Wong Kalang, A Tribe in Java Who Has A Tail But is An Expert at Building Temples and A Mainstay of War

RADAR TEGAL - For most residents and people on the island of Java at this time, maybe they just know that there is a term Kalang or Wong Kalang tribe. It is said that Wong Kalang is one of the tribes in Javanese society that has existed since the days of the archipelago kingdoms.

It's just that, for one reason or another, they were then ostracized by the majority society that existed at that time. It was this exclusion that later became the beginning of the term "kalang". The word "kalang" comes from the Javanese language, which means "limit".

READ ALSO: 6 Candi Bersejarah Peninggalan Kerajaan Majapahit Salah Satunya Terukir Nama Raja Hayam Wuruk, Intip Bentuknya
So that at that time the social conditions of these people were deliberately limited (or surrounded) by the authorities or the majority community. Orang or Wong Kalang are deliberately alienated from everyday life because there used to be an opinion that they were wild and dangerous.
The existence of the term "repeat" was first found in the temple grave inscription in Tegalsari Kawedanan Village, Tegalharjo, Magelang Regency. The inscription is dated 753 Saka (831 AD), or it is suspected that this tribe has been around since Java did not know Hinduism.

People's myths

Even though their lives are isolated, the myth is that the Kalang people are temple builders who are physically strong and well-built. Not even a few suspect that it came from Khmer or Cambodia.
As is well known, strong people in Cambodia are often called human k'lang. The alleged connection with the wong kalang is justified because the temples in the Khmer Country have similarities with the buildings of temples in Java.
Ironically, after Hindus entered Java, they were even more marginalized by the caste system due to the uncertainty of their ancestry. Then it was as if they were expelled because they were forced to live in exile areas.
Wong kalang inhabits areas such as brackish beaches, river banks, high mountain slopes, and barren lands. Meanwhile, there are also some who live nomadic lives, moving in and out of the forest.
The harsh environment they faced forged him into a hard worker, so much so that the Majapahit Kingdom at that time also took advantage of their presence. Among other things, for large-scale physical projects, such as loggers, porters, and war soldiers.

Coming from a lowly lineage

In the book Javaansch Nederduitsch Woordenboek mentions that Wong Kalang is the name of an ethnic group in Java that used to live around the forest. They are mostly suspected of having lowly origins.
Physically, according to Pieter Johannes Veth, the Kalang people do have a different physique from the local population. They are more similar to the Negrito tribe in the Philippines, which has dark skin and curly hair.

READ ALSO: Candi Tikus! Namanya yang Unik Ternyata Ini Jadi Tempat Pemandian Putri Kerajaan Majapahit, Kok Bisa?
Wong Kalang is also considered a migrant from Kedah, Kelang, and Pegu in 800 AD. With a number of physical differences and backgrounds, the Kalang people choose to live separately from other residential areas.
Later, the ruler of the Hindu Kingdom at that time labeled them as having no caste (untouchables). So that the distance with the general public is getting wider because, in the caste system, people who are not caste cannot have relations with people who are of a lower caste or even a Shudra.
However, because of Wong Kalang's violent, wild, and dangerous character, unwanted things often happen. Moreover, there are also those who think they are different from most people because they have a 'tail' on their bodies. (*)

Sumber: