak and Jengis Khan could conqur Sriwijaya Kingdom and Majapahit did not have stabilities and destroyed by themselves (Compete for a position as a King of Majapahit).