"The question is not important?"

>>> MANDAILING CULTURE <<<

Did you know about the Mandailing ? Maybe you are not familiar with who they really are. Many people consider the Mandailing is included (part of) the Batak tribe, is that right ? 
Indeed, some tribes in the northern part of Sumatra Island that have terms in their respective cultures are 'similar' but it is actually not the same. For example, for the mention of the social system. If in Mandailing and Angkola called 'Dalian Na Tolu', Toba called 'Dalihan Natolu Paopatna Sihal-sihal', in Karo called 'Rukut Si Telu', Pakpak called 'Daliken Si Telu', and in Simelungun called 'Tolu Sahunduran'. All social systems that term literally means possible 'somewhat similar', with the basic understanding that each social system was based on three groups of tribal kinship as its main components, namely (1) kinship group consisting of people who are a clan ('marga'), (2) which gives her kinship group, and (3) who received her kinship group. In practice, it is into three groups of kinship was always present and plays a major role in any traditional activities such as wedding ceremonies, funeral rites, and so on. However, how the rules and ways to carry out traditional ceremonies were presumably much different. Not unlike like the application of the democratic system of government in the United States and Indonesia, which incidentally are both democracies. However, if the two major countries that implement a democratic system are exactly the same ? Not ! Because the two countries each have cultural values ​​(cultural value system) is different, which is the foundation to do something, so that both the action and the result will be different.

How did the 'mother tongue' them, whether it is the same or not ? Of course, as the tribes who lived next door to be sure there are the same number of words, but it's just not the dominant factor to form a language. Each tribe has a 'language system' respectively are not the same. Take for example the Mandailing language (called 'Saro Mandailing') which has 5 (five) types 'variety of language', namely : (1) 'Hata Somal', the language used to communicate in daily life; (2) 'Hata Andung' is a kind of literary language diversity during the first specifically used by people at the time bemoaning Mandailing corpses in funeral rites, and is used by the girl when she was wailing in the presence of his parents at the time of departure will leave them to be brought to the groom's family home; (3) 'Hata Taes dohot Jampolak' language diversity is a special invective used when things happen that are not good (quarrels or fights), (4) 'Hata Sibaso' is a special variety of language used by the characters 'Sibaso' (medium intermediaries real nature and the supernatural) when it is in a state of trance  and is also used by 'Datu' ('traditional healer') in the time to treatment, and 0 (5) 'Hata Parkapur' is a variety of language 'sirkumlokusi' special used when people are in the middle of the forest. In the past used by the search Mandailing camphor when in the woods. That is why the diversity of languages ​​is called 'hata parkapur'. In addition, there are also 'Language Leaves' ( 'bladerentaal'). Different from ordinary language, which is used as the words in the 'hata bulung- bulung' is the leaves of plants which in Mandailing called 'bulung-bulung' (note: you try to compare carefully the language system owned Mandailing tribe with other tribes in the northern part of Sumatra Island). Diversity Mandailing this type of language is one of the Mandailing fact that language is not the same as the language that is owned by a number of tribes living 'neighbors' in the northern part of the island Sumatra.

In art there are also terms that are relatively common in some parts such as for a traditional dance called 'tortor' in Mandailing, Angkola, and Toba. While traditional dance in the Karo tribe called 'landek', and the tribe Pakpak called 'tatak'. In Mandailing, to accompany traditional dance ('tortor') is used set of musical instruments (ensemble) called 'gondang dua' ('gondang topap'), the Toba tribe used 'gondang sabangunan', and the Karo tribe is 'gendang lima sedalanen'. If observed cultivating dance and musical composition of each tribe is different, there is no resemblance at all.

By observing the above facts, then why is there still people who think that Mandailing and also Karo culture that is 'Batak culture' ? Apparently, the Mandailing itself was lazy (reluctant) to answer this question!!!

Gandoang, January 10, 2014.