The culture of Aceh is a collection of cultures from various tribes in Aceh, Indonesia.

The culture of Aceh is a collection of cultures from various tribes in Aceh, Indonesia.

Aceh Province consists of 11 tribes, namely:

Acehnese (76% of the population of the 2010 Aceh census)
The Tamiang Tribe (In Aceh Tamiang District around 35%).
The Alas tribe, the Haloban tribe (in Southeast Aceh District).
Singkil Tribe (In Aceh Singkil District and Subulussalam City around 40%)
Aneuk Jamee and Kluet (in South Aceh District around 35%).
Gayo tribe (in Central Aceh Regency 20%, Bener Meriah Regency 20% and Gayo Lues Regency around 40%)
Simeulue Tribe, Devayan Tribe, Sigulai Tribe (in Simeulue Regency)
Each tribe has their own culture, language and mindset.

The commonly used language is Acehnese (76%) besides Indonesian.

There lived Malay customs, which governed all activities and behavior of the people based on Islamic Sharia law. The application of Islamic law in this province is not new. Long before the Republic of Indonesia was established, precisely since the time of the empire, Islamic law had permeated the Acehnese people.

History

History chooses how the Acehnese make Islam as a guide and the clerics get a respectable place. Appreciation for Aceh's privilege with its Islamic Sharia is then clarified by Law Number 44 of 1999 concerning the Implementation of Aceh's Privileges. In Law No.11 of 2006 concerning the Government of Aceh, discussing al-syakhsiyah areas (family issues, such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, guardianship, living, child care and shared assets), daily mu`amalah, such as buying and selling, lease-purchase, and borrow-purchase), and jinayah (criminality) which is in accordance with Islamic law which is regulated by qanun (regional regulations).

The law provides flexibility for Aceh for people's lives in accordance with Islamic teachings. Even so, adherents of other religions agree to worship according to their respective beliefs. This is the socio-cultural style of the Acehnese people, with Islam there but the province also has a diversity of religions.

Art and cultural expertise makes this province has its own charm. In senior literary arts, this province has 80 folklore which is included in Acehnese, Aneuk Jame, Tamiang, Gayo, Alas, haloban, kluet. Another literary form is poetry known as saga, with one of the famous saga being the Hikayat Prang Sabi (Sabil War).

Aceh dance also has special features and uniqueness, with the characteristics, among others, at first only performed in certain ceremonies involving rituals rather than spectacle, the combination of harmony between dance, music and literature, specifically danced with a limited arena, repetition of movements monotonous in simple and repetitive motion patterns, and the presentation time is relatively long.

The dances included Seudati, Saman, Rampak, Rapai and Rapai Geleng. This last dance is the most famous and is a blend of Rapai dance and Saman dance.

In the field of fine arts, Rumoh Aceh is an architectural work in accordance with the cultural settlement at that time. Other works of art are carvings with calligraphy. Aceh's unique weapon is Rencong. Basically a blend of tradition between processing iron (metallurgy) with the art of forging and form. The most famous type of rencong is siwah.

The Acehnese like bead decorations such as fans, food hoods, clothes and so on. Then the carving with motifs can be seen in the decorations on pillows, skullcap, traditional clothes, and so on.

Cultivating Culture

Planting that starts since land clearing. In this case, there is an authorized traditional institution / institution, namely Commander Uteuen which is under several other traditional structures such as Petua Seuneubôk, Keujruen Blang, Pawang Glé, and so on.

The forest management system as a farming land, the function of Petua Seuneubôk cannot be denied. Seuneubôk itself means a new territory outside the village which was originally a forest. The forest is then turned into fields. Therefore, seuneubôk land clearing must always pay attention to environmental aspects so as not to have a negative impact on seuneubôk members and the environment itself. Then the function of Petua Seuneubôk becomes important in managing farming, in addition to the need for Keujruen Blang.

Culture of Opening Plantation Land

For the people of Aceh there are a number of rules that have lived and developed since ancient times. The wisdom of the Acehnese people is also found in the prohibition of cutting down trees at a radius of about 500 meters from the edge of the lake, 200 meters from the edge of the spring and left and right of the river in the swampy area, about 100 meters from the banks of the river, about 50 meters from the edge of the tributary (alue).

In addition, in the Aceh tradition there are also a number of restrictions when opening land in the seuneubôk area. Abstinence is like peudong jambô (setting up a hut). Jambô or shelter to stopover is certainly there in every land. In the custom of meublang (farming), jambô may not be erected on the trajectory of wild animals or places where there are believed to be spirits of the inhabitants of the jungle. 

The material used to support the hut also may not use wood that has been rooted around the root (uroet), because it is feared to invite snakes into the jambô.
There are also taboo daruet which means that members of seuneubôk are prohibited from hanging cloth on trees, pecking machetes on tree stumps, and cutting (ceumeucah) in the rain. This is because it is feared to bring locust pests (daruet).

Pamali or Abstinence

In addition, in the garden (forest) it is also prohibited to shout or call someone while in the forest / garden. This is feared to result in bringing pests or animals that can damage plants, such as mice, deer, pigs, monkeys, elephants, and so on.

It was also stated that in Acehnese customs there were restrictions on entering the forest or prohibited days. Because Acehnese have a strong Islamic nature, the prohibited day is usually related to "religious days".

Aceh also noted a number of restrictions or restrictions on behavior. This is like climbing or throwing young durian, poisoning fish in a river or alue, fighting among adults in the seuneubôk area, taking other people's crops such as rambutan, durian, mango, etc., even though the owner is unknown, except the fallen fruit. The ban certainly becomes a reflection of honesty in life on this vast earth.

Indigenous fields
In rice fields (meupadé), there are also a number of provisions for the sake of the sustainability of the comfort and safety of farming. It's like hanjeut teumeubang watèe padé mirah. The point is not to cut wood when rice is about to be harvested. If this is violated, it is believed to bring planthopper pests (geusong). For the sake of avoiding rice fields around the impact of planthopper pests, for those who violate the provisions subject to fines by Keujruen Blang.