One of the traditional tools originating from Aceh that are now beginning to be rarely improved

One of the traditional musical instruments from Aceh which is a family of percussion that is now rarely played is Alee Tunjang, a collection of Alu and dimples played together by pounding alu in a rhythmic that has been arranged in such a way to accompany the same entitled dance.

Alee Tunjang or Alu Tunjang popular and originating from North Aceh, has a long and long-standing history, especially in rural areas. Consisting of 4 or 5 mortars that have different shapes and alu lengths, as well as different fabricating materials to produce different sound characters. The shape of Alee Tunjang is alunya supporting like a pole, while the dimple is like a log of wooden bars that are placed standing, more or less as high as thighs. Usually played by women only.

Regarding the meaning of the naming, there is a legend circulating before the entry of Islam into Aceh which explains the meaning of the name:

Once, a king in the area of ​​Buloh Blang Ara (North Aceh) obtained a son. Call on an astrologer to see how the prince will be. The astrologer says that the birth will bring disaster to the country or kingdom. As a result the King decided to throw his son deep into a jungle full of shady trees that have tunjang roots (there are those who think there are many stems that fall with the root of the allowance here and there).

A few years later some rattan seekers saw a child (the king's son) playing around pounding a fallen log by using a tunjang root. There is also a saying that the child is engrossed in playing from the root of the tunjang one to the root of other tunjang, while pounding, and make sound or rhythmic rhythmic with beautiful tingkahan. Because the root of the tunjang is not the same, the sound is different and very interesting.

Then the rattan seeker approached the child and was brought back to his home and raised as his own son. By the boy the root game of the tunjang is continued in the new village where he lives along with the other children around him. From this story also, born the name of a traditional musical instrument called "Alee Tunjang" or in the Indonesian language is "Alu Tunjang".