The Myth of Maempo Cimande - Pukulan Cimande Pusaka

17. ibid. p.151.
18. In Australian suburbia where l was raised, primary importance was given to one's heart or
soul or motives over and above one's outward appearance. I grew up believing that if one was
good inside, there were a great many ways in which this could be manifested in behavioral
terms and dress was an insignificant factor. In Aceh, and other parts of Indonesia as well, I
found that the emphasis given to dress was much greater than that to which I had been
accustomed. This was particularly true when it came to wearing traditional dress. For the
Acehnese, the correct external form is deemed very important. In fact it was seen to reflect the
correct inner state of the person. It shows that a person is pure and clean within, and in true
accord with his historical links. I do not want to draw a marked difference between the two
societies, but merely to draw attention to the separate emphases as I experienced them.
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