Mitos Harimau dalam Pengaturan Adat Masyarakat Kerinci Desa Pulau Tengah, Jambi, Sumatera

The tiger has been known to have considerable significance in the oral tradition of the Kerinci people. However, comprehensive discourses on the origins and actual meaning of the tiger in the Malay cultures, such as that of Kerinci, are almost impossible to find. This gives rise to a flawed perspective of the worldview of the people still living in their ‘tiger tradition’. This article aims to analyse the myth which surrounds the tiger in accordance to the beliefs of the Kerinci people in Desa Pulau Tengah, Jambi with regards to the reinforcement of social rules which have been in existence in the village since many years ago. Based on years of fieldwork documentation on Kerinci oral traditions, this article is a contribution to illustrate the origin of the tiger and its connection with the culture of the community, with special emphasis on the Desa Pulau Tengah community, so that it can be clearly understood with regards to the meaning of the tiger in their cultural context and worldview. In order to construct a deeper understanding, this article emphasises on two aspects, namely; the description of three versions of the mythological origins of the tiger in Kerinci, and the function of this myth as a vehicle to structure the social rules in Desa Pulau Tengah. As an oral tradition, this myth plays a significant role in bolstering the position of customary law. Incidences of tiger attacks are not seen as a threat in their cultural understanding, but as a warning from the ‘elders’ in a process to maintain social order