Ancestor Ritual in Tanah Karo

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

The tradition of ritual-enacting to pay respects to their ancestor remains very much a part of the Tanah Karo people in North Sumatra province, as demonstrated by the ngampeken tulan-tulan ritualplacing the remains of an ancestor to a better placewhich took place three weeks ago at the Bintang Meriah village. This particular ceremony involved a procession to place the skull of King Senina Lingga of Tanah Karo, who died 400 years ago, in a special place, after the skull had been put in safekeeping elsewehere since 1946, when Tanah Karo experienced certain after-war turmoil. Three weeks ago, Tempo correspondent Soetana Monang Hasibuan witnessed this unique ritual.

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Mejuah-juah kita kerina. Those words, which in the native vernacular of the Batak Karoone of the biggest Batak ethnic groupsmean 'peace be with you all', were heard at a meeting in Bintang Meriah village in Karo regency, North Sumatra. Couples consisting of men and women clad in traditional red-and-black garb stood in a circle. In the center was Adri Istambul Lingga Gayo, presiding over the meeting. He was the one who uttered those words.

It was the

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