Bakara Archive

Bakara Archive is written heritage of Kingdom Sisingamangaraja in Bakara, contains about: 

1. History of Batak Kingdom up to Sisingamangaraja as King.

2. Batak rejection of Si Bontar Mata (Batak call the Dutch as Si Bontar Mata, means the white eyes)  

3. An official reports and government documents of Sisingamangaraja XI in detail, completely and accurately the events along the year.

4. The Work Plan to rebuild and reconstruction the land of Bakara after war.

Bakara Archive is hand written using Batak script and language, wrote use qualified waterproof Chinese ink on foolscap size paper made in Italy. All the material sent to Bakara through over Aceh.  Batak script and language which was the archive of Sisingamangaraja XI.

There are 23 volumes, each + 5cm thick. Every books covered with buffalo leather and cotton.  Very neat, like a row set of Encyclopedia Book. The thickness of all the book around 1.5m.

The Archice rescued by Reverend Pilgram in 1884, then saved by Joustra and subsequently handed over Poortman in Voorburg Holland.

Betel Nut (Sirih)

Betel Nut or Sirih (Image, 2012)

Betel nut or Sirih is a type of green vines or climbing a tree trunk, in the Batak language, called:

1. Demban

2. Sirumatabulung

3. Napuran

4. Burangir 

Betel has a function and its benefits for the Batak tribe :

1. Customs. On customary marriages, dowry money submission (sinamot / tuhor) in the betel leaf is placed in a dish containing rice.

2. Respect. To welcome guests, and stay in touch with a dish and eat betel (marnapuran) together. Chewed betel leaf spread with lime after (hapur), areca and gambier.

3. Ritual. Prostration prayer (martonggo) to Ompu Mulajadi Nabolon, with the hands to worship, where the betel leaf is placed in the palm and fingers, folded betel leaves two closed top surface.

4. Herbal. Ingredients for taoar (herbal medicine).

5. Status. After the procession mangalontik Ipon, *) boy or girl must be given and betel chewing, a sign has entered a mature level.

In Batak mythology (turi-turian):

1. The Moon and the Sun.  The sun was struck on the lips of the Moon that flushed from chewing betel nut, so to have the charm, the sun was willing to swallow seven children of the sun.

2. Siboru Deang Parujar conquered  Naga 

Padoha the dragon, by betel chewing to attract him so the dragon follow her will.  

Napuran Tano Tano, betel creeper that grows in the soil (tano=ground). Small leaf size, smaller than the betel vine upward or tree.

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*) Click here"Mangalontik Ipon"

Pelebegu

Pelebegu, Pelbegu, Sipelebegu or Hasipelebeguan derived from the word "pele" and "begu". Pele means give offerings, while begu is spirit. Sipelebegu is the perpetrator the "gift offerings" to the good spirit in the form of food, drink or something to the tombs, a large tree, which is believed also to the sacred (sacred) or armature (spooky, scary). Pelebegu or Mamele Begu = function of providing offerings. Hasipelebeguan are things about giving or offering  (Pelean) to the spirits. "Pelean" is gifts or donations, derived from the word "lean" = give, given, convey.


Sipelebegu, Pelbegu, Hasipelebeguan not as a cult Batak, and not as a religion among the ancient Batak tribe. Ancient Batak tribes are said to be Sipelebegu because the sacrifice of activities aimed at offering to the spirits in a ritual.