The very name Minangkabau witnesses to a high degree of wit & resourcefulness. Literally, the name is said to mean "winning" (menang) "water buffalo" (kerbau).It supposedly reflects the outcome of a bull fight held hundreds of years ago to decide who would win in a war with the Javanese. The Javanese arrived with a huge buffalo, while the Minangkabau chose an unweaned calf. After starving the calf before the fight, they attached sharp spikes to its head. When the animals met, the hunger crazed Minangkabau calf, tried to nurse, and the Javanese beast bled to death. Today, the buffalo figures prominently in Minangkabau myth, culture, and architecture.
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