Antara Mitos dan Realitas: Historisitas Maung di Tatar Sunda

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Secara kultural, masyarakat Sunda cukup akrab dengan maung (harimau). Maung adalah sebutan khusus untuk harimau di wilayah Tatar Sunda. Maung direpresentasikan secara khusus sebagai simbol kekuatan. Simbolisasi maung tercermin dalam beberapa identitas kekinian, seperti pada julukan klub sepak bola terbesar di Jawa Barat, Persib “maung” Bandung serta pengadopsian secara visual sebagai lambang Divisi Siliwangi, satuan militer wilayah Jawa Barat. Di balik pemaknaan itu, terdapat jejak-jejak historis yang menyebabkan begitu lekatnya maung dalam benak masyarakat Sunda. Penelitian ini berusaha untuk menelusuri maung dalam bingkai mitos dan juga ekologis. Di Tatar Sunda tersebar mitos-mitos terkait harimau yang disampaikan secara lisan dan tulisan (naskah). Selain itu, jejak maung pun banyak pula ditulis pada sumber-sumber kolonial, seperti arsip, koran, hingga roman. Secara umum, maung mencerminkan mentalitas kultural masyarakat Sunda, yang pemaknaannya menjadi penghubung antara mitos dan realitas.

Sundanese people are quite familiar with maung (tiger). Maung is a special name for tigers in the Tatar Sunda. Maung is represented as a symbol of strength. The symbolization of maung is reflected in several contemporary identities, such as the nickname of the biggest football club in West Java, Persib "maung" Bandung. Moreover, it is adopted visually as a symbol of military unit in the West Java region, Divisi Siliwangi. Behind the meaning, many historical traces which cause the  existence of maung in the minds of the Sundanese people. This research seeks to explore the mythical and ecological framework. In Tatar Sunda scattered myths related to tigers that were delivered orally and in manuscript. In addition, many traces of Maung were also written in colonial sources, such as archives, newspapers, and romances. In general, it reflects the cultural mentality of Sundanese society, whose meaning is the link between myth and reality.