Sunan Ambu or Batari Sunan Ambu ( Sundanese: ᮘᮒᮛᮤ ᮞᮥᮔᮔ᮪ ᮃᮙ᮪ᮘᮥ) is a goddess according to Sundanese beliefs, the mother goddess of the Sundanese, and resides in the Kahyangan. She is often portrayed as a mother who, in Sundanese mythology, takes care of the homeland and all honored mortals.
Etymology
Her name is derived from the Sundanese Susuhunan Ambu which can be translated as "The Noble Mother", "Mother Queen" or "Mother Goddess"
In folktales
She is often featured in many folk tales of Sundanese origin, notably Lutung Kasarung, Sangkuriang and Mundinglaya Dikusumah.
Women in West Java
Since 2001 West Java has imposed local regulations governing women's public conducting including making the jilbab Islamic religious dress mandatory. In the pre-Islamic belief system of West Java, Sunan Ambu was the most important female goddess of the celestial world called kahyangan, possibly a sign of the respected place that women occupy in Sundanese society.
References
- "Indonesian Women Speak Out on Dress Codes: Schoolgirls, Female Civil Servants Suffer Under Mandatory Hijab Regulations". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- Riyani, Irma. Islam, Women's Sexuality and Patriarchy in Indonesia: Silent Desire. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 2020.
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