The Minangkabau have large corporate descent groups, but they traditionally reckon descent matrilineally. A young boy, for instance, has his primary responsibility to his mother's and sisters'
clans. As early as the age of 7, boys traditionally leave their homes and live in a
surau (traditionally: the house of men of a village where the boys learn from older men reading, reciting qur'an, simple math, and other survival skills) to learn religious and cultural (
adat) teachings. At the surau during night time (after the Isyak prayers), these youngsters are taught the traditional Minangkabau art of self-defence, called as Silek, or
Silat in Malay. When they are teenagers, they are encouraged to leave their hometown to learn in schools or through experiences outside of their hometown so that, as adults, they can return home wise and 'useful' to society and are able to contribute their thinking and experience to run the family or
nagari (hometown) when they sit as members of the 'council of maternal uncles and maternal granduncles' (ninik-mamak). This tradition has created Minang communities in many Indonesian cities and towns, which nevertheless are still tied closely to their homeland; a state in
Malaysia named
Negeri Sembilan especially is heavily influenced by Minang culture because
Negeri Sembilan was originally Minangkabau's colony. By acquiring property and education through merantau experience, a young man can attempt to influence his own destiny in positive ways.
Adat derives in part from the ancient animist and buddhist belief system of the Minangkabau, which existed before the arrival of Islam to Sumatra. When precisely the religion spread across the island and was adopted by the Minangkabau is unclear, though it probably arrived in West Sumatra around the 16th century. It is
adat that guides matrilineal inheritance, and though it seems that such a tradition might conflict with the precepts of Islam, the Minangnese insist that it does not. To accommodate both, the Minangkabau make a distinction between high and low inheritance. "High inheritance" is the property, including the home and land, which passes among women. "Low inheritance" is what a father passes to his children out of his professional earnings. This latter inheritance follows Islamic law, a complex system which dictates, in part, that sons get twice as much as daughters.
Ceremonies and festivals Minangkabau ceremonies and festivals include: •
Turun mandi – baby blessing ceremony •
Sunat rasul – circumcision ceremony •
Baralek – wedding ceremony •
Batagak pangulu – clan leader inauguration ceremony. Other clan leaders, all relatives in the same clan and all villagers in the region are invited. The ceremony lasts for seven days or more. •
Turun ka sawah – community work ceremony •
Manyabik – harvesting ceremony •
Hari Rayo – the local observance of
Eid al-Fitr •
Rayo Haji – the local observance of
Eid al-Adha • Adoption ceremony • Adat ceremony • Funeral ceremony • Wild boar hunt ceremony •
Maanta pabukoan – sending food to mother-in-law for
Ramadan '' ceremony •
Tabuik – local
Mourning of Muharram in the coastal village of
Pariaman •
Tanah Ta Sirah, inaugurate a new
datuk when the old one died in the few hours (no need to proceed to the batagak pangulu, but the clan must invite all datuk in the region. •
Mambangkik Batang Tarandam, inaugurate a new datuk when the old one died in the past 10 or 50 years and even more, attendance in the Batagak Pangulu ceremony is mandatory.
Performing arts performance Traditional Minangkabau music includes
saluang jo dendang, which consists of singing to the accompaniment of a bamboo flute and gong-chime music. Modern popular music based on this traditional music or
pop Minang also exists produced by record companies in West Sumatra; they are mostly ballads and are not popular with young Minangkabaus. Dances include the (plate dance),
tari payung (umbrella dance),
tari indang (also known as or ), and
tari pasambahan. Demonstrations of the martial art are performed.
Pidato adat are ceremonial orations performed at formal occasions.
Randai is a folk theatre tradition which incorporates music, singing, dance, drama and the
silat martial art.
Randai is usually performed for traditional ceremonies and festivals, and complex stories may span a number of nights.
Randai performances are a synthesis of alternating martial arts dances, songs, and acted scenes. Stories are delivered by the acting and singing and are mostly based upon Minangkabau legends and folktales. Men originally played male and female characters in the story but, since the 1960s, women have participated. Three meals a day are typical with lunch being the most important, except during the fasting month of
Ramadan when lunch is not eaten. Meals commonly consist of steamed rice, a hot fried dish and a coconut milk dish, with a little variation from breakfast to dinner.
Nasi Kapau is another restaurant variant which specialises in dishes using offal and tamarind to add a sourness to the spicy flavour.
Architecture in the Pandai Sikek village of West Sumatra, with two rice barns () in front (
Minangkabau: 'big house') or (
Minangkabau: 'spired roof house') are the traditional homes of the Minangkabau. The architecture, construction, internal and external decoration, and the functions of the house reflect the culture and values of the Minangkabau. A serves as a residence, a hall for family meetings, and for ceremonial activities. The
rumah gadang is owned by the women of the family who live there – ownership is passed from mother to daughter. The houses have dramatic curved roof structures with multi-tiered, upswept gables. They are also well distinguished by their rooflines which curve upward from the middle and end in points, in imitation of the upward-curving horns of the water buffalo that supposedly eked the people their name (i.e. "
victors of the buffalo"). Shuttered windows are built into walls incised with profuse painted floral carvings. The term usually refers to the larger communal homes, however, smaller single residences share many of its architectural elements.
Oral traditions and literature Minangkabau culture has a long history of oral traditions. One is the (ceremonial orations) which are performed by clan chiefs () at formal occasions such as weddings, funerals, adoption ceremonies, and inaugurations. These ceremonial orations consist of many forms including , aphorisms (), proverbs (), religious advice (, parables (), two-line aphorisms (), and similes (). Minangkabau traditional folktales (
kaba) consist of narratives that present the social and personal consequences of either ignoring or observing the ethical teachings and the norms embedded in the
adat. The storyteller () recites the story in poetic or lyrical prose while accompanying himself on a . A theme in Minangkabau folktales is the central role mothers and motherhood has in Minangkabau society, with the folktales
Rancak di Labuah and
Malin Kundang being two examples.
Rancak di Labuah is about a mother who acts as teacher and adviser to her two growing children. Initially her son is vain and headstrong and only after her perseverance does he become a good son who listens to his mother.
Malin Kundang is about the dangers of treating your mother badly. A sailor from a poor family voyages to seek his fortune, becoming rich and marrying. After refusing to recognise his elderly mother on his return home, being ashamed of his humble origins, he is cursed and dies when a storm ensues and turn him along with his ship to stone. The said stone is in Air Manis beach and is known by locals as
batu Malin Kundang.
Sabai nan Aluih (The genteel Sabai) is about a girl named Sabai who despite being famous for being a gentle girl with perfect wife skills, avenged the murder of her father by a powerful and evil ruler from a neighbouring village. After her father's death, her cowardly elder brother refuses to confront the murderer and so Sabai decided to take matters into her own hands. She seeks out the murderer and shoots him in revenge.
Matrilineage The Minangkabau are the largest
matrilineal society in the world, with property, family name and land passing down from mother to daughter, while religious and political affairs are the responsibility of men, although some women also play important roles in these areas. This custom is called Lareh Bodi-Caniago and is known as
adat perpatih in Malaysia. Today 4.2 million Minangs live in the homeland of West Sumatra. As one of the world's most populous (as well as politically and economically influential) matrilineal ethnicities, Minangkabau gender dynamics have been extensively studied by anthropologists. The
adat (Minangkabau:
Adaik) traditions have allowed Minangkabau women to hold a relatively advantageous position in their society compared to most patriarchal societies, because though they do not rule, they are at the center of their society. ==Language==