Another story of Kanekes
The opinion of the mythological origins of the Kanekes people differs from the opinions of historians, who base their opinions by the synthesis of some historical evidence in the form of inscriptions, written records of Portuguese and Chinese sailors, as well as the ‘Tatar Sunda’ folklore which very few had remained in existence. Some people believe that the Baduy are the descendants of the aristocracy of the Sunda Kingdom of Pajajaran who lived near Batutulis in the hills around Bogor but there is no strong evidence to support this belief yet; their domestic architecture follows most closely the traditional Sundanese architecture.
Fatahillah Invasion
Pakuwan Pajajaran port known as Sunda Kelapa, was destroyed by invading Faletehan (Fatahillah) Muslim soldiers in 1579, Dayeuh Pakuan the capital of Pajajaran, was invaded by Banten Sultanate some time later. Before the establishment of the Banten Sultanate, the end of the western tip region in Java Island plays an important role for the Sunda Kingdom. Banten was a large trading port. Various types of vessel entered the Ciujung River, and most of them are used to transport crops that were harvested from the interior regions.
Prabu Pucuk Umun
Therefore, the ruler of the region, Prince Pucuk Umun considers that the sustainability of the river needs to be maintained. So an army of highly trained royal troops was commanded to guard and to manage the dense and hilly jungle areas in the region of Mount Kendeng. The existence of the troops with their specific duties to that area seems to be the pioneer of the Kanekes community which still inhabit the upstream of Ciujung River at Gunung Kendeng. The disagreement of this theory led to the notion that in the past, their identity and historicity had been intentionally concealed, which was probably to protect the Kanekes community themselves from the attacks of the Sunda Kingdom of Pajajaran‘s enemies.
Kabuyutan Jati Sunda/Sunda Wiwitan
Van Tricht, a doctor who had done medical research in 1928, denied the theory. According to him, the Kanekes people are natives of the region who have strong resistance to external influences. The Kanekes people themselves also refuse to acknowledge that they are from the fugitives of Pajajaran, the capital of the Kingdom of Sunda. According to Danasasmita and Djatisunda, the Baduy people are local to the settlements that are officially mandated (as sacred region) by the king because the people are obliged to preserve the kabuyutan (ancestral or ancestral worship), are neither Hindu or Buddhist.
Read also, Baduy: History, Culture and Beliefs
The ancestral worship in this area is known as Kabuyutan Jati Sunda or Sunda Asli or Sunda Wiwitan (native Sundanese). Therefore, their ethnic religion was also given the name of Sunda Wiwitan. Another theory suggests that they originate in northern Banten; pockets of people in the northern hills still speak the archaic dialect of Sunda that the Baduy use.
