Lambang semangat juang dalam legenda Rentap dan sejarah penentangannya terhadap Raja Brooke di Sarawak

Abstract

Rentap was a renowned Iban folk hero who resisted Raja Brooke’s rule in Sarawak in the 19th century. He and his followers put up a strong resistance against Brooke’s campaign to expand his territory along the Sekrang River in Sarawak. Rentap’s heroic status is attributed to his “never say die” attitude when fighting against Brooke’s police force. Consequently, legends regarding his indomitable fighting spirit continue to circulate among Sarawak folk to this day. During a fieldtrip to collect folk stories of Sarawak conducted in 2000, one of the transcripts obtained by the author was related to the legend of Rentap. Intense scrutiny of this unique verbatim text reveals an extended and detailed narration of the pre-Rentap era during which time resistance to Brooke’s regime was considerable. In this paper, besides discussing the history of Rentap’s resistance against Brooke’s rule in Sarawak, the author attempts a structural analysis of this verbatim text in order to reveal the origin, characteristics and also the symbolism behind the “enduring fighting spirit” of this folk hero. In doing so, it is anticipated that folk perceptions of Rentap will also be revealed