MYTH, POWER, AND COMMUNITY IDENTITY: THE PUNDEN RITUALS OF POHBLEMBEM, BADAS, KEDIRI

Abstract

This study investigates the transformation of ritual and identity at the Pohblembem Punden in Badas Village, Kediri, specifically analyzing it as a contested public sphere rather than a site of static tradition. Utilizing a qualitative ethnographic approach—combining field observations and interviews with historical research—the study moves beyond descriptive accounts to reveal the underlying power relations that dictate cultural reconstruction. The findings demonstrate that the punden serves as an arena of contestation where identity is negotiated between the descendants of Ki Ageng Panatagama, who claim genealogical legitimacy, and rival groups who rely on oral tradition to assert authority. Furthermore, the study identifies a capitalization of the sacred by village officials and religious management, who utilize the punden to secure political legitimacy. This transformation is not a passive absorption into globalization but a strategic negotiation where marginalized actors, leverage their ritual roles to expand their influence within a patriarchal hierarchy. Ultimately, the study reveals that the punden is a dynamic space where the truth of the past is reconstructed to serve contemporary social and political interests.