The meaning of Rebo Buntung for Pringgabaya villager, East Lombok during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Rebo Buntung is a Sasak cultural tradition performed on the island of Lombok in Indonesia, primarily aimed at preventing disasters. Although the government warned people in Lombok to engage in social distancing and to reduce activities outside to reduce the risk of infection associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Rebo Buntung was carried out by Sasak people amid the pandemic. This purpose of this paper is to describe results from qualitative research, framed within religious theory and structural-functional theory, that explore the meaning of Rebo Bunting in the village of Pringgabaya, East Lombok and its role during the COVID-19 Pandemic. For villagers, Rebo Bunting reflected a request to God for protection from the dangers of the pandemic and an expression of gratitude to God for the sustainability of social lives and environmental conditions that continue to provide support for the village. Rebo Buntung was also practiced by the Pringgabaya villagers during the pandemic because of its potential to contribute to the sustainability of their tourist-dependent economy, whose condition had worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic.