Understanding Historical Attachment Through Oral Tradition as a Source of History

Abstract

This research aims to explore the historical attachment of the local community of Parakan City through its oral tradition. Parakan was designated as a heritage city in 2015; it is a small city in Indonesia, located in Central Java. It is well known as the Bamboo Runcing City. Bamboo Runcing refers to the sharpened bamboo that was used as a traditional weapon a hundred years ago in Indonesia. To understand the level of historical attachment, it is necessary to establish its value via its oral tradition. Such tradition is regarded as a primary source of history and can be explored by interviewing relevant respondents. Using a qualitative method with a descriptive narrative approach, this research identifies the reasons why the local community uses the term “Bamboo Runcing” as a city brand. This paper concludes by ascertaining the extent of historical attachment within the local community of Parakan City.