A. Ottino Origin myths, hierarchical order, and the negotiation of ...

Status in the Balinese Village of Trunyan 509
hermaphrodite
elder brother younger
sister
nyeburin
ïn-coming
husband
assistant
daughter son son
1 I
dadia Mangku Seripen
and sub-dadia
dadia
Nang Kremi
daughter
Kingof Bangli
Figure 5. Ranking of fïrst-settler dadia in village hierarchy.
the integration of new-comer groups through 'adoption' in social life. In
this respect, it is in contradiction with the ideology of endogamy professed
by the dadia.
The supreme status of the first settlers is challenged by the dadia Guru
Kawidana, which by-passes the genitor line altogether by claiming the son
of the hermaphrodite elder brother as its apical ancestor. As this god also is
the cousin of dadia Mangku Seripen's apical ancestor, and the brother of
his 'assistant', it is difficult to establish a definite hierarchical order between
the two dadia. To the ex tent that both dadia are connected to the
progenitor line, their status would appear to be more or less similar. In fact
this is not the case. By identifying itself solely with the hermaphrodite
elder brother's line, the dadia Guru Kawidana denies any direct association
with the first settlers, personified by the younger sister / wife. This
is congruent with the caste ideology fostered by the Pasek Gelgel in the
past, which is reflected in the jero/jaba division; but it does not refer to
any restrictions on marriage between them and the village population,
since Pasek Gelgel men could marry jaba women. What the identification
of the dadia Guru Kawidana with the elder brother's son does rather, is
assert the supremacy of the male principle associated with control of
political power and, by extension, the superiority of this group over the
groups identified with female values. This gives added significance to the
relation between the apical ancestor of the dadia Mangku Seripen and his
cross-cousin, the sister of the apical ancestor of the dadia Guru Kawidana.