Ibu Pertiwi ( en, Mother Prithvi or

Mother Earth Mother Earth may refer to: *The Earth goddess in any of the world's mythologies *Mother goddess *Mother Nature, a common personification of the Earth and its biosphere as the giver and sustainer of life Written media and literature *Mother Earth ...

)Yayasan Kemanusiaan Ibu Pertiwi
YKIP is a

national personification A national personification is an anthropomorphic personification of a state or the people(s) it inhabits. It may appear in political cartoons and propaganda. Some early personifications in the Western world tended to be national manifestations ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, the allegory of ''Tanah Air'' ( id, land and water), the Indonesian

motherland A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethni ...

. Since prehistoric times, the tribes of the

Indonesian archipelago The islands of Indonesia, also known as the Indonesian Archipelago ( id, Kepulauan Indonesia) or Nusantara, may refer either to the islands comprising the country of Indonesia or to the geographical groups which include its islands. History ...

often revered earth and nature spirits as a life giving mother, a female deity of nature. After the adoption of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

in the early

first millennium File:1st millennium montage.png, From top left, clockwise: Depiction of Jesus, the central figure in Christianity; The Colosseum, a landmark of the once-mighty Roman Empire; Kaaba, the Great Mosque of Mecca, the holiest site of Islam; Chess, a n ...

, this mother figure was identified with

Prithvi Prithvi or Prithvi Mata (Sanskrit: पृथ्वी, ', also पृथिवी, ', "the Vast One") is the Sanskrit name for the earth, as well as the name of a devi (goddess) in Hinduism and some branches of Buddhism. In the Vedas, her conso ...

, the Hindu mother goddess of the earth, who was thus given the name "Pertiwi".

In popular culture

Ibu Pertiwi is a popular theme in Indonesian patriotic songs and poems and was mentioned in several of them, such as the song "

Ibu Pertiwi Ibu Pertiwi ( en, Mother Prithvi or Mother Earth)Yayasan Kemanusiaan Ibu Pertiwi
Indonesia Pusaka "Indonesia Pusaka" ( en, Indonesia, the Heritage) is a patriotic song composed by Ismail Marzuki. It is normally played on Indonesian Independence Day celebration. Lyrics First verse: Indonesia tanah air beta Pusaka abadi nan jaya Indonesia seja ...

". In the national anthem "

Indonesia Raya "" (; "Great Indonesia") is the national anthem of Indonesia. It has been the national anthem since the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence on 17 August 1945. The song was introduced by its composer, Wage Rudolf Supratman, on 28 October 19 ...

", the lyrics "''Jadi pandu ibuku''" (" sthe scout/guide to my mother") is a reference to Ibu Pertiwi as the metaphorical mother of the Indonesian people. Despite her popularity in patriotic songs and poems, her physical representations and images are rare. In nationalistic TV commercials commemorating

Indonesian independence day The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence ( id, Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia, or simply ''Proklamasi'') was read at 10:00 on Friday, 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of t ...

, Ibu Pertiwi is often depicted as a beautiful Indonesian maiden lovingly nurturing Indonesian children, such as depicted in a 2017 TV commercial

Hari Merdeka Independence Day ( ms, Hari Merdeka, also known as ''Hari Kebangsaan'' or "National Day"), is the official independence day of Malaya. It commemorates the Malayan Declaration of Independence of 31 August 1957, and is defined in Article 160 ...

special. In 2017, the Ibu Pertiwi costume won the best national costume in the Miss Grand International beauty pageant. The costume was inspired by Ibu Pertiwi, the national personification of Indonesia.

Notes

{{Culture-stub National symbols of Indonesia National personifications

In popular culture

See also

Notes