Deep Reflection through Sundanese Literature
At least 20 books have been written by Hawe himself or coauthored with other writers, excluding those he has translated and edited as well as dozens of articles in newspapers, journals and essays in Sundanese.
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Wawan "Hawe" Setiawan.
Who is supposed to preserve the culture of Sunda other than Sundanese people themselves? The rhetorical question has motivated Wawan “Hawe” Setiawan to maintain the relevance of Sundanese culture amid the ever-changing times. He chooses the Sundanese language and literature as a medium of preservation.
Diteundeun di jalan gedé,
Dibuka ku nu ngaliwat,
Anu weruh di semuna,
Anu terang, di jaksana,
Anu rancagé di haté.
“Deposit something valuable on the highway/so whoever passes may open it/those who can perceive gestures/who can fathom signs/who are creative at heart”.
So is Hawe’s literal translation of a verse from Cerita Pantun Sunda (Sundanese Poetry Story). The poetic verse serves as the soul of the Rancagé Cultural Foundation set up by literary man Ajip Rosidi along with other cultural observers in 1993. The poem has also becomes one of Hawe’s principles in preserving and developing Sundanese culture.
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“My personal view is that local culture should be managed. It can be done by maintaining its relevance to universal life. Only in this way will culture retain its potential to inspire people to self-reflect order to enhance their creativity and ensure cultural survival,” said Hawe at Ajip Rosidi Library, Bandung, West Java, on Monday (14/6/2021).
He also tries to zoom in on Sundanese traits with a fresher approach by deciphering cryptic symbols.
Since the 2000s, Hawe has been a member of the Sundanese cultural elite. Any question about this reference makes Hawe feel awkward. He modestly said he was only a frequent writer. Hawe’s works are accumulations of knowledge and long experience rather than ordinary writings. He records various traces of Sundanese culture, literature and language. He also tries to zoom in on Sundanese traits with a fresher approach by deciphering cryptic symbols.
Wawan "Hawe" Setiawan
This tendency is among others found in Hawe’s book entitled Sunda Abad Ke-19: Tafsir atas Ilustrasi-ilustrasi Junghuhn (19th Century Sunda: An Interpretation of Junghuhn’s Illustrations, 2019), which attempts to examine the visual representations of Sundanese natural landscapes of the 19th century as illustrated by Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn. Meanwhile, Bocah Sunda di Mata Belanda (Sundanese Children in the Eyes of the Dutch, 2019) interprets the depiction of Sundanese kids in Roesdi djeung Misnem’s illustrations.
At least 20 books have been written by Hawe himself or coauthored with other writers, excluding those he has translated and edited as well as dozens of articles in newspapers, journals and essays in Sundanese.Hawe more often uses literary texts as a medium because language is the key to the preservation of Sundanese culture. Unlike Balinese culture, which is identical to religious rituals, language and literature form the basis of Sundanese culture.
“Through language, we can learn the ethos, ethics and philosophy of Sunda that are being eroded. This is even more so in today’s Sundanese community, with its fading Sundanese values. It can be noticed in the polarization during presidential elections. In fact, there’s a saying about maintaining purity between two impurities,” said Hawe, who is engaged in various studies of the Sundanese communities, among others assisting Julian Millie from Monash University in the research on Haji Hasan Mustapa, a leading Sundanese man of letters.
Many major threads have been identified by Hawe in his research on Sundanese culture from the aspects of illustrations, words and landscapes. One of them, according to Hawe, concerns the principle of life of the Sundanese, who appreciate harmony with nature, which is hirup cicing, hirup nyaring, hirup eling (concord between flora, fauna and man). The traditional community in the settlement of Kasepuhan Ciptagelar, for instance, is not allowed to sell paddy because growing paddy is man’s dharma (social duty) on Earth.
Cisalak kid
Hawe was born in Cisalak village, around 40 kilometers from Tangkubanparahu, in 1968. In the former tea estate area, he grew up with his father who worked in the district office. His mother took care of the family and his six siblings. As he had no friends of the same age, he spent his time reading books in his father’s reading room.
Wawan "Hawe" Setiawan
His reading hobby led Hawe to the path of life far from his parents’ expectation. His father originally hoped that Hawe would become a district head or agricultural engineer. It turned out that after reading critical short stories by Mochtar Lubis, Hawe was unwilling to be a civil servant. He chose to study journalism at Padjadjaran University, Bandung, in 1987. After graduating, he worked as a journalist in Jakarta in the period of 1995-2000.
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Hawe’s choice of work made him estranged from his father. The journalistic profession at the time was regarded as a job that judged officials critically. It was disturbing because his father became a model district head who had once been invited by the president. After the reform era, Hawe’s father had a better assumption of the profession of the press.
His interest in Sundanese literature prompted him to form Dangiang Community, which published essays on Sundanese culture in 1999. Sadly, this community was short-lived. Later, he met with Ajip Rosidi, who guided him to work as an editor in the publisher, Dunia Pustaka Jaya (2000-2002). He delved deeper into the world of publication, literature and Sundanese culture.
Influenced by Ajip, he began to write in Sundanese. “Previously I was unable to write in Sundanese although I’ve always spoken Sundanese with my parents,” said Hawe, who then assisted Ajip’s Rancagé Cultural Foundation. In Rancagé, Hawe served as a juror for Rancagé Literary Awards of the Sundanese Literature Category.
Wawan Setiawan
As a man immersed in Sundanese culture, he is optimistic about the development of Sundanese culture in the future. He notices an adaptation of Sundanese in society at present. “I’ve found many Sundanese expressions emerging in public, like Wi-Fi written as waifai, even the word aing (I, me) that has suddenly been popular in big cities,” he said.Although deplored, added Hawe, Sundanese cultural elements had turned out to make adaptations in their own way.
Wawan “Hawe” Setiawan
Born: Subang, 21 November 1968
Wife: Teti Nurherliyati
Children: Three
Education:
- Fine Art and Design Doctorate Program, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung (2009-2014)
Activity:
- Executive Board Member, Rancagé Cultural Foundation
(This article was translated by Aris Prawira)
