Merarik: Typical Wedding Ceremony Sasak, West Nusa Tenggara

"I do not want to marry a man who did not dare to take risks with my escape. He will look weak, both in my eyes as well as others from my village when he asked for permission to my father. Actually, my dad would throw it out the door when he tried to do that "(Bartholomen, 2001: 204).
Talking about marriage Sasak, can not help but talk about merarik, the girls run to be his wife. Merarik as a ritual to start a marriage is a very unique phenomenon, and may only be found in the Sasak, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. This tradition is so ingrained in society meat, so if there are people who want to know the marital status of a person, the person in question simply asked whether or not already merarik. Bartholomen article above clearly indicates that merarik is very important in marriage Sasak. In fact, asking a girl directly to her father to marry is no different than asking a chicken (Bartholomen, 2001: 195).
According to Judith Ecklund (1977: 96), in the 1970's culturally merarik about 95% performed by the Sasak people to start a marriage. This tradition of Sasak people are often regarded as an elopement, so-called dowry paid gift elopement (sajikrama). In addition, although in fact adopted the Balinese tradition, as if the flight is the essence of marriage practice Sasak,.
Although merarik a tradition imported from Bali, in the development of this tradition to be the most honorable way for men to marry a woman Sasak. The reason, merarik provide opportunities to the youth, who wanted a wife, to show his manhood (Bartholomen, 2001: 203). The nature of the male figure symbolizes a husband who is responsible for all conditions of the continuity of his family. Men who do merarik has proven himself as a brave man. This is because the perpetrator merarik, as stipulated in the indigenous Sasak, must face the danger of killed if caught. As for those who do not do merarik considered weak and not fit to be a husband, as quoted at the beginning of this paper.
To minimize the hazards to be borne by the perpetrator merarik, then all means are used to at the time of merarik not caught by the people, for example, by using magical powers. Using magical powers, a man can call her hero magically from places far enough. This method minimizes the danger merarik.
"... One night when he was dudu-sitting at home thinking about the dinner menu, a strange feeling came to him. Suddenly, he felt compelled to walk to the village rice field sidelines. In a daze and floated, he walked aimlessly along the empty road to meet with one who stands in front of the establishment ... .. "(Bartholomen, 2001: 194)
As the times, the number of people who do merarik less (Bartholomen, 2001: 202). In fact, sometimes performed merarik merely symbolic, ie with the "consent" of both parents of the girl. A fight that may arise as a result of the arrest of the person doing merarik also done only to abort the customary provisions. For example, although people who do merarik attacked by dozens of residents, on akhirya he was able to free himself.
Regardless of the growing unpopularity of early marriage as a ritual merarik Sasak, this ritual has spawned a unique marriage Sasak people. Dowry that must be submitted by the party of men, for example, called sajikrama (gift elopement). Goods that are used as a sanction imposed sajikrama to groom girls for running people. Therefore, the magnitude sajikrama calculated based on violations that may have occurred before, during, and after the kidnapping. The possibility of fines to be paid, among others (Budiwanti, 2000: 252-254): first, ngampah-ngampah ilen starch. Fines are imposed because the bride's parents felt that before, during, and after running the girl, the bridegroom has to embarrass their children, for example before the event merarik the man visited the girl first. Yet according to indigenous Sasak, a young man should not be visited or would visit the girl he stole.
Second, late salabar, that is fine to be paid by the bridegroom when the bride's parents think the groom's family is too late to preach the kidnapping of their daughter. According to indigenous Sasak, tolerance time to give news of the kidnapping is three days. More than three days, then the groom must pay a fine late salabar. In fact, sometimes also have to pay ngampah-ngampah ilen make starch for the bride's family embarrassment.
Third, Dosan jeruman. Fines must be paid by the groom because he used an intermediary in making the girls escape. Fourth, another keliang. Fines paid for the groom come from different places, such as the girl comes from the Sasak, whereas the groom came from Java. Fifth, ajin huts. Fines are paid at the request of the community where the bride lived. Sixth, a derivative of the nation. Fines are charged to the groom who have lower social status than the bride. Therefore, this model of marriage led to the social status of women to be down, then the payment is essentially a derivative nation compensation loss of social status. The higher the social status of women, the greater the nation derivative fines to be paid by the bridegroom. And seventh, etc.. Sajikrama is paid to the development of public facilities, such as the construction of the hamlet, madrassas, mosques, and so forth.
Various penalties that follow merarik, making the cost to be borne by the groom very large. This condition, not only burdensome bridegroom but also put women in a dilemma. These rules are causing women not free to choose his life partner, because they have to wait for people who can afford sajikrama. One respondent, for example, says that many people do not use a traditional Sasak in her marriage because of the expense is enormous. This condition causes some Sasak women, especially the nobility, not married (Budiwanti, 2000, 261). This phenomenon, by quoting one of Sasak community members, described by Budiwanti as follows:
"... The nobles ... have great power to determine the price of the bride. When the groom comes from a lower status than the bride, then they will demand the bride price is not coarse size and absurdly out of ability to pay. Not surprisingly, these demands become a boomerang for the nobility itself. Who is it who dared to marry their daughter if the groom has to pay 11 head of cattle ... ... Request for the bride price had been jammed move ordinary people to elope with their daughters "(Budiwanti, 2000: 261).

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