Most of the traditional houses in our archipelago are not only a place to live but also as a medium or a symbol of the embodiment of the philosophy or cultural customs that apply to regions or tribes that exist on this Indonesian earth.
We as a big nation are naturally proud of our cultural wealth and naturally we as the nation's successors preserve it and always perpetuate it for our future generations, and introduce to them our identity as a great country.
This time we discuss the traditional house of the Batak tribe in North Sumatra.
The Batak Traditional House contains the philosophy of the Batak tribe's way of life.
On this occasion we will explore the philosophical value, meaning and history of the Batak traditional house as a form of cultural heritage, which we hope can become a means of cultural preservation, so that in the future our future generations will not lose the identity of our beloved nation.
Toba Batak tribal settlements follow the pattern of berbanjar (kampung), which is an environmental spatial layout with a community that is intact and strong in solidarity. Villages or villages in the Batak tribe are called lumban / huta. in each village / village equipped with 2 gates (bahal) on the north and south sides. The village is surrounded by a 2 m high stone fence, which is called parik. At each corner of the fence stands a guard tower that serves to spy on the enemy or defend.In past history, in the Batak tribe there were often wars between villages.
Therefore, why is the Batak tribal village fenced around and there is a guard tower like a fort, Huta can still be seen in North Tapanuli Regency in the villages of Tomok, Ambarita, Silaen, and Lumban Nabolon Parbagasan. These villages are cultural tourist attractions that are visited by many tourists.
Meaning and Symbolism
The pattern of arrangement in the lumban/huta consists of several houses/houses and sopo in it. The position of the house and sopo is facing each other and refers to the axis of the north-south side. Sopo is a barn, as a place to store food such as rice, corn or other garden products. The philosophy contained in the Batak people is that they value the meaning of life, food and shelter are the support and source of life for them and are grateful for them with wise use.
Toba Batak Traditional Architecture
Judging from the shape of the lumban / huta like a fortress rather than a village in general, we can see from the history of the character or nature of the community of the ancestors of the previous Batak tribe, like to fight between villages among the Batak tribes themselves but in different villages.
In the arrangement of buildings in the forest, the existence of sopo is very important and appreciated, its location is always opposite the house. This shows that the life pattern of the Toba Batak people is agricultural, farming or farming. The position of the ruma and sopo are arranged linearly.
Framing Study
Traditional building experts (traditional architects) of the Batak tribe are called pande. Like other traditional houses, the Batak traditional house is a micro cosmos symbolizing the macro cosmos which is divided into 3 parts or the triune banua, namely banua tongga (under the earth) for the foot of the house, banua tonga (world) for the body of the house, banua ginjang (the lion in the sky) for the house. roof.
Toba Batak architecture consists of ruma and sopo (barn) which are opposite each other. Ruma and sopo are separated by a large courtyard that functions as a common space for the huta residents. There are several names for the Batak house, according to the condition of the house. The traditional house with many decorations (gorga), is called Ruma Gorga Sarimunggu or Jabu Batara Guru. Meanwhile, the traditional house that is not carved is called Jabu Ereng or Jabu Batara Siang. A large house, called Ruma Bolon. and a small house, called Jabu Parbale-balean. In addition, there is Ruma Parsantian, which is a traditional house which is the right of the youngest child.
The Process of Building a House.
Before building a house, the Batak people first collect the necessary building materials, this collection process is usually called in the Toba Batak language "mangarade". The desired materials include poles, tustus (pegs), pandingdingan, parhongkom, urur, ninggor, ture-ture, sijongjongi, sitindangi, songong boltok and fibers as roofing materials. Also materials for lions, ulu paung and so on are needed.
In the management process, it is always carried out with mutual cooperation which in the Toba Batak language is known as "marsirumpa" a form of selfless cooperation between residents of the village.
After the building materials have been completed, the technical work is left to the "pande" to design and realize the construction of the house in accordance with the orders and wishes of the homeowner, whether in the form of "Ruma" or "Sopo".
Usually the steps carried out by Pande are for the selection of building materials with the criteria used based on the loud sound of wood knocking by Pande with certain tools. Hi it's called "mamingning".
The wood with the loudest sound is used as a "Jabu bona" pole. And the wood with a second loud sound is for the "jabu soding" pole which is then used successively for the "jabu suhat" and "si slap plate" poles.
The next stage that Pande took was "marsitiktik". The first thing to be carved out was a jabu bona pole according to the philosophy that says “Tais pe banjar ganjang mandapot in raja huta. Bolon pe ruma gorga mandapot in jabu bona".
One of the important things for us to pay attention to in building this traditional Batak house is the foundation. There is a philosophical meaning of the Batak people which is contained and implied in the construction of the foundation of their house, that without a strong foundation, the house will not stand strong. The philosophy that implies "hot di ojahanna" is the Batak community with the principle that where the ground is stepped on, the sky is upheld.
The foundation is made in a quadrangular formation assisted by several other piers. For the purposes of the walls of the house the constituent components consist of "pandingdingan" whose weight is quite heavy so there is a philosophy that says "Ndang tartea sahalak sada pandingdingan" as a sign that cooperation and togetherness / compactness need to be established in carrying heavy loads.
Pandingdingan is united with “parhongkom” by using “hansing-hansing” as a unifying tool. In this case there are expressions that say "Hot di batuna nets ransang di ransang-ransangna" and "hansing di hansing-hansingna", which means that the base and foundation have been made and that other components can also stand firmly. This is interpreted to show the existence of the house, and in everyday life. It is also interpreted that every householder must always embrace and have harmonious relationships with neighbors.
To support the upper frame, the so-called "bungkulan" is supported by the "pillar ninggor". So that the ninggor can continue to stand upright, it is supported by "sitindangi", and the support that is located in front of the ninggor's pole is called "sijongjongi". For the Batak people, the ninggor pole is always positioned as a symbol of honesty, because the pole is in an upright position towering upwards. And in upholding honesty, including in upholding truth and justice, it is always supported and assisted by sitindangi and sijongjongi.
Under the roof of the front there is what is called "arop-arop". This is a symbol of the hope that one day you will be able to enjoy a decent life, and the hope that God Almighty will always bless you. In the Batak belief, before knowing religion, it was called Mula Jadi Na Bolon as the Supreme Creator and Creator of the heavens and the earth which in the Batak language is called "Si tompa hasiangan nets Sigomgom parluhutan".
In front of the upper part which is the component for knitting and holding the roof so that it remains solid there is a "songsong boltok". This means, if there are actions and services that are not pleasing to the heart, including in terms of serving food to guests, they must be buried in the heart. As the Malay proverb says, "If there is a broken needle, don't keep it in a box. If there is a wrong word, don't keep it in your heart.
"Ombis-ombis" are located on the right and left that stretch from back to front. The possibility in modern homes is now called a list plank. Serves as a unifying force for the "urur" that holds the roof made of fibers so that it remains intact. In the sense of the Batak people, these ombis can symbolize that in human life nothing is perfect and does not escape from limited abilities, because it is necessary to get advice and suggestions from fellow humans. Individual figures with such character are called "Pangombisi do ibana di Angka ulaon ni dongan" namely people who always care about what happens to others, both in times of sorrow and in joy.
Room Utilization
On the inside of the house (interior) a floor is built which in the Batak sense is called a "board". So that the floor is solid and does not shake, a floor galang (halang plank) is made which is called "gulang-gulang". It can also function to strengthen house buildings so that there is an expression that says "Hot do jabu i hot margulang-gulang, boru ni ise pe dialap bere i hot do i boru ni bone."
To maintain the cleanliness of the house, in the center slightly back near the stove where the cooking is done there is a hole called "talaga". Everything that is dirty like dust, sand because the floor is swept out through the hole. Because of that, there is a philosophy that says "Talaga panduduran, pits of redemption" which can mean that all despicable actions of friends or actions that can offend people must be forgotten.
On the front, a small room in the form of a stage (like a balcony) was built and the room was named “songkor”. When there is a party for the owner of the house, the room is used as a place for "pargonsi" (Batak drummers) and there are also times when it can be used as a place for agricultural tools such as plows and hoes after planting rice.
Equivalent to songkor at the back of the house, a stage-shaped room is also built called "pangabang", used for storing rice, usually included in "bahul-bahul". If the size of the paddy field is larger, it is called "ompon". This is the reason why the residents of the house whose level of life is prosperous are dubbed "Parbahul-bahul na bolon". And there is also a philosophy that says "Pir ma pongki bahul-bahul pansalongan. Pir ma tondi luju-luju ma pangomoan”, as a wish and wish for cheap fortune and a smooth livelihood.
A cross section in the middle is built "para-para" as a place for fibers whose use is to insert the roof of the house if it leaks. Under the para-para, "parlabian" is used to place rattan and carpentry tools such as hortuk, baliung and baji-baji and so on. That's why there is a fatsafah who says "Ijuk in para-para, hotang in parlabian, na bisuk rises gabe raja ndang adong be na oto tu pargadisan" which means roughly if a wise human being bestari is appointed king, the stupid and the weak can protected because they have received fair treatment and are always protected.
To enter the house, it is equipped with a "ladder" which is next to the front of the house and attached to the parhongkom. For the sopo house and the stairs for "Ruma" used to be in "tampunak". Because of that there is a philosophy which reads that "Tampunak is sibaganding, in Dolok this is pangringan. Horas ma na marhaha-maranggi nets agile ma sipairing-accompaniment".
There are times when the state of the stairs can be a source of pride for the Batak people. If the ladder wears out quickly, it indicates that the ladder is often crossed by people. The understanding that the owner of the house is a person who likes to receive guests and is often visited by people because the person is friendly. The ladder is called the "Rege-Rege Stairs".
Gorga
The front of the house is decorated with oraments in the form of carvings called “gorga” and consists of several types, namely gorga sampur borna, gorga sipalang and gorga sidomdom in robean.
Gorga is decorated (painted) with three colors, namely red (narara), white (nabontar) and black (nabirong). The red color symbolizes knowledge and intelligence that bear wisdom. The white color symbolizes sincerity and honesty which results in purity. The black color symbolizes the kingdom and authority that bears leadership.
Before the Batak people know the paint as it is now, for coloring gorga they use "stone hula “for red color, for white color used” Tano buro" (a type of clay but white), and for black color obtained by taking castor oil burned until burnt. As for the adhesive used spur water from a type of rice called Siputo Rice.
Besides the gorga, the Batak house is also equipped with other carvings known as “lions”, a symbol which means that the occupants of the house must be able to be independent and show their identity as cultured human beings. The lions come from the image of “sihapor” (grasshoppers) carved into the shape of a statue and placed in front of the house. There are two types of grasshoppers, namely Sihapor Lunjung for Ruma's lions and Sihapor Gurdong for Sopo's house.
This is confirmed in the form of a philosophy that says "Metmet pe sihapor lunjung di jujung do uluna" which means that even though the condition and social status of the homeowner is not too lucky, he must always be strong and able to maintain his integrity and image of his good name.
Important Furniture
Various forms and furniture that are valuable for the Batak people include “ampang” which is useful as a measuring device (gauge) for rice and rice. Therefore there is a philosophy that says " Ampang in jolo-jolo, panguhatan in pudi-pudi. Adat na hot pinungka ni na parjolo, ihuthonton sian pudi”. The understanding it contains is that what form of custom has been commonly implemented by the ancestors should be preserved by the next generation. It should be added that "panguhatan" is as a place of water for cooking purposes.
On the top left and right, which are located above the pandingdingan, "pangumbari" is made, which is used as a place to put things that are needed daily such as cloth, mats and others. The philosophy of life that he voiced was “This is for silinjuangan until it is pangumbari. Jagar do simanjujung molo ni ampehon ropes".
To store goods of high value and have a high price, they are usually stored in "hombung", such as sere (gold), silver, ringgit (currency as a medium of exchange), ogung, and various ulos such as hotang yeast, live yeast, yeast Pangko, Harangan yeast, Huting yeast, Marmjam Sisi, Runjat, Pinunsaan, Jugia so Pipot and various types of ropes such as Speech, Padang Ursa, Tutuman and Piso Halasan, Tombuk Pepper, Tutu Pege and so on.
Because the Batak people have a character that glorifies openness then when the residents of the house died in old age and already have grandchildren then there is a family event to check the contents of hombung. This is called "ungkap hombung" witnessed by the hula-hula.
For families with a modest economic level, there is a place to store items called "rumbi" whose function is almost the same as hombung only smaller in size and not as luxurious as hombung.
As a cooking furnace usually consists of several stone fruits called "dalihan". Usually it consists of 5 (five) pieces so that the cooking stove becomes two, so it can cook rice and side dishes at once.
Many nicknames are addressed to the owner of the House about the end to receive guests with a happy heart that is "paramak so balunon “which means that” Amak" (mat) which serves as a seat for distinguished guests rarely rolled, because recently the mat is used already come another guest again.
"Partataring So ra mintop" indicates that the furnace where cooking rice always has embers never extinguished. Indicates that the owner of the house is always agile and ready to serve the necessary dishes for guests.
"Parsilangan so mahiang" indicates that the Batak people will make every effort to think about and provide valuable and quite tasty dishes that are usually from livestock meat.
For that all the Batak people always want enough income to be able to live a prosperous and cheap fortune, have adequate livelihoods, so called "Parrambuan So ra marsik"”
The mat called "amak" is an important object for the Batak people. Serves for bedding and as a body warmer called bulusan. Therefore there is a philosophy that says " Amak do bulusan bahul-bahul inganan ni eme. Horas uhum martulang gabe uhum marbere".
Another type of mat is the rere which is specifically used as a daily seat and when it is worn out it is used as a "pangarerean" as the basis for forming "luhutan" which is a collection of rice that has just been slashed and shaped into a circle. Regarding this there is an expression that says "Sala mandasor sega luhutan" where the meaning is that if there is a mistake in planning, the result can be neglected goals.