Meanings of Spatial Order in the Customary House of Sapo Battoa Kaluppini in the Enrekang Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

The treasures of the traditional houses in the Nusantara archipelago, including those in the Kaluppini community, are rich in meanings. This study aims to examine the meanings of the vertical and horizontal spatial orders of the Sapo Battoa customary house in the Kaluppini Village, the Enrekang Regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The research adopts a qualitative method. The approach in this research is ethnographic model. The results reveal that the spatial order of Sapo Battoa vertically consists of three parts, (1) sullu' bola (the legs) which horizontally consists of batu mapaccing; kale bola (the body) which consists of kandawari, syara’, ada’, To Manurung, kamara, tambing, dapo; and baroko' bola (the head) which consists of tapattagoa, busaran, Sullu' bola has a meaning associated with the human birth process originating from the ground. (2) kale bola has a meaning associated with the human life process that is laden with a moral message of mutual respect for fellow beings to expect the Creator’s blessings so as to achieve harmony in social life. (3) baroko' bola has a meaning associated with the dedicating and serving process of human being until the eventual returning back to God: the Creator. This study concludes that the spatial divisions in both vertical and horizontal orders contain sacred meanings